Media Advisory: Fire Officials Burn Mock Dorm Room to Demonstrate Safety  Procedures

Students will receive a first-hand lesson on safety during September's National Campus Fire Safety Month

ALBANY, N.Y. (September 8, 2009) --

What:  Fire Safety Demonstration.
An 8 X 12 wood-frame mock residence hall room complete with furniture and fixtures will be burned to demonstrate fire safety procedures and tips. The room will contain commonly found hazards and demonstrate the possible effects of unsafe behaviors.

Where:
Academic Podium, Main Campus, between the Fine Arts and Arts and Sciences buildings

Who:  
Steven Beditz, Vice President of Finance and Business
Christine Bouchard, Vice President for Student Success
Gregory Amyot, UAlbany Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Albany Fire Department officials and firefighters

When:
Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 1 p.m.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., information tables will be staffed by theUAlbany Fire Prevention unit, the Office of Off-Campus Affairs, and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

Background:
The University at Albany Office of Environmental Health and Safety provides fire prevention training on a regular basis for faculty, staff and students. The use of a mock dorm room is a particularly effective tool to raise awareness of campus fire safety problems.

From 2003 to 2006, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 3,570 structure fires in dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, and barracks. These fires caused an annual average of seven civilian deaths, 54 civilian fire injuries, and $29.4 million in direct property damage.

Cooking equipment was involved in 75 percent of reported dormitory fires, including confined or contained fires. Structure fires in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, and barracks are more common from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., as well as on weekends.

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds

Educationally and culturally, the University at Albany-SUNY puts "The World Within Reach" for its 18,000 students. An internationally recognized research university with 58 undergraduate majors and 128 graduate degree programs, UAlbany is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice. With a curriculum enhanced by 300 study-abroad opportunities, UAlbany launches great careers. For more information about this globally ranked University, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.shtml.