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Don’t get burned by lack of attention to fire safety

September is national Campus Fire Safety Month, and as many of you move to campus and away from the familiar surroundings of home, I encourage you to take the time to think about these seven tips to help keep you - and your neighbors - safe from the threat of fire.

n Learn your surroundings and know how you're going to get out in the event of fire.

n Respond to alarms immediately. If you wait until you smell smoke, you are greatly reducing your chances of getting out.

n Pull the nearest alarm and evacuate the building immediately if you spot a fire or see or smell smoke.

n Evacuate the building by way of the safest and closest exit and/or stairway. Never use an elevator during a fire alarm activation.

n Be responsible in alcohol consumption. More than 50 percent of all campus fire-related fatalities involve the use of alcohol.

n Use quality outlet strips with circuit breakers. Estimates in the 1970s were that the average student took four electrical appliances to college. Today, the estimates are 17 – such as iPods, televisions, hair dryers, laptops and stereos. Electrical systems are being overloaded.

n Be alarmed. Make sure off-campus housing complexes have integrated alarm systems. If a fire occurs in another part of the building, you need to get out, as well. If you do not have an integrated alarm system, make sure you have working smoke detectors on each level of your residence. Test the batteries at the beginning of each semester.

Fires happen on and around college campuses with alarming frequency.
About 1,700 fires in residence halls, classroom buildings, fraternities and sororities are documented annually. Over the last decade, 140 young adults have died in fires while at college. Every one of these deaths was determined to be preventable.
At Purdue University, we take fire prevention seriously. We dedicate a full-time position to education programs geared toward students. Fire drills are conducted each semester for all campus housing.
But it takes more than educational activities. Igot2kno.org is a valuable online, interactive resource. This website has personal testimonials from college students who have been through fires, shows what happens during a fire and how to escape a fire.
Taking just a little time to think about these concepts will go a long way toward helping ensure you have a successful – and safe – year on campus.

Kevin Ply is the fire chief at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. The Indiana Fire Chiefs Association recently named him the 2010 Indiana Fire Chief of the Year for his efforts in college fire prevention safety.