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Top 10 Off-Campus Fire Safety Tips

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

As college students settle into their dorms and apartments, parents as well as students should assess the level of fire safety, particularly in off-campus housing.

On Campus vs. Off Campus

Why focus on off-campus housing?

Since 2000, 85% of college-related fire fatalities have happened in off-campus housing, where most students live, according to Campus Firewatch.

Listen to American Alarm’s President Wells Sampson describe, first hand, the lack of fire safety at his daughter Anne’s off-campus housing at Tufts University.   Read more →

September Is College Campus Fire Safety Month

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

As college students move in to new apartments this week, now is a good time for them to check and make sure they have working fire alarms.

We all were tragically reminded of the importance of this early Wednesday morning, when a four-alarm fire destroyed an apartment building on Myrick Street in Allston, Mass., a community popular with college students. After it took about five-and-a-half hours to put the blaze out 11 college students and young professionals who lived in the building were displaced .

Fire investigators said it could have been much worse because the two-and-a-half story house had inadequate smoke detectors and sprinkler protection, according to Boston Fire Commissioner Joe Finn. Damage to the building was estimated at around $1 million.

“We’re very fortunate last night that we didn’t have a loss of life,” Finn told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. “I think the fact that the tenants who were on that third floor weren’t home is probably the reason why, because I think if they were home, they never would have made it out.”

Fire inspectors think the fire started in a rear bathroom, but they were still trying determine the cause. The fire commissioner said investigators found several issues with the house.

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Off Campus Fire Safety Tips

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

American Alarm Video IconIt’s a calm day today on this college campus. But when fire strikes, calm can quickly turn to chaos.

Most dorms are equipped with commercial grade fire systems that are interconnected and monitored regularly to keep students as safe as possible. But, it’s a completely different story for students living off-campus.

According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, almost 80-percent of fire-related fatalities in student housing occur off-campus. These fires are typically caused by a lack of automatic fire sprinklers, missing or disabled smoke alarms, and careless disposal of smoking materials.

Here are some simple steps to ensure your off-campus housing is a fire-safe environment.

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