Renters practice fire safety, keep safe

Allie Vukov doesn’t take chances.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma president and communication sophomore knows where the fire extinguishers are located. She knows the smoke detectors are functioning. She knows the fire escape plan. When it comes to fire safety, she’s prepared.

“We have a lot of precautionary measures and procedures,” Vukov said. “It’s a big, old house and I have to make sure in the event of a fire, everyone knows what to do.”

For Vukov, fire prevention and safety are of the utmost importance. While the threat of a deadly fire might seem remote, college students have reason to be cautious.

About 80 percent of fires involving college students nationwide occur in off-campus housing, East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said. According to Campus-Firewatch.com, 14 college students across the country died during the current school year as a result of fires.

Pratt said most house fires are the result of at least one of four common characteristics: drinking, careless disposal of smoking materials, malfunctioning smoke detectors or the lack of a sprinkler system.

“The number of fires we see off campus is much more than the number on campus,” Pratt said. “Most dorms are made of brick so a fire can’t spread. But a lot of off-campus housing is made of stick and wood.”

Sean Strauss, an advertising junior and president of Pi Kappa Alpha, said he’s made it his responsibility to ensure the safety of his brothers.

“I’ve been president for about three weeks now, and we’ve already put $1,000 into our fire prevention system,” Strauss said. “The brothers understand the threat and we do all we can to prevent a fire.”

While Strauss and Vukov have made sure their houses are safe, Ed Comeau, the publisher of Campus-Firewatch.com, said college students are one of the most challenging demographics to reach.

For many students, the threat of a fire is remote and not of great concern.

Accounting senior Megan Miller lives in a rental home on Albert Avenue and is aware her smoke detectors work.

“We know the smoke detectors work because the (landlords) come over whenever they go off,” she said.

To stress the importance of fire safety, Comeau said he’s trying new ways to engage college students. In April, Comeau will release an educational video called “To Hell and Back.”

Both Pratt and Comeau agree college students care about fire safety, but sit comes down to educating them.

“For many students, when they realize there’s a gap in their knowledge, they want to know more about the subject,” Comeau said. “They’re very receptive to the message.”

Published on Sunday, January 27, 2008