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Ask Dr. Sue
FIRE IN COLLEGE DORMS
Dear Dr. Sue,
I recently dropped my 18 year old daughter off at
college. (She's a freshman this year and is living in a
dorm.) After we drove away, I began to think about the
fire that happened a couple of years ago in the east
somewhere where several college students were killed. Now I'm worrying about her living in the dorm. She's in
a fairly old building. How much should I worry about
fires in her dorm?
Dear Mom,
Fire safety in a significant concern for college
students for several reasons. One is the general lack of
knowledge students may have about safe habits. Another
is the tendency of young people to disregard such
knowledge, even if it's been acquired: after all,
"nothing is going to happen to ME!" Some students smoke
in their rooms, others plug in too many
electric/electronic devices, burn candles, or leave
curling irons turned on and near something flammable.
Many students use cooking devices in rooms that are not
equipped for them. Finally, many students have developed
the habit of ignoring fire alarms, since so many are
pranks.
The first thing I would advise is to contact your
daughter's housing department yourself, by phone or by
email. Ask specific questions. Are there smoke alarms in
every room? Are these devices wired directly to a
central control station that will automatically contact
the fire department if one goes off? How new is the
system? How often is the system tested, and by whom? Are
there sprinklers in each dorm? (Or at least those with
more than two stories.) How often is the sprinkler
system checked and by whom? Are fire drills held and
strictly enforced? Are fire safety rules strictly
enforced?
Here's another assignment for you. Next time you visit
your daughter check the electrical wires and cords on
everything she and her roommate have plugged in to be
sure they're not worn or frayed. If they are, replace
them before you leave. Make sure they haven't run wires
or extension cords under carpets or heavy pieces of
furniture and that wires aren't bunched up behind a hot
appliance. Make sure the outlets aren't overloaded. And
look for the UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) mark on all
electrical items, which means that the product has been
tested for safety.
Meanwhile, remind your student of the things that are
her responsibility. She must cook only where it is
allowed. The cooking area should be kept clean and
uncluttered. All electric appliances should be unplugged
when not in use. Cooking should never be left
unattended. If a fire breaks out in a microwave oven,
she should leave the door closed and unplug the
microwave, and then call for help.
Hopefully she doesn't smoke; if she does she should
never smoke in her room or allow others to do so. (She
certainly shouldn't allow them to tamper with the smoke
alarm so they can smoke.)
If she insists on candles, they MUST be blown out when
she leaves the room or before she goes to sleep. She
should use sturdy candle holders and never let candles
burn down all the way. Papers, curtains, clothing and
everything else that might be flammable must be kept
away from candles.
She needs to know how quickly a fire can become deadly.
If there is a real fire in her dormitory, she should
plan on having no more than two or three minutes to get
out safely. Make sure that she studies her building's
evacuation plan. She needs to know EVERY possible exit
from her room, not just the nearest one, and she needs
to know them so well she could find them in the dark. If
any of these escape routes are windows, she should check
to be sure the window opens far enough for her to fit
through, and that the screen can be easily removed.
Remind her to respond IMMEDIATELY to each and every fire
alarm. She should immediately leave the building,
closing doors behind her as she goes. At each door, she
should feel the doorknob and the area around the door
before flinging it open: if either feels warm a
different route must be chosen. If the door feels cool
she should open it slowly, but be ready to slam it shut
if smoke rushes in. She should carry her room key: if
her way out was blocked by fire she would need to go
back to her room and call the fire department to let
them know she was trapped. After calling, she should put
a wet towel along the bottom of her door to keep smoke
out and then open her windows slightly. (They need to be
closed again if smoke comes in through them.) Either
way, a sheet could be hung out the window to attract the
attention of firefighters.
If she is enters smoky areas on her way out, she should
crawl through them: smoke inhalation can very quickly
eliminate her ability to save herself.
While you have your daughter's attention, please give
her these additional safety messages from me:
Please…..
1. Never block open the door to your residence hall so
that people can get in after hours.
2. Always lock your room door when you go to sleep, even
though the outside door is supposed to be locked.
3. Close your window shades at night.
4. Leave the door to your room locked when you're not
there.
5. Don't walk around campus alone after dark.
6. Always let someone know where you're going to be when
you leave the dorm, and especially when you leave
campus. Let them know who you're going with and what
time you expect to be back.
7. Never hitchhike or accept a ride from someone you
don't know.
8. Ignore strangers who call you over to their car.
9. Stay alert when walking or jogging; don't listen to
that CD player.
10. Use strong, confident body language when walking;
don't look like a victim.
Sources for fire safety information: The National Fire
Safety Association and Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
 
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