Page 4, Fire News, October 2021
FireNews.com
From the Editor’s Desk Dennis Whittam, Editor
It’s That Time Again! It is hard to believe that summer is over and as firefighters we have to once again give thought to educating our communities on the topic of fire prevention. I can still remember when my own kids ventured off to college. As a dad, I was truly happy to watch the enthusiasm that my two girls had when they left home to live on their own in a college dormitory. Another side of me was nervous. I am reminded of the fatal Seton Hall fire at Boland Hall, which claimed the lives of three students and injured over 50 more students. Statistics showed that from 2000 to 2014, 89 fatal fires were documented that occurred on a college campus, in Greek housing, or in off-campus housing within three miles of the campus, claiming a total of 126 victims — 76 in off-campus housing claiming 107 victims, seven fires in on campus building or residence halls claiming nine victims, and six in Greek housing (fraternities and sororities) claiming 10 victims. The good news is, thanks to our Fire Safety Educators, Juvenile Arson Awareness Programs and to our fire marshals and community fire departments,
2015 was the first year that there were no fatal fires on college campuses. For the year of 2020, fires were down by over three percent. All of the programs in which your fire department is involved help prevent fires and save lives. With the interruption of Covid, I ask if your department’s fire prevention program is ready to go into action? In the past, I urged everyone to evaluate their Fire Safety Education Program. I still urge you to have one of your county or town fire safety organizations to review your program to make sure you are doing the right thing. Understand, children can get mixed messages when they come to the firehouse and watch firefighters set fires and put them out. Educators are aware of the pitfalls of “negative teaching” to get a point across. I worry that someday there will be a student who will see a firefighter set a car on fire and, while being mesmerized by the flames, think that that was the purpose of the demonstration. It is important to show the community our equipment and apparatus, but it is more
important to make sure your audience knows that when a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm goes off, they need to act in a specific way. Putting Covid and new school policies aside, at the end of the day, whether the community comes to the firehouse or you go out to the community, the result should be the same. Everyone must understand “stop drop and roll,” how to “get out alive” and what to do when the smoke or CO alarm sounds. Every year, departments do an outstanding job teaching fire safety awareness. Is your program working? Statistics are saying that they are. Keep up the good work! - Dennis
