Theta Chi and The Norwich Housing Corporation are teaming up with the Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS), the nation’s leading nonprofit organization focused on campus fire safety, to support September as Fire Safety Month.
Regardless of a person’s age, fire kills. And with August and September typically being the worst months for fatal campus-related fires, now is the best time for everyone to get reacquainted with living fire safe. Fire safety skills are not just important undergraduate skills- they are life skills that will reduce the chance of death or injury. Unfortunately, most college students do not realize how quickly a fire can grow, or even worse, how to respond when a fire does occur. Therefore, spreading the fire safety message and imparting vital life preserving skills requires a team approach.
Why Are We Doing This?
Every year college men and women die due to fire while living on or close to campus. That does not have to happen. Here are the facts:
Fires are Deadly
In the United States, a home fire claims a life every 3 hours. Every half hour, someone is injured in a home fire.
Fires are Costly
In 2006 alone, residential fires cost nearly $7 billion in property damage.
- Fires in fraternity houses are five times more costly on average than those that occur in dormitories.
- Injuries related to fires and burns cost $1.3 billion in 2000.
- Fatal fire injuries cost $66 million.
- Fires and burns caused $6.2 billion in lost productivity in 2000.
- The sentimental value of lost personal items, the chapter’s historical items, memorabilia and photos cannot be estimated.
Fires are Devastating
A fire can destroy a home and everything in it in a matter of minutes.
- Recovering from a fire can be physically and mentally draining on students, parents, and alumni.
- The loss of personal belongings and historical memorabilia can be traumatic.
- The loss of a chapter house to fire can be particularly difficult for the alumni, who may have lived in a home for decades.
What Can You Do?
Just taking a few minutes and recognizing that September is Fire Safety Month is a start. People need to know they can help prevent home fires and survive them if they happen.
The following are several ideas and events that can be implemented by the house corporation, undergraduates, and/or alumni at the local chapter or even at your own personal home during the month of September.
If your chapter conducts a fire safety event not on the list, let us know! We would love to add your event to the list for next year. Just send it to housing@thetachi.org.
Awareness
The best way to prevent fires is to be aware of, and on the lookout for potential fire hazards.
- Marketing Awareness – Does the chapter house have fire and life safety posters up throughout the house?
- Does the house have an escape plan in case there is a fire; and do you practice it with the whole family or the chapter?
- Practicing fire safety when cooking, smoking, using space heaters, or lighting candles.
- Just be smart and use common sense.
Fire Safety Meetings
- House Corporation Meeting– Set up a meeting with the local fire marshal- not to inspect the house, but to bring the whole house corporation up to date on any major fire/life safety changes that would affect the house.
- House Manager Meeting– The fire marshal should then have an interactive meeting with the house manager and the chapter. It is strongly encouraged to have two separate meetings because the fire marshal will have two very different audiences. The fire marshal can discuss life/fire safety issues with the guys that live in and out of the house during this meeting.
Inspections
- The house corporation and chapter officers should conduct a whole house fire/life safety inspection. What needs to be fixed? What needs to be improved upon?
- Have your sprinklers, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, all safety devices been checked for the year? How often should they be checked? The house corporation should have a life safety schedule that is shared with the executive board.
- After the corporation and house manager have gone around and inspected the house, end the month with the local fire marshal conducting their annual inspection.
Fire Drill!
Sometime during the month of September set up an early morning fire drill with the local fire department and the house corporation.
Team Up
Work with the local fire department, police department, and school to do a mock burn, sprinkler demonstration, fire extinguisher training, or other fire safety demonstration
Recognition
Recognize brothers or individuals that serve as fire fighters, police officers, or are involved with fire/life safety on campus.
Off-Campus Fire Safety
A majority of the fires that occur are not in Greek or on-campus housing, but in off-campus housing. Develop a program that addresses these students.
Need Help Planning an Event?
E-mail housing@thetachi.org or The Center for Campus Fire Safety at supportteam@campusfiresafety.org.