Following the Seton Hall fire, New Jersey became the first state to adopt laws requiring all colleges, fraternities, and sororities to install sprinkler systems by 2004. But no other states have followed New Jersey's lead, and Barzelatto fears that fire safety will fade as a public concern. It is not a question of if but a question of when. Therefore, you must know what to do. Barzelatto said the first thing a student should do when checking into a dorm room is to find out where the fire exits are located.
Students smoke, and often use extension cords that can overload electrical outlets.
Another danger comes from the use of high intensity lamps and hot plates, which can ignite clothing and papers. But Barzelatto said the biggest danger comes when students don't take fire alarms seriously. They think when the alarm goes off, it's just a prank. That's what happened at Seton Hall, and it proved fatal.