September is Campus Fire Safety month

September is Campus Fire Safety month
Brockport to distribute materials to students

September has been named Campus Fire Safety month. "Every September, millions of parents send their children off to college, some for the first time. These young people will now be living independently. In many instances, they will have their first experience cooking for themselves. In this context, it's very important to recognize the danger of fire and the need to make college living environments as safe as possible," Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said. "Working sprinklers, smoke alarms, and fire extinguishers are all important," she continued. "Young people should also remember to follow warning labels on the proper use of extension cords."

As part of an ongoing program, the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) inspects all private and public colleges and universities in New York state to ensure that they comply with the State Fire Code, Acting Administrator John Mueller said. "As a result, thousands of violations have been identified and corrected. We continue those efforts. But fire safety does not just involve the fire code. It also involves awareness and vigilance."

There are more than one million students enrolled in colleges throughout New York state. "That's a huge demographic that needs to be reached with fire safety messages," Mueller added. "If we can influence their behavior, we will see a dramatic change in fire safety."

As part of its effort to promote campus fire safety, OFPC encourages school officials and governments across the state to provide educational materials to all students beginning in September and to carefully monitor all on-campus and off-campus student housing to ensure that they comply with fire regulations, including fire suppression and detection systems.

The Center for Campus Fire Safety and the International Code Council list campus fire safety tips at http://www.iccsafe.org/news/nr/2005/0907campusFire.html and at http://www.campusfire.org

In the Village of Brockport, officials and volunteers will blanket the off-campus housing neighborhoods the weekend of September 15 and provide information on fire safety and other items about various village rules, regulations and welcome-to-the-neighborhood brochures.