III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 723 

Designating September 2020 as ‘‘Campus Fire Safety Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. CARPER) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 2020 as ‘‘Campus Fire Safety 

Month’’. 

Whereas campus-related housing fires at colleges in Texas, 

Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania, other States, and Washington, D.C. have tragically cut the lives of several young 

individuals short; 

Whereas, since January 2000, at least 175 individuals, including students, parents, and children, have died in 

campus-related fires; 

Whereas approximately 87 percent of those campus-related 

fire deaths occurred in off-campus housing; 

Whereas a majority of college students in the United States 

live in off-campus housing; 


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•SRES 723 ATS 

Whereas a number of fatal fires have occurred in buildings 

in which the occupants had compromised or deactivated 

fire safety systems; 

Whereas automatic fire alarm systems and smoke alarms provide early warning of a fire that is necessary for occupants of a building and the fire department to take appropriate action; 

Whereas an automatic fire sprinkler system is a highly effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in its 

early stages, protecting the lives of building occupants; 

Whereas many college students live in off-campus housing, a 

fraternity or sorority house, or a residence hall that is 

not adequately protected by an automatic fire sprinkler 

system, an automatic fire alarm system, or an adequate 

smoke alarm; 

Whereas, due to the COVID–19 pandemic, college students 

are taking more courses online and spending more time 

indoors, thus increasing the need for fire safety and prevention education; 

Whereas fire safety education is an effective method of reducing the occurrence of fires and the resulting loss of life 

and property damage; 

Whereas college students do not routinely receive effective 

fire safety education while in college; 

Whereas educating young individuals in the United States 

about the importance of fire safety is vital to help ensure 

that young individuals engage in fire-safe behavior during 

college and after college; and 

Whereas developing a generation of adults who practice fire 

safety may significantly reduce future loss of life: Now, 

therefore, be it 


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•SRES 723 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 2020 as ‘‘Campus 

3 Fire Safety Month’’; and 

4 (2) encourages administrators of institutions of 

5 higher education and municipalities across the 

6 United States— 

7 (A) to provide educational programs about 

8 fire safety to all students of institutions of 

9 higher education in September and throughout 

10 the school year; 

11 (B) to evaluate the level of fire safety pro12 vided in both on-campus and off-campus stu13 dent housing; and 

14 (C) to ensure fire-safe living environments 

15 through— 

16 (i) fire safety education; 

17 (ii) the installation of fire suppression 

18 and detection systems and smoke alarms; 

19 and 

20 (iii) the development and enforcement 

21 of applicable codes relating to fire safety. 

Æ 


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