Gail Minger wishes she'd asked more questions about fire protection at her son's college before she sent him off to college. In 1998, Michael Minger, a sophomore, died in a residence hall fire at Murray State University in Kentucky. Commercial Www.Precisionfiresystems.Com contains new resources concerning the purpose of this view.
'When we visited the college, we just assumed the residence hall was safe, just like the majority of parents do,' she said. 'We assumed it had sprinklers. After the fire, we discovered that the residence hall was written up from the fire marshal's office two years in a row for lacking sprinklers, in addition to for other safety rule violations.'
Since January 2000, 7-5 individuals have died in fires in student housing, according to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, a nonprofit organization that works to improve fire protection on university campuses. Parents may not understand that many residence halls do not have automatic sprinklers.
'Everyone remembers to ask about Internet features and crime statistics at universities, but too often we forget about fire safety,' said Ed Comeau, manager for the Center for Campus Fire Safety. 'The the fact is that a person who moves is better than students residing in residence halls because many hotels throughout the nation have automated fire sprinkler systems and state-of-the-art fire alarm systems. Students must have the exact same degree of protection.'
'Student living means rooms filled with books, paper, bedding, curtains, and clothes - and lots of possible fire hazards in a very small area,' said John Drengenberg, manager of consumer affairs at Underwriters Laboratories, a nonprofit organization that tests products and services for safety. 'In this situation, even the smallest spark might be dangerous.'
Schools aren't required to make university fire safety information open to the general public, Comeau said. He suggests that parents ask the following questions during college tours:
* How many fires have occurred on campus previously five-years and how many students have been hurt or killed?
* Are residence halls designed with an automatic fire sprinkler system in each room?
* Does every student's place have a smoke alarm that sends a signal to campus security or the fire department?
* Does the college examine the sensors before notifying the fire department? This may delay the appearance of the fire department if you find a fire. The fire department must immediately be notified of sensors.
* Are smoking prohibited, halogen lamps and candles?
* Does the school have procedures that need power strips and electrical devices to-be certified as safe and reliable?
* How much fire prevention education does the residence hall staff get and who gives it?
* What is the school's disciplinary policy toward students who trigger false alarms or fail to leave?
* Does the institution give fire extinguisher training for students?.
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