Campus Firewatch

June 2000 Issue

## ©2000 Campus Firewatch 

## 

## Working together-Town/Gown

> The relationship between the institution and the community, commonly
> referred to as "town-gown," is an important one. Often, neither one is
> completely responsible for all aspects of fire safety. The community
> may be responsible for building and fire code issues or providing
> emergency response services. The institution may have a staff
> dedicated to fire prevention, safety and response to incidents on the
> campus.

The town of Amherst, Massachusetts, is host to three institutions. The
University of Massachusetts/Amherst is the flagship institution of the
UMass system. There are 23,000 students enrolled there, with 11,000
living on campus in 41 dormitories that range from one-story buildings,
to six 23-story high-rises. There is an internationally renowned polymer
science research facility, as well as numerous other laboratories.

There are two private colleges within Amherst. Amherst College and
Hampshire College are smaller liberal arts institutions with combined
enrollments of 2,700 students.

The Amherst Fire Department (AFD) is made up of three components-a full
time force of firefighters that staff two fire stations, a call force,
and a student force comprised of students from the University and
Amherst College.

Chief Keith Hoyle has been actively involved in campus fire safety for
his entire career. As a student at UMass, he was a member of AFD's
student fire department. Following this, he became the university's fire
marshal, a position he held for fifteen years and was also a deputy
chief for the fire department's call force.

He left UMass to become the fire chief of Franklin, Massachusetts, which
is home to Dean College. While at Franklin, Hoyle was faced with dealing
with several serious campus fires. Dean College had a catastrophic fire
in one of its dormitories that totally destroyed it, followed by another
fire seventeen months later that seriously damaged another dormitory. In
1999, Chief Hoyle returned to Amherst and took command of the fire
department.

Campus Firewatch interviewed Chief Hoyle to gain some insight into the
challenges that exist providing emergency services in a college
community.

"The basic challenge," said Hoyle, "is that there is a large amount of
educated young individuals who think they are invulnerable to anything
that is going on around them and they are likely to have a more carefree
attitude about how they approach life." This can create problems in "how
they approach fire alarms and how they take care of themselves."

Constant education is one of the key aspects to an effective fire
prevention strategy. "You must always try and educate them as best you
can." The students don't want to be lectured at, so you try to use
examples, especially on a nationwide basis. "Usually that has effect. If
there is a large fire or a fatal fire at another institution, you do see
short term benefit in terms of their attitudes." However, it is a
fleeting thing. Hoyle agrees with Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones about
the window of opportunity to make an impact or change (see the interview
with Chief Jones in the May issue of Campus Firewatch). "Even if you get
them as a freshman, a lot of them aren't on campus as seniors, so you
have a whole new group to deal with." There is also more of a turnover
in staff than there used to be to contend with.

Off --campus housing, however, is more of a concern than the
dormitories. Since the dorms all have fire alarm systems, and a number
of them are sprinklered, or will be in the near future, he feels that
much of the efforts need to be focused on the apartments and houses that
students are renting. "You don't see that level of protection in the
apartments that were built 25 or 30 years ago. Plus there is little
oversight when you get off campus," said Hoyle.

The Greek system is of particular concern, especially the fraternities.
Recently three of the fraternities were taken to court for having
inoperable fire alarm systems. They are under court order to upgrade
their systems and have them monitored by a fire alarm monitoring
company. Seizing this opportunity, Hoyle is going to mandate that all of
the fraternities and sororities be monitored by September 2001.

How AFD approaches the Greek system is a good example of town-gown
cooperation. Twice a year, all of the houses are inspected by a team
made up of fire department personnel and staff from the university's
Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S). Even though the
inspections are announced well in advance, what the team of inspectors
find when they arrive varies tremendously, observed Hoyle.

"When you arrive, sometimes you are greeted by three of the brothers in
suits with coffee and donuts." In other cases, they walk in, no one is
around, and the house is in shambles. The violations that they find,
even though they are aware of the inspection, include fire alarm systems
not working, fire doors missing, emergency lights inoperable, missing
fire extinguishers, the fire integrity of the walls breached, and poor
housekeeping, among others.

The joint inspections conducted by the fire department and the
university is but one example of how closely they work together. The
current deputy chief of AFD's call force is also Hoyle's successor as
the university's fire marshal. Several other staff members of the fire
protection division are on the town's call force. This helps
immeasurably when dealing with incidents on the campus because of the
familiarity the people have with the buildings and university
operations.

EH&S also has a staff person that responds to incidents on campus,
24-hours a day. Known as "F1," this person serves as a liaison between
the fire department and the university whenever there is a response on
campus. By having someone immediately available to assist the fire
department, incidents are handled much better than they might be
otherwise.

There is a distinct difference in dealing with the private institutions
than the state university. "It is much easier at Amherst College to get
things done. They are not as bureaucratic and don't have to abide by the
level of state oversight that exists at a public institution." It is
also very helpful that the person in charge of fire safety at Amherst
College formerly worked for Hoyle at UMass and is on the town's call
force. This integration of fire department personnel and campus fire
safety personnel also extends to Hampshire College, where the director
of public safety is also on the call force.

According to Hoyle, Amherst College is 1/10^th^ the size of UMass, but
unfortunately it has the highest number of false alarms of the three
institutions. "There are more fire alarms at Amherst College (212 fire
calls in 1999) than UMass (165 responses). Because the university has
kept pace with technology over the past 10 to 15 years, they don't get
as many needless activations at UMass as they do at Amherst College."

According to EH&S, all of the dormitory rooms at UMass are equipped with
single station smoke detectors, and as the systems are upgraded, system
smoke detectors that provide pre-alarm notification are installed in the
rooms. The corridors are equipped with cross-zoned detectors, and all of
the high-rise dormitories are equipped with sprinklers. Amherst College
is embarking on a program to sprinkler all of their dormitories, some of
which date back to the early 1900's.

The value of having a strong EH&S program extends to areas other than
fire protection, such as a safe laboratory program. Even though the labs
might be under the jurisdiction of the university and not the town, it
is the fire department that will have to respond and handle any
emergencies that might occur. They haven't had a lot of trouble in the
labs at all," said Hoyle. This is mainly due to the fact that the
university exercises good oversight over them." However, in the event
that there is an incident, F1 plays a critical role as a liaison.

Because of the complexity of the systems used in some of these labs, it
is impossible for the fire department, or other responders, to know
first-hand how to operate them. During a recent hazardous materials
exercise that simulated a release in one of the labs, the state's
hazardous material team was deployed. While the team was formulating a
plan to mitigate this incident, the university's EH&S liaison
recommended that one of the researchers don protective clothing and
enter with the team. The computer systems used in the lab were so
complex that it would have been very difficult to try and explain to the
haz mat technicians how to purge the system.

At first, the hazardous materials team leader was strongly opposed to
having a civilian enter into a "hot zone." After it was explained to the
team leader how the staff is trained in using SCBA and how to handle
themselves during emergencies, the researcher was allowed to be a member
of the team. He was able to have the system purged within minutes. This
would not have been possible if he wasn't able to enter into the lab. A
simulated, potentially long-term incident that would have shut down a
vital research building was controlled quickly because of the
cooperation between the two entities.

The fire department's student force is another example of how closely
the fire department and the institutions work together. Full time
students from both UMass and Amherst College volunteer their time to
staff an engine in one of the fire stations. Started in the 1950's, the
student force, or Engine 3, is being doubled in size for the fall of
2001 to 30 members. "Engine 3, staffed entirely by students and under
the direction of a permanent officer, will be on duty 24 hours a day, 7
days a week," said Hoyle.

This is a "win-win" situation for both the town and the university,
according to Patricia Vinchesi, director of community relations for the
university. "The students are a unique complement" to the relationship
between UMass and Amherst. "It helps UMass pay something back to the
community."

Engine 3 was recently recognized by the Chancellor for their role in an
apartment fire that broke out. Both of the on-duty engines were on
responses, one at UMass for a false alarm, and another that was busy
extinguishing dumpster fires following an off-campus party. A report was
received of an apartment fire, and Engine 3 was dispatched and was the
first engine on the scene of a working fire. Not having them available
would have certainly resulted in more damage, and possibly injuries or
fatalities, according to Hoyle.

> The Student Force is also used in fire prevention activities. Mike
> Swain, fire prevention officer for EH&S at UMass has involved the
> students in his fire prevention efforts on campus. "It is a
> peer-to-peer effort...the students on campus don't think it is just
> the administration, but one of their own."

Swain emphasized the value of working closely with the fire department
other than just during emergencies. "We bring them in early in the
design process to get their input." This is done during the design
phase, well before the university is required to get plans approval from
the town. "This can give us more clout in getting fire protection in
place if we're able to say that the fire department wants this too."

Working closely with the local fire department can only benefit both the
campus and the department, both before and during an incident. When
Swain was asked what advice he had to offer to campuses that did not
have a program in place for working with the fire department, his answer
was simple.

"Establish one."

Plans for Campus Fire Safety Forum II Announced

At the National Fire Protection Association World Fire Safety Congress
in Denver last month, the executive board of the NFPA Education Section
finalized plans for holding Campus Fire Safety Forum II at the NFPA Fall
Education Conference in Orlando, Florida. This forum will be a
continuation of the first forum held at NFPA headquarters in 1999, and
is being co-sponsored again by the NFPA and the United States Fire
Administration.

There will be eight hours devoted to campus fire safety during the Fall
Education Meeting. The first session will be on Sunday afternoon,
November 12, 2000. Speaking will be Fire Chief Dan Jones from the Chapel
Hill Fire Department. Along with Chief Jones will be Mrs. Bonnie
Woodruff, who lost her son in the 1996 fire at the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity, and rounding out the program will be Ed Comeau, the
publisher of Campus Firewatch.

On Monday, November 13, Campus Fire Safety Forum II will be held. This
session is going to build on the recommendations made in the final
report for the first forum and look towards the future, and it will be
moderated by Ed Comeau.

Both sessions will be open to all attendees to the Education Conference.

"With the recent college fire tragedies fresh on our minds," said Meri-K
Appy, NFPA's vice president "I'm delighted that the NFPA fall meeting
will provide an opportunity to bring together the very people who can
make a difference. This is the next step in an ongoing process that
started with the first forum at NFPA headquarters last August."

In speaking with Campus Firewatch about college fire safety, Carrye
Brown, administrator for the USFA said that "students are one of our
most precious present and future assets, and we don't want to lose them
to fire."

More information will be available in future issues of Campus Firewatch,
on our website
([www.campus-firewatch.com](http://www.campus-firewatch.com/)) or on the
NFPA website ([www.nfpa.org](http://www.nfpa.org/)). A copy of the final
report from Forum I can be found on the Campus Firewatch website's
RESOURCE page.

From the Editor

By the time you receive this, most colleges and universities will have
finished their spring semester, and most of the students will have left
campus. Many fire departments breath a collective sigh of relief that
they have made it through another year, and use the summer as an
opportunity to prepare for the return of the students in September.

There are some important topics covered in this issue of Campus
Firewatch, and one that I am particularly pleased to see is that Campus
Fire Safety Forum II is going to be happening!

The NFPA's Education Section, at their board meeting in Denver, decided
to officially sponsor this forum as a follow-up to the first one held in
1999 at NFPA headquarters, and the United States Fire Administration has
agreed to again co-sponsor the program. The board asked me to work on
developing part of the program, which I gladly agreed to do.

While this is great progress, there are still issues to be addressed
from the first forum that unfortunately haven't been dealt with. One of
them is the formation of a coalition to coordinate many of the ongoing
activities in the area of campus fire safety.

On a regular basis, I am hearing from people that are looking for
information, or speakers (or both!) to help them in their efforts to
improve the level of fire safety in a campus environment. Legislators in
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, are holding hearings on
legislation and looking for experts to testify or provide support for
their legislation. A wealth of information and talent out there can be
tapped into to assist in these efforts. Unfortunately, there is no
central clearinghouse to facilitate this process.

We'd love to hear from people that have ideas on forming such a
coalition.

On another topic, we've received a number of requests from people that
would like to reprint articles or the information contained in the first
issue of Campus Firewatch. I thought that this might be a good
opportunity to go over our policies.

The objective of Campus Firewatch is to create a means for sharing
information and ideas. All of the articles in it are copyrighted (©2000
Campus Firewatch). If you want to reprint an article in your own
publication, we're glad to let you do it. All that we ask is that you
contact us with a request in writing (either via email, fax or letter)
before you do so. We'll get a reply back to you as soon as possible.

Also, please do not pass on the entire newsletter by either forwarding
or photocopying it. Since we are supported completely by subscriptions,
we rely on new subscribers. If you think that we have valuable
information that someone would find useful, suggest that they subscribe!
We've worked hard to keep the subscription price as low as possible and
within the reach of many people, and we would appreciate everyone's help
in "spreading the word."

Thanks for your help!

Ed Comeau, the publisher of Campus Firewatch, is the former chief fire
investigator for the National Fire Protection Association. He began his
involvement in campus fire safety as a fire fighter with the Amherst,
Massachusetts, fire department while obtaining his degree in civil
engineering. He can be reached at <publisher@campus-firewatch.com>.

# Legislation Update

In the aftermath of the two recent tragic fires at Seton Hall and
Bloomsburg, legislation has been filed at both the state and federal
levels. These bills are focusing on various aspects of the fire safety
issues relating to dormitories, Greek housing, and other
educational-related housing issues.

All of this legislation can be found on the Campus Firewatch web site at
[www.campus-firewatch.com](http://www.campus-firewatch.com/). Follow the
links to the RESOURCE page.

# Federal Legislation

The progress of any of the federal legislation bill can be tracked,
online, through the Thomas Legislative Information website at
www.thomas.loc.gov.

College Fire Prevention Act

S2100

This bill has been proposed by Senators John Edwards (D-North Carolina)
and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey). The aim of this bill is to
require that all dormitories be equipped with automatic fire sprinklers.
The bill, at this stage, is proposing \$100,000,000 in federal funds
over a five-year period to support the installation. Institutions would
have to provide matching funds, which would be awarded using competitive
grants.

According to Senator Edwards's office, Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI)
has signed on as a co-sponsor of this legislation.

For more information on this bill, or to register your support, you can
contact the following offices:

Senator John Edwards\
United States Senate\
225 Dirksen Office Bldg.\
Washington, DC 20510\
(202) 224-3154 (tel)

senator@edwards.senate.gov

Senator Frank Lautenberg\
506 Senate Hart Building\
Washington, D.C. 20510\
(202) 224-4744\
Fax (202) 224-9707

<frank_lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov>

Fire Safe Dorm Act of 2000

S2178 (Senate)

HR3831 (House)

The objective of this bill is to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965
to require colleges and universities to disclose to students and their
parents the incidents of fires in dormitories, and their plans to reduce
fire safety hazards in dormitories, to require the United States Fire
Administration to establish fire safety standards for dormitories, and
for other purposes.

The bill proposes that institutions adopt plans to install sprinklers,
smoke detectors and flame-resistant furniture within ten years of the
adoption of the bill. Within six months of adoption of the bill, the
USFA would be required to establish standards for dormitory fire safety.

According to a spokesman for Representative Maloney, they are in the
process of moving the legislation through the appropriations process. An
additional representative, Steven LaTourette, (R-Ohio) has agreed to
co-sponsor the bill. This is important because it represents bi-partisan
support for the legislation.

For more information on these bills, or to register your support, you
can contact the following offices:

Senate: Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey)\
506 Senate Hart Building\
Washington, D.C. 20510\
(202) 224-4744\
Fax (202) 224-9707

<frank_lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov>

House: Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-New York)

2430 Rayburn House Office Building\
Washington, DC 20515\
phone - (202) 225-7944\
fax - (202) 225-4709

<rep.carolyn.maloney@mail.house.gov>

Higher Education Technical Amendments of 2000

HR4504

This legislation has several amendments attached to it pertaining to
campus fire safety. They were passed on a voice vote in the Committee on
Education in the Workforce on May 25, 2000. Some of the provisions
include:

A description of campus fire safety practices and standards, including-

Information with respect to each campus residence hall and whether or
not such hall is equipped with a fire sprinkler system or other fire
safety system;

Statistics concerning the occurrence on campus of fires and false alarms
in residence halls, including information on deaths, injuries, and
structural damage caused by such occurrences, if any, during the 2
preceding calendar years for which data are available; and

Information regarding fire alarms, smoke alarms, fire escape planning or
protocols (as defined in local fire codes), rules on portable electrical
appliances, smoking and open flames, regular mandatory supervised fire
drills, and any planned improvements in fire safety.

Fire safety policies, procedures, and practices and disseminate
information concerning those policies procedures and practices that have
proven effective in the reduction of fires on campus.

Not later than July 1, 2002, prepare and submit a report to Congress
containing-

An analysis of the current status of fire safety systems in college and
university facilities, including sprinkler systems;

An analysis of the appropriate fire safety standards to apply to those
facilities, which the Secretary shall compare after consultation with
such fire safety experts, representatives of institutions of higher
education, and Federal agencies as the Secretary, in the Secretary\'s
discretion, considers appropriate;

An estimate of the cost of bringing all nonconforming residence halls
and other campus buildings into compliance with appropriate building
codes; and

Recommendations concerning the best means of meeting fire safety
standards in all college facilities, including recommendations for
methods of funding such costs.

Campus Firewatch will provide updates on this legislation as it moves
forward.

# State Legislation

# New Jersey

Dormitory Safety Trust Fund Act

S891

The status of this legislation can be tracked at
[www.njleg.state.nj.us](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/)

Senate Bill 891 has cleared the legislature and is headed for the
governor's desk for signature. This bill merged into one all of the
legislation that was submitted following the fire at Seton Hall fire
that killed three students.

This legislation calls for the installation of sprinklers in dormitories
and Greek housing within five years. It provides 0% interest loans for
public institutions and 2% interest loans for private institutions.
There is a 15-year payback period for these loans.

Following passage in the legislature, the Governor Whitman indicated
that she was not satisfied with the five-year window provided in the
legislation for the installation of sprinkler systems. Whitman would
like to see a four-year timeframe for installation. According to
sources, the governor could use a "conditional veto" where she agrees to
sign the legislation if the senate and assembly are willing to make the
changes. It is unknown at press time if Governor Whitman is going to use
this tactic.

For more information on these bills, or to register your support, you
can contact the following offices:

**Senate**

Senator John A. Girgenti\
507 Lafayette Ave.

Hawthorne, NJ 07506

(973)-427-1229

<SenGirgenti@njleg.state.nj.us>

www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/girgent.htm

Senator Louis F. Kosco\
441 Market Street

Saddle Brook, NJ 07663

(201)-712-1221

www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/kosco.htm

**Assembly**

Assemblyman John V. Kelly\
371 Franklin Ave.

2nd Fl.

Nutley, NJ 07110

(973)-667-6123

asmkelly@njleg.state.nj.us

[www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/kelly.htm](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/kelly.htm)

Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski\
3145 Bordentown Ave.

Suite B

Parlin, NJ 08859

(732)-316-1885

<AsmWisniewski@njleg.state.nj.us>

[www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/wisnew.htm](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/html/wisnew.htm)

# Office of the Governor

Governor Christine Todd Whitman

P.O. Box 001

Trenton, NJ 08625

\(609\) 292-6000

www.state.nj.us/governor/contact.htm

# Pennsylvania Bill

Representative Michael McGeehan introduced House Bill 2458, the
Dormitory Automatic Sprinkler Act, on April 11, 2000. This bill calls
for the installation of sprinklers in all new dormitories, and in
existing dormitories within five years. It proposes the appropriation of
\$100,000,000 to fund a sprinkler loan fund for low interest loans.

According to a spokesman from Representative Robert Belfanti's office,
(Belfanti is the minority chairman of the House Labor Relations
Committee), hearings before the committee on this bill are scheduled for
Wednesday, May 31, 2000. Testifying at the hearing will be:

Tim Knisely-Senior Fire and Housing Inspector, Central Region Code

Administration

Chief Don Konkle

President, Pennsylvania Fire Emergency Institute

Aus Marburger-President, Fire Protection Industries, Inc.

Greg Mitchell-Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, State
System

of Higher Education and

Don Sheaffer-Director of Facilities, State System of Higher Education

For more information on this bill, or to register your support, you can
contact the following office:

Representative Michael McGeehan

221B South Office

Harrisburg, PA 17120

\(717\) 772-4029 (tel)

<mcgeehan@pahouse.net>

www.pahouse.net/McGeehan/index.htm

# Wisconsin Bill

A bill was recently signed into law in Wisconsin that mandates retrofit
sprinkler installation in all University of Wisconsin high-rise
dormitories by the year 2006. It also requires that all future
dormitories, regardless of height, be equipped with automatic fire
sprinklers.

A fiscal estimate, prepared by the state government, on the cost of
implementation is available on the Campus Firewatch web site.

For more information on this law you can contact the following office:

State Representative Rob Kreibich

107 West State Capitol

P.O. Box 8952

Madison, WI 53708

\(608\) 266-0660

rep.kreibich@legis.state.wi.us

Hotel/Motel Fire Safety Act

Many campuses use their dormitories and facilities to run conferences
during the summer months. This provides a revenue stream to the facility
at a time when these buildings would normally be idle.

However, did you know that by federal law when federal employees are
traveling they are required to stay in housing that meets the guidelines
stipulated in the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990?

This act was put in place following the devastating fires that occurred
in the MGM Grand and Las Vegas Hilton hotels in Las Vegas, and the
DuPont Plaza in Puerto Rico. Combined, 190 people lost their lives in
these fires. The goal of the legislation was to provide a higher level
of fire safety for federal employees when they were traveling by
requiring them to stay in properties what were equipped with certain
fire safety systems.

This law requires that employees be lodged in facilities that:

-   Are equipped with a hard-wired, single-station smoke detector in
    each guestroom in accordance with NFPA Standard 74.

-   Are equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system installed in
    accordance with NFPA Standard 13 or 13R. Buildings that are three
    stories or lower are exempt from this requirement.

Crane Miller, from the office of general counsel for the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (the parent agency that administers the
United States Fire Administration), told Campus Firewatch that
universities and colleges that hold conferences on their campus's fall
under this law if any of the attendees are traveling using federal
money. The attendees must stay in housing that meets these requirements.

A master list of accommodations that meet these criteria is maintained
by the USFA and can be found on their web site at

<http://www.usfa.fema.gov/hotel/state_download.cfm>

The complete text of the Hotel Motel Fire Safety Act can be found on the
RESOURCE page of the Campus Firewatch web site
([www.campus-firewatch.com](http://www.campus-firewatch.com/)).

Statistical Summary

In the most recent report release by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), in school, college and university dormitories and
fraternity and sororities, there were an average of 1,500 fires in 1997
that caused an \$7,000,000 in damage.

Cause of fires

For the period of 1993 to 1997, the following are the annual averages
for the top three causes of the fires:

Cause Percentage Damage

Incendiary 32% \$1,400,000

Cooking 19% \$900,000

Smoking 12% \$600,000

Area of origin

From 1993 to 1997, the top three areas of origin for fires are in these
occupancies are:

Area of origin Percentage Damage

Bedroom 24% \$5,000,000

Kitchen 21% \$500,000

Hallway, corridor or mall 17% \$300,000

According to information from the NFPA, "In 1997, smoke or fire alarms
were present in 93% of all dormitory fires, but sprinklers were
presenting only 28% of these fires. These figures apply only to
properties where fires occurred...On average, direct property damage per
fire is 36% lower in dormitory fires where sprinklers are present
compared to those where sprinklers are not present." (U.S. Dormitory
Fire Statistics, NFPA)

A copy of the NFPA report *School, College, and University Dormitories,
and Fraternity and Sorority House Fires* can be ordered from NFPA's
One-Stop Data Shop at 1-617-984-7450, or osds@nfpa.org.

America Burning Recommissioned

In 1972, a commission was established to look at the fire problem in the
United States. This commission published its findings in a report
entitled "America Burning." In 1999, another commission was empaneled to
review the current state of affairs and determine what progress had been
made since the 1972 report.

The findings of the America Burning Recommissioned panel has just been
released. Unfortunately, it paints a bleak picture of the lack of
progress that has been made since the 1972 report.

The following is a cover letter for the current report that was written
by the commission's chair, George Bernstein. The full report can be
downloaded from the RESOURCE section of
[www.campus-firewatch.com](http://www.campus-firewatch.com/)

Honorable James Lee Witt\
Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency\
500 C Street, SW\
Washington, DC 20472

Re: America Burning Recommissioned

Dear Director Witt:

In creating this Commission, you directed us to recommend an updated
approach and framework for the evolving role of the fire service with
respect to fire and other hazards. You also asked us to review the 1972
America Burning Report in light of the 1998 review by the \"Blue Ribbon
Panel\" of the U. S. Fire Administration (USFA), which \"identified
three core deficiencies that are undermining the effectiveness of\" the
USFA. You have emphasized that your major concern is that the Commission
identify the means by which fires can best be prevented and loss of life
and property reduced.

America Burning was considered the seminal effort in systematizing our
nation\'s efforts to address the fire hazard and the resultant loss of
life and property. It was greeted with praise by all elements of
government and the fire community. However, more than one-third of the
America Burning\'s recommendations have not been implemented and more
than half were only partially implemented. During the intervening 28
years there was no systematic effort to track the implementation of
these recommendations.

A prime example of the failure to adequately implement America Burning
has been the unwillingness of the federal government to fund the USFA
and ancillary programs at anywhere near the recommended level of \$153
million. The initial funding in 1980 was only \$24 million (\$45,130,000
in year 2000 dollars) and twenty-five years later, for fiscal year 2000,
it is only \$42,982,000, an actual decrease of 4.7 percent, reflecting
inflation.

The lack of substantial funding to implement America Burning speaks
volumes about the low priority that all segments of government -
federal, state and local - assign the fire hazard compared to other
areas of public safety. The failure to adequately fund fire prevention
and response, in general, and the USFA, in particular, has resulted in
continued loss of life and property at levels that would otherwise have
been substantially reduced.

Although deaths from fire have fallen from 7,395 in 1977 to 4,035 in
1998, those lost lives are not acceptable. One hundred and ten
firefighters died in the line of duty in 1998. Despite the occasional
periodic sympathy generated by tragedies such as the loss of six
firefighters in Worcester, Massachusetts in December 1999, fire deaths
receive little nationwide attention and sparse legislative and funding
response. Since the Worcester fire, USFA has been notified of 40
firefighter fatalities and estimates that an additional 1,800 civilian
lives have been lost from fires.

It is also unfortunate that, despite the current involvement of the fire
services, often as first responder on the scene, in such areas as
emergency medical services, hazardous materials and acts of domestic
terrorism, the fire services have not been granted the additional
wherewithal to carry out these new responsibilities.

The Commission concurs with the conclusion of the Blue Ribbon Panel that
the USFA\'s operations suffer from deficiencies in \"leadership\" and
\"communication.\" We believe that such deficiencies, which FEMA has
begun to address, are derivative of the national lack of priority given
to support of the fire services. As to the Blue Ribbon Panel\'s finding
of deficiencies in \"resource management,\" we agree with the panel that
\"At no time since 1974 has the USFA had the resources it needs to
address this nation\'s fire problems with sustained impact.\" We believe
that many of the other problems of \"resource management\" are also
derivative of inadequate funding over the years and the attempt to
accomplish too many tasks with too little money.

Ways to reduce fire losses and deaths are neither unknown nor arcane.
The primary way and the goal of any effort in this area must be to
prevent fires in the first place. Smoke detectors and alarm systems in
homes and commercial buildings have already proven their worth in
alerting occupants and saving lives. Sprinklers are acknowledged as the
most effective tool in immediately suppressing fires, minimizing damage
and saving lives.

Unfortunately, few jurisdictions require sprinklers in private dwellings
or existing commercial and residential structures, or even in existing
schools, nursing homes, hospitals or other places of public assembly,
except in the event of major reconstruction. Moreover, the federal
government sets a poor example by its failure to require sprinklers in
assisted public housing or in existing federal buildings.

Although our Commission appreciates the concern of this Administration
with the current fire situation, as represented by the recommissioning
of \"America Burning,\" we are concerned, based on prior governmental
inaction, whether there is the will and commitment at the federal, state
and local levels to fund and implement actions that are essential to
reduce losses from fire and other hazards.

Until the USFA is empowered by funding and staffing to become the leader
in our nation\'s firefighting efforts, unless the fire services are
adequately funded, and unless local communities enforce known fire
preventive and suppression measures, the establishment of this
Commission and its efforts to develop recommendations in the areas of
leadership, research, training, communication and public education,
sound code development, partnership between the public and private
sectors, and above all, in mitigation, will be an exercise in futility.

If the number of fires and resultant losses are to be reduced, there
must be a concerted and consistent effort among not just the fire
services but, as recently observed by three of those involved in the
original America Burning Report and its initial implementation, other
stakeholder groups as well, including \"city and county managers,
mayors, architects, engineers, researchers, academics, materials
producers and the insurance industry\" as well as the general public.

Although members of the Commission have diverse backgrounds and
concerns, they have subordinated parochial interests to the development
of recommendations to prevent fires and reduce loss of live and property
from fire and other hazards. I thank you for the privilege of working
with this distinguished group.

The attached Findings and Recommendations summarize the conclusions of
the Commission. We will shortly forward to you the complete Report. A
number of our recommendations are not new and reflect the foresight and
wisdom of the authors of the original America Burning as well as other
studies since then. The Commission believes that had those past
recommendations been more fully implemented, there would have been less
need for this report. We hope that sufficient action will follow this
Report so that twenty-five years from now another America Burning,
Recommissioned will be unnecessary.

Sincerely,\
\
\
George K. Bernstein\
Chair

# College Fire Log

The following are brief summaries of incidents that have occurred in
college occupancies. Unless noted otherwise, they have been taken from
press accounts and have not been verified for accuracy. Several of these
incidents will be profiled in future issues of Campus Firewatch.

If you have an incident that you would like to contribute for this
column, please contact us at <publisher@campus-firewatch.com>.

November 4, 1999

University of Iowa

Ames, Iowa

Four University of Iowa students were left homeless after a fire in
their home. The fire, which occurred at approximately 3:48 a.m., started
in a fireplace and extended into the structure. Two residents were at
home at the time of the fire, which caused about \$25,000 in damage.

November 10, 1999

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

On Monday, November 8, 1999, five fires occurred in Sackett Hall
dormitory. The building was evacuated four times, and ultimately the
residents were kept out of the building until 10:0 a.m. the next
morning. Another fire was discovered on Tuesday evening, November 9,
1999, at midnight. This fire occurred in a recycling bin and did not set
off any alarms. According to police officials, the fires were believed
to be maliciously set.

The building, which measures over 140,000 square feet, is divided into
four quadrants. The 7:23 p.m. fire was located in the basement. The 9:30
p.m. fire was in a trash chute. The fire that occurred at 11:15 p.m. was
located in the B wing. The location of the fire at 1:30 p.m. was not
given.

November 14, 1999

University of Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska

A former resident assistant was accused of setting five fires in Selleck
Quadrangle. The 19-year old RA was dismissed after he admitted to
setting the fires. The fires were set in trashcans.

November 19, 1999

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

A wing of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house was damaged by a fire
that broke out at 4:00 a.m. There were 27 people in the house, and all
escaped from the fire. One was treated for smoke inhalation and
released.

December 2, 1999

Pennsylvania State University

State College, PA

NOTE: Senior Fire and Housing Inspector Tim Knisely, Centre Region Code
Administration provided this information.

An arson fire in a three-story fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, was
suppressed by the activation of two sprinkler heads. Flammable liquid
was poured on the floor in a mechanical room and ignited at
approximately 2:30 a.m. The building was occupied by 17 residents at the
time of the fire.

December 8, 1999

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

An unattended Hanukkah menorah, which was set on a paper towel, was the
cause of a fire in the South Quad Residence Hall. The fire damage was
limited to the dorm room, but smoke damaged the hallway.

December 8, 1999

Yale University

New Haven, CT

A fire was started by an unattended menorah in a suite. The building
where the fire occurred had been the location of a number of false
alarms in recent weeks, and many students did not leave the building
until they were ordered to do so by police officers. Yale prohibits
candles in student suites.

December 11, 1999

Pennsylvania State University

State College, PA

NOTE: This information was provided by Senior Fire and Housing Inspector
Tim Knisely, Centre Region Code Administration.

A vacant fraternity, Phi Mu Delta, was the site of an arson fire that
occurred at 2:30 a.m. There were multiple points of origin in the
building, which had been closed due to structural failure. The fire
department had developed a pre-incident plan for this building that
called for a defensive operation. Because of windows and doors that had
been boarded up, it was difficult for exterior master streams to
penetrate. The roof, third and fourth floors were destroyed by the fire.

December 31, 1999

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

A fire in Michigan State University's Agriculture Hall damaged offices
on the third and fourth floor of the building's northeast corner.
Investigators found evidence of accelerants, which has led them to
believe the cause of the fire was arson.

January 14, 2000

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

It was believed that a student set fire to his dormitory room as part of
an unsuccessful suicide attempt. The fire was limited to the room of
origin. The student was treated for smoke inhalation.

January 18, 2000

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ

NOTE: The precise date of this incident is unknown. The story was filed
on 1/18/00.

Over the winter break, the Rutgers College Counseling Center and a
neighboring fraternity house, Sigma Alpha Mu, were damaged by fire. The
fraternity was burned down, and the counseling center had to be
demolished because of the damage.

January 24, 2000

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

A room was damaged on the sixth floor of Mary Markley residence hall. A
university spokesperson attributed the cause of the fire to an
"electrical situation."

February 2, 2000

St. Michael's College

Colchester, VT

A fire at 11:18 a.m. in a garbage can forced the evacuation of Ryan
Hall. The fire was extinguished with a fire extinguisher.

February 7, 2000

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

A fraternity house was damaged by a fire that was attributed to an
unattended space heater. The second and third floors of the Sigma Pi
house were damaged by a fire that was believed to have been started by
an unattended space heater. In press reports, one fraternity member
reported that they all had space heaters because the building was too
cold.

The fire came a week after another fraternity, Sigma Chi, was evicted
because of fire-safety violations.

February 21, 2000

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

A student was arrested for setting a bulletin board on fire at 2:00 a.m.
The fire activated the building fire alarm system.

February 23, 2000

Washington State University

Pullman, WA

An off-campus apartment occupied by students was damaged by a fire. All
of the residents in the apartment building were students at Washington
State University. This is the second fire in two years in the same
building. The previous fire had been started when the residents put
boxes on top of the stove and then called the utility company to turn on
the electricity. The cause of this fire had not been determined at the
time of the report.

March 3, 2000

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH

A series of arson fires since February 17, 2000, had occurred in Parks
Tower residence hall. These fires followed 3 arson fires that had
occurred between December 11 and 15, 1999, on the 14^th^ floor of the
high-rise. The building is unsprinklered.

March 2, 2000

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT

A fire in a laboratory was extinguished by the sprinkler system. A gel
test on a new plastic material was being done in the room where the fire
occurred, although it is not clear from press reports if this was the
cause of the fire.

March 8, 2000

Pennsylvania State University

State College, PA

NOTE: This information was provided by Senior Fire and Housing Inspector
Tim Knisely, Centre Region Code Administration.

The Chi Phi fraternity was the site of a fire at 11:30 p.m. The fire,
which was contained to a bedroom on the second floor, was determined to
be related to "a variety of electrical appliances at the point of
origin. Numerous extension cords, power strips and appliances were
utilized throughout the room."

March 25, 2000

Drew University

Madison, NJ

A historic administration building at Drew University was damaged by a
carelessly discarded cigarette. A cigarette fell through the boards on a
porch and ignited kerosene lamps stored underneath. Press reports state
that the sprinkler system stopped the spread of the fire.

March 28, 2000

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Two separate fires broke out in Daum Residence Hall. A poster board with
papers on it was lit on fire at 3:30 a.m., and another similar fire
occurred at 3:52 a.m. Even though the alarms sounded for the first fire,
it was reported that there was no evacuation taking place.

April 5, 2000

Indiana University

Bloomington, IN

An apartment complex that housed university students and employees was
damaged by a fire. Two units were destroyed in a fire that was believed
to be incendiary.

April 5, 2000

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT

An air compressor burnt out, causing a small fire that forced residents
to evacuate Lavina C. Fugal Hall. The fire occurred at 3:30 a.m. and has
been attributed to an earlier power outage.

April 10, 2000

University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH

NOTE: The following information was obtained in an interview by Campus
Firewatch with Assistant Chief Blake from the Durham Fire Department.

A fire in a 200-year-old balloon-frame apartment building seriously
damaged the building. Six apartments in the three-story building were
rented by students from UNH.

The fire was believed to have started in an apartment on the second
floor in the area of a fireplace. Each apartment was equipped with a
functional fireplace that apparently the residents were using.

Smoke had reportedly been smelled in the early afternoon, but it wasn't
enough to activate any smoke detectors. The fire was reported to the
fire department at 7:28 p.m. It required three alarms before the fire
was brought under control.

April 10, 2000

Washington State University

Pullman, WA

Several fires over the weekend in fraternities were determined to be
arson. One of the fires in the Tau Kappa Epsilon house was set in the
stairwell. Fifteen fraternity members were in the building at the time
of the fire. A heat detector was activated by the fire, which alerted
the residents.

A fire in another fraternity was labeled suspicious. A burning mattress
was found on the porch of the Delta Chi fraternity. These were the third
and fourth fraternity fires at WSU this year.

April 11, 2000

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

A fire in a student's apartment may have been caused by carelessly
disposed cigarettes. Eight graduate students were left homeless after
the fire, which was estimated to have cause half a million dollars in
damage.

April 17, 2000

Pennsylvania State University

State College, PA

NOTE: This information was provided by Senior Fire and Housing Inspector
Tim Knisely, Centre Region Code Administration.

A fire broke out in a fraternity that was located in a building with
business and retail stores on the first floor. The second and third
floors were occupied by the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The alarm was
activated, transmitting a signal to an alarm monitoring company who, in
turn, notified the fire department. The residents silenced the alarm and
then attempted to extinguish the fire with a dry chemical fire
extinguisher. No one called the fire department to notify them of the
fire.

April 18, 2000

Pennsylvania State University

State College, PA

NOTE: This information was provided by Senior Fire and Housing Inspector
Tim Knisely, Centre Region Code Administration.

A small fire in a trashcan occurred at the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The
fire was quickly detected by a smoke detector, which sent a signal to an
alarm monitoring company.

April 19, 2000

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC

A fire started by a burning candle damaged a dormitory room in Becton
Hall. The room's residents were not present at the time of the fire.
Smoke and heat damage were limited to the room of origin.

May 3, 2000

Martin Methodist College

Pulaski, TN

A historic home was damaged by a fire. The building was to have been
renovated as an administration building.

May 5, 2000

California State University at Hayward

Hayward, CA

A fire in a library gutted several offices. No library books were
damaged, but widespread smoke and water damage spread into an adjoining
building.

May 6, 2000

Plymouth State University

Plymouth, NH

NOTE: The following information was obtained in an interview by Campus
Firewatch with Chief Thibeault, Plymouth Fire Department.

A fire in an off-campus house rented by students caused extensive damage
to the building. The fire started in a stuffed chair on a lower level
and spread to the room's contents. As the fire broke out of the window,
it ignited a pine tree immediately adjacent to the house, which allowed
the fire to then spread quickly to the upper story and into the roof.
Three out of five of the occupants smoke, and while the cause could not
be definitively determined, the chief felt that it was probably smoking
materials.

At the time of the fire, there were a number of parties on the street
where the house was located. This street has a large concentration of
off-campus student housing, and the night before the department had
responded to five couch fires outside of the buildings.

There were also "significant alcohol issues involved."

Monday, May 8, 2000

Savannah State University

Savannah, GA

A fire in a 99-year old building was determined to have been accidental.
The fire that destroyed the building was caused by a cutting torch.

May 12, 2000

Alfred University

Alfred, NY

A fire in an apartment house critically injured a student that was
scheduled to graduate in two days. The building, which was a block away
from Alfred University, was entirely occupied by students.

May 23, 2000

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

Two marina warehouses belonging to the University of California-Berkeley
were destroyed by a fire. Damage estimates were above \$2 million. The
fire required five alarms before it was brought under control. At the
time of this report, the cause of the fire had not been determined.

ANSWER THESE 20 QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU SIGN A RENTAL AGREEMENT!

In a few months, students will be searching for off-campus housing in
communities across the country. According to the panel of experts at the
1999 College Fire Safety Forum, the problem with fires in off-campus
housing is a serious one. These fires are often not reported as
college-related, therefore the number of fires involving college
students is under-reported.

This list of 20 questions was developed by the National Association of
State Fire Marshals to help parents and students when selecting
off-campus housing. By no means is this an all-inclusive list. For more
information on any particular property, the local fire department is one
of your best sources of information about any past problems or
incidents.

1\. Are smoke alarms installed? Working?

2\. How old are the smoke alarms?

3\. How often are the smoke alarms checked and batteries changed?

4\. Are there at least two ways to exit your living space and your
building?

5\. Do the upper floors have a fire escape or ladder available for each

bedroom? (if there are multiple floors)

6\. Are the living unit doors rated for fire?

7\. Are fire extinguishers available? Working?

8\. Were the fire extinguishers inspected within the last year?

9\. Is a sprinkler system installed?

10\. Is the electrical wiring adequate?

11\. Is the building regularly inspected by the local fire department or
college emergency management office for safety?

12\. What is the owner's policy and method for correcting safety
problems in the building?

13\. Has there ever been a fire in this building? If so, identify the
cause.

14\. Does the residence have a gas or electric stove/oven?

15\. Do you know how to use the appliance(s) correctly?

16\. Where is the nearest fire hydrant on the street?

17\. Who is responsible for keeping it cleared in the winter season?

18\. Did the school recommend the unit for student housing?

19\. Is the owner a member in good standing in a landlord/tenant
association or other housing association?

20\. Has the city and/or university received any safety complaints
regarding this building?

Source: "A Meeting of the Minds" A CD produced by the National
Association of State Fire Marshals, October 1998. This list can also be
downloaded from the RESOURCE section of the Campus Firewatch web site at
www.campus-firewatch.com.

IAFC College/University Chiefs Forum

At the annual meeting of the International Association of Fire Chiefs,
the campus fire chief's forum has been a place where chiefs from across
the country meet to share experiences, ideas, successes and failures in
providing fire protection in college towns.

Boulder fire chief Larry Donner has been involved in this forum from its
inception. "Each year we pick timely topics. Bruce Fuerbringer from Eau
Claire spoke about the video 'Get Out and Stay Alive' one year. Another
year, the topic was on spring riots and the riots that occur when
universities win national championships."

The chiefs who attend the forum come from diverse communities, but they
all share the same common problems of dealing with a population of young
people, many out on their own for the first time. "The networking is one
of the valuable aspects of the forum. You'll hear something that you
think is not directly applicable to you at the time, but later, when you
return home and it pops up, you know who to call," said Donner.

This year's meeting is being held in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, August
27^th^ from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information can be found at the
IAFC's web site at [www.iafc.org](http://www.iafc.org/), or you can
contact Chief Donner at 303-441-3357, or via email at
DonnerL@ci.boulder.co.us.

Going to press...

As we were going to press with this issue, the Columbine Report had just
been released by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. This is the
report of the tragic incident at Columbine High School where 12 students
and one teacher were killed by two students who then committed suicide.
Twenty-one people were injured during the 41 minutes that the two roamed
through the building.

In addition to the guns, the two killers planted two 20-pound propane
bombs in the building, both equipped with timers. Because of faulty
wiring and poor construction, both bombs failed to detonate. At one
point, the gunmen were seen on videotape shooting at one of the bombs in
the cafeteria, trying to detonate it.

During the 41 minutes, the gunmen detonated a number of pipe bombs, some
in the cafeteria. Five sprinkler heads were activated by the explosion.

The report is available on CD, and contains the text of the report,
video from surveillance cameras, news footage and recordings of the 911
calls. It can be ordered, online, at
<http://www.qualitydata.com/columbine.html>.

An online version of the report is also available at the Denver Post
website at
http://www.denverpost.com/news/colreport/Columbinerep/pages/INTRO_TEXT.htm.

More information on this report will be available in an upcoming issue
of Campus Firewatch.