September is National Campus Fire Safety Month and Tacoma Fire Department would like to remind everyone about this important safety topic.According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are approximately 18 million students enrolled in over 4000 colleges and universities across the country. Approximately 2/3 of the students live in off-campus housing.
Data compiled by Campus Firewatch, shows that over 8o percent of the more than 100 campus-related fire fatalities across the nation (since January 2000) have occurred in off-campus housing. Four common factors in a number of these fires include:
· Lack of automatic fire sprinklers
· Missing or disabled smoke alarms
· Careless disposal of smoking materials
· Impaired judgment from alcohol consumption
In other words, the same factors contributing to all fire fatalities, apply to college students as well. Make an informed decision about your housing - especially if you’re living off campus.
For more information about prevention strategies and questions to ask about your living arrangements visit igot2know.org or USFA - fire safety for college students.
