| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 4, 2015
CONTACT: Kevin Walters
OFFICE: (615) 253-8941
September Declared Campus Fire Safety Month in Tennessee
Fire-Safe Campus and Off-Campus Housing Crucial For Parents, Students
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has declared September 2015 as Campus Fire Safety Month to raise awareness among all Tennesseans about the need for fire safety in campus and off-campus occupancies.
September is nationally recognized as National Campus Fire Safety Month. Since 2005, more than 200 proclamations recognizing Campus Fire Safety Month have been signed by the nation’s governors as well as resolutions in the U.S. Congress. Throughout September, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is stressing the importance of campus fire safety.
“Instilling good fire-safety habits in young people today is crucial to helping prevent loss of life and property later on,” said Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “We’re urging students and parents to choose fire-safe campus and off-campus housing in order to reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening situations.”
From January 2000 through June 2015, at least 169 people have died in the U.S. in college-related fire fatalities with a majority of those fire deaths occurring in off-campus housing, according to information compiled by Campus Firewatch. In Tennessee, the last reported campus-related fire fatality occurred in 2005.
Campus-related fire deaths have common factors including a lack of automatic fire sprinklers, missing or disabled smoke alarms, careless smoking habits, and the misuse of alcohol — which impairs judgment and hampers evacuation efforts.
To help parents and students through the process of selecting fire-safe housing, the SFMO is offering a list of questions that parents and students should ask before moving in:
1. Are working smoke alarms installed? (Preferably in each bedroom, interconnected to sound all if any one detects smoke)
2. Are there at least two ways to exit your bedroom and your building?
3. Do the upper floors of the building have at least two interior stairways or a fire escape?
4. Is a sprinkler system installed and maintained?
5. Are the existing electrical outlets adequate for all of the appliances and equipment without the need for extension cords?
6. Are there “EXIT” signs in the building hallways to indicate accessible escape routes?
7. Does the building have a fire alarm system installed and maintained?
8. Has the building’s heating system been inspected recently (within the last year)?
9. Is the building address clearly posted to allow emergency services to find it quickly in the event of an emergency?
10. Does the sprinkler system or fire alarm system send a signal to the local fire department or campus security?
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