LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — With a new semester now in full swing, Governor Whitmer has declared September as Campus Fire Safety Month.
According to an official press release, Whitmer is urging students to make fire safety and prevention a top priority at Michigan colleges and universities.
“As students go off to college and are living away from home for the first time, fire risk and safety is often the last thing on their minds,” Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director Orlene Hawks said. “With the start of a new academic year, now is the best time to step up efforts to guard against the danger of fires in dormitories and in off-campus housing. Advanced awareness and precautionary steps will help reduce the number of campus-related fires and the resulting loss of life and property damage.”
Officials say that fires often start from factors such as faulty smoke alarms, unattended candles, and careless smoking.
“Having working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, along with knowing and practicing an escape plan are the most important factors in keeping college students safe,” State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer said. “Students need to ensure that where they are living is equipped with properly working smoke alarms, that they are tested monthly and have fresh batteries. Smoke alarms must never be tampered with.”
The full list of tips is as follows –
- Know all emergency exits and have two ways out … of a dorm, movie theater, nightclub.
- Use stairs to get out, not elevators.
- Most fatal fires happen at night. Get up, get out and stay out.
- Don’t allow smoking inside a dorm room. NEVER smoke in bed.
- Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out. After a party, check for smoldering cigarette butts, especially under cushions. Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast.
- Never leave a lit candle unattended. Keep candles away from curtains, furniture, bedding and papers. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Don’t use the stove or oven to help heat a cold dorm room or apartment.
- Keep space heaters away from anything flammable and never leave them unattended.
- Keep a fire extinguisher close by and know how to use it.
- Plug microwave ovens or other cooking appliances directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking appliance as it can overload the circuit and cause a fire.
- If a fire starts in a microwave, keep the door closed and unplug the unit.
- Don’t overload electrical outlets, power strips and extension cords.
- Use a surge protector for a computer and plug the protector directly into an outlet.
The U.S. Fire Administration’s report Campus Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2000-2015) can be read online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/campus_fire_fatalities_report.pdf.
