College Fires

[MPVFD2046]

Ok, I am a college student and I am deeply troubled by the rise in fires on campus. My question is has anyone responded to a fire either dorm or teaching facility fire recently AND how would you improve fire safety and education at colleges across the nation?

[clark918]

At the big technical college in Milwaukee, there were a bunch of random trash fire a few months ago. Don't know much about it, but I guess trash bins inside the school kept getting lit on fire.

[jccrabby3084]

Ok, I am a college student and I am deeply troubled by the rise in fires on campus. My question is has anyone responded to a fire either dorm or teaching facility fire recently AND how would you improve fire safety and education at colleges across the nation?

As for responding to a fire in such environment lately, no I haven't. I have been on numerous false alarms from burnt popcorn to a pulled pull station. One thing in common is the lack of students exiting the building. Many figure this is another drill or false alarm and get complacent.

The thing is everyone thinks what they are doing is more important than leaving. In some more unfortunate cases, others feel they can go back in quick and retrieve whatever.

Point is the education for fire safety has been there since you were a kid. Get out and stay out. Know a couple ways out of your dorm or classroom. If trapped by a fire, keep the door closed, place wet towels or something similar to keep smoke from getting under the door. Open a window and wait for help. The thing is, most grade school and pre school kids know this, teenagers and adults become complacent.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

First, here is a very recent report on the subject of fires in college dorms.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07279.html

You would find, nationwide, that some colleges are very aggressive in their fire protection efforts. Virginia Tech is a good example. I am not talking about schools with fire departments. I am talking about schools with personnel dedicated to fire protection systems and fire prevention.

Without a doubt, fires in college housing is the biggest problem. Why? As the father of two kids who have lived in college housing for the past three years, I can cite three reasons. First, kids are generally not cognizant of the risks of some of their actions. Unauthorized cooking in their rooms. Clandestine smoking, drying clothes in a lamp, horseplay, etc. are all actions that can result in fires and kids don't have the life experience to recognoze the hazards.

Second, in plain English, most kids are pigs. Housekeeping is an issue in almost every college fire that I have investigated.

Third, alcohol.

In other words, college kids are no different than the general population.

However, off-campus housing and Greek housing remain the biggest hazard. These areas usually have little to no oversight from campus or municipal fire departments.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

First, here is a very recent report on the subject of fires in college dorms.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07279.html

You would find, nationwide, that some colleges are very aggressive in their fire protection efforts. Virginia Tech is a good example. I am not talking about schools with fire departments. I am talking about schools with personnel dedicated to fire protection systems and fire prevention.

Without a doubt, fires in college housing is the biggest problem. Why? As the father of two kids who have lived in college housing for the past three years, I can cite three reasons. First, kids are generally not cognizant of the risks of some of their actions. Unauthorized cooking in their rooms. Clandestine smoking, drying clothes in a lamp, horseplay, etc. are all actions that can result in fires and kids don't have the life experience to recognoze the hazards.

Second, in plain English, most kids are pigs. Housekeeping is an issue in almost every college fire that I have investigated.

Third, alcohol.

In other words, college kids are no different than the general population.

However, off-campus housing and Greek housing remain the biggest hazard. These areas usually have little to no oversight from campus or municipal fire departments.

Bingo!

It's the first time away from Mom and Dad for most kids, so they "begin the rebellion" outside of parental eyes...

When my son went to UMass Dartmouth, I paid extra $$$ to make sure that he was in one of the new dorms that were fully sprinklered.

As far as the false alarm/complacency thing...

During his first semester, some idiot had pulled a malicious false alarm three times in one night. After the 3rd incident, the IC of the responding companies decided to put a stop to it. He made sure that the building was completetly evacuated and refused to allow the students back in the building until each and every person was outside and it could be verified.

It was also 35 degrees and raining.... they didn't have a problem after that!

[Diane E]

We're over here, too, but the headline is a little deceiving...

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=93520

[MPVFD2046]

Thank ya'll for your responses. I have been out of the dorm now for several years and I have spent several nights out in the courtyard, because someone thought it would be funny to pull the alarm. I do have to agree about the alcohol and so on...it can be a problem on any campus. My first dorm room was on the top floor of a multi-story structure with no sprinklers or stand pipe. Each floor had access to the two stairwells. One on the alpha-bravo corner the other on the charlie-delta corner. Most of time the alarm sounded the alarm was delayed to the local fire department approximately 5-10 minutes do to the RA's searching for thier students because most where either not in thier rooms or still asleep.

But that was the past. The real point of this thread was too see what ya'll thought on a growing number of fires on college campuses. Thanks again for the responses and feel free to add more.

[MalahatTwo7]

Funny this topic came up (no not funny HA HA) because I receive regular Safety Digest notices in my email and this very topic came to discussion about a week ago. More in line with a reminder to parents to counsel their college student on the hazards of dorm life.

[Diane E]

There's also some good stuff here:

http://youtube.com/user/ecomeau

http://www.ul.com/consumers/college.html
(also do a search with the word campus and you'll get a lot of news)

The USFA website has info, too...

www.usfa.fema.gov

The US Senate voted on a resolution announcing September as Campus Fire Safety month (the House was still being worked on before the August recess, so I don't know the status -- contact your reps!).

House Resolution 95 (HRES 95) -- http://thomas.loc.gov/

[voyager9]

However, off-campus housing and Greek housing remain the biggest hazard. These areas usually have little to no oversight from campus or municipal fire departments.

I agree here. Also, I thought on-Campus dorms had to be sprinklered. I know the ones at WPI were, though I guess it depends on when they were built.

[Firefighter2230]

I agree here. Also, I thought on-Campus dorms had to be sprinklered. I know the ones at WPI were, though I guess it depends on when they were built.

apparently they don't around here the campus in our district feels that since they were built X amount of years ago that they don't have to be held to todays standards.

Got to tag along with the FMO when they inspected recently and found one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen in a college dorm. The student had taken a bed frame and placed it over the door on top of two dressers for storage. And shortly after that started finding the rooms that use to be for one person but were re modeled to fit two people with one door being nailed and screwed shut.

Makes us cringe every time we start to hear the tones drop for that place and they can't seem to figure out why

[LaFireEducator]

As someone who was on a college fire department for 4 years, 1.5 of them as chief and a firefighter in a department covering a meduim sized campus with several 4 story dorms for 15 years, I have several ideas on this topic.

1. All dorms and townhouses on campus need to be mandated to be covered with sprinklers by state law. Fire departments with significant off-campus housing should consider sprinkler ordinances.

2. Pulling of alarms should be treated seriously. Intentionally pulled false alarms in many states are crimes, yet it is rare that the campus administration tretas these actions as such. Ask the local LE to charge students if they pull alarms and expel the alarm pullers. Same goes for arsonists, who are often treated softly by administration.

3. Increase training in evac and fire supression training to student dorm supervisory staff.

4. Disciplinary actions for students who fail to evacuate in the event of an alarm.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

I agree here. Also, I thought on-Campus dorms had to be sprinklered. I know the ones at WPI were, though I guess it depends on when they were built.

In NJ they are. At least in VA they do not.

[ChiefSquirrel]

In NJ they are. At least in VA they do not.

George - You are correct.

My Department covers a college in our first due and another in our second due. While the college in our first due does a good job with alarm system maintenance, testing and training of RAs - the campus policy for alarm response is somewhat more troublesome.

Our campus PD respond first to alarms to investigate since such a huge percentage are false. The FD does not get dispatched unless the PD requests it or calls to 911 indicate a smoke/fire in the building. As you can imagine, when our response has been needed it has also been delayed.

Anyone else deal with this on colleges they cover?

[LaFireEducator]

Chief S ,,,,

We've had that situation, with security investigating the alarm, but we had the "luxury" of having apparatus and firefighters on campus going with them.

Since the early 70's St Micheals College Fire and Rescue have operated on the St. Michaal's campus, in Colchester, VT. SMFD is part of the Colchester Center Volunteer Fire Company. They currently operate an engine and a hose/utility truck. In the past, they operated 2 engines, but was reduced to one simply due to efficany. The college and SMFD alumni association pays for the apparatus and the facilty to house it (they just built them a brand new dorm/station facility), and the CCVFC pays for equipment, communications, PPE, training, fuel and apparatus maintanence and most improvements.
They are trained by CCVFC personnel, attend all CCVFC training, follow all CCVFC protocols and SOPs and fully operate within the CCVFC command structure. They have a Chief (Deputy chief in the CCVFC hierarchy), Asst. Chief (CCVFC Battilion Chief), student captain and student LT that report to CCVFC chief. They were averaging 18-22 active members.

The rescue end provided ALS transport to 3 communties as primary, and at least 5 others as second due. They also had the only neo-natal transport ambulance in northern VT.

They roll on all CCVFC runs, and are first-due in probably the most hazardous area in our district. In addition to being first due on the campus, they are also first-in in an area comprised of 50-60 early 1900s structures which are used for residences, light manufacturing facilities and warehouses, they are also first due at 2 large hotels, a nursing home, a major medical rehab facilty and Camp Johnson, which is the administrative and logistical home of the VT National Guard. They are also the first-due apparatus in our automatic mutual aid package to the city of Winooski.

When I left 5 years ago, the SMFD was rolling an engine with the full
crew during the day and both trucks at night, providing a needed source of manpower to the CCVFC. Summer and holiday response is slightly less, but they do have a number of members stay in town during those periods.

At times in the past, there have been periods where the Colchester Police, which is the CCVFC dispatch point, was not notified of campus alarms. However, the SMFD was dispatched with campus security and responded, so there was in fact still a FD response. When these occurances took place, which were voliations of SOP, they were dealt with and generally came down to campus dispatcher ommission. A few years ago, communications were intergrated and now the SMFD has to be dispatched by Colchester Police.

[Diane E]

When I worked on the Hill, we tried to get sprinkler legislation passed, but it was "too expensive" (tell that to the parents that lose a child or the victims that are scarred for life such as was the case in NJ) and that was under a Republican controlled Congress. The Dem's aren't stepping up to the plate either. I'm off my political soap box now...

Is your Congressman/woman and are your Senators on these bills?

HR 1742 -- Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (I had 165 cosponsors when it was HR 1131 in the 109th, they're not even close) -- To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as 5-year property for purposes of depreciation. It's S 582 in the Senate.

HR 642 -- College Fire Prevention Act -- To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student housing and dormitories, and for other purposes. Didn't see a Senate version.

[KEEPBACK200FEET]

My school had a typical "burnt popcorn" fire on the 8th floor of one of the dorms. Turned out to be a multiple alarm incident (not due to fire conditions...not sure about that one); and it also broke the towns record for tallest rescue. (Cake for some of you guys I'm sure) The victim that was rescued failed to heed the fire alarm. While high-rise fire's may be common in places like New York; around here, they can be major incidents.


Fire Shuts Down ECU's Clement Residence Hall.

[Diane E]

Bumping this back to the first page.

[Zagnuts]

George - You are correct.

My Department covers a college in our first due and another in our second due. While the college in our first due does a good job with alarm system maintenance, testing and training of RAs - the campus policy for alarm response is somewhat more troublesome.

Our campus PD respond first to alarms to investigate since such a huge percentage are false. The FD does not get dispatched unless the PD requests it or calls to 911 indicate a smoke/fire in the building. As you can imagine, when our response has been needed it has also been delayed.

Anyone else deal with this on colleges they cover?

Wow, two colleges in your district. How many people are we talkin'? Can't you change these policies as cheif?