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On 17th September, fire officials, college students and families of victims of fire accidents in campuses will get together at Capitol Hill to attend the National Campus Fire Safety program for the year 2009. This all day event allowed them to know more about how to escape a fire and about the importance of spreading this information to landlords, parents, students and school administrators.

The event allowed over sixty students, advocates of fire safety, family members and fire officials to interact with at least forty congressmen. Led by fire safety coalition partners such as Ohio Fire Safety Coalition, Campus Firewatch, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Congressional Fire Services Institute and other similar organizations, such events are definitely an eye-opener that can help prevent major fire accidents in campuses across the country.

According to reliable statistics, at least 134 people across the country have died of fire accidents since January 2000. These deaths have occurred due to campus related fires as documented by the Campus Firewatch. At least eighty percent of these fire related deaths were in off campus housing. Major factors that led to these deaths include careless disposal of smoking materials, disabled or missing smoke alarms, improper functioning and low maintenance of fire sprinklers and impaired judgment due to consumption of alcohol.

Communities and schools across the nation benefited hugely by the National Campus Fire Safety programs, which educates students on dangers fire and teaches them methods of creating a fire safe environment in their campuses. Congressional Co-sponsors of this event are Congressman Joe Wilson, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Senator Susan Collins and Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Rep. Pascrell observed that the event organized by the National Campus Fire Safety Month is brings like-minded students and other individuals to a single platform where a unique opportunity is provided to deal with fire accidents related issues. These representatives have an ideal opportunity here to bring to Congressmen’s notice various problems related to fire accidents that have to be addressed in order to make college campuses a safe environment for future students.

Senator Collins said one of the most prioritized issues dealt with by the campuses must be the fire safety and the National Campus Fire Safety Month effectively raises awareness about this life-threatening issue.

Rep. Wilson said that as a father of four, he was aware of the concerns of parents whose top priority always remains the safety of their children. He said it was an honour for him to stand with his colleagues in a bid to promote efforts on educating parents, students as well as senior school administrators on fire safety importance.

Campus Firewatch publisher Ed Comeau said that the actual value of the event is in the coming together of schools, communities, parents and students from across the nation to foster awareness of fire safety in campuses. Students are taught how to protect themselves and ensure safety for the rest of their lives. In fact, the apt motto of this event is “Fire Safety – It’s Part of Living”.