September is National Campus Fire Safety Month

It is a nationwide effort to raise fire and life safety awareness on campus. September is designated as“Campus Fire Safety Month.”
More students perished from campus-related fires in the last school year than during any of the years monitored by Campus Firewatch since 2000.
A total of 113 college students died in campus-related fires between January 2000 and Aug. 12, 2007, including 20 during the 2006-07 school year, according to Campus Firewatch, a monthly newsletter devoted to campus fire safety issues. The number of fatalities had been declining until last year’s spike.
To help raise awareness, the U.S. Senate and 15 states have designated September as “Campus Fire Safety Month.” August and September are typically the worst time of year for fatal campus-related housing fires.
“Unfortunately, most college students do not realize how quickly a fire can occur, and most have not received fire safety education since elementary school,” said Mike Halligan, president of the Center for Campus Fire Safety.
“We hope through Campus Fire Safety Month that students will realize they are not invincible, that fires do happen in campus-related settings,” Halligan said, “and that students should take steps to protect themselves no matter where they live.”