In a proclamation on Friday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declared the month of September as Campus Fire Safety Month. The declaration is supported by the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO), aims to raise student awareness of fire hazards and promote the need for fire safety in campus and off-campus residences.
“As the college year gets underway, I remind Tennessee college students to focus on creating a fire-safe environment either on or off campus,” said State Fire Marshal and TDCI Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Carter Lawrence. “Through education and awareness, Tennessee students can reduce their fire risks and prevent a tragedy from occurring.”
“I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of all of those who may have lost a loved one in a campus fire,” said TDCI Assistant Commissioner Gary Farley. “I urge Tennessee college students and their families to protect themselves from the dangers of fires that could occur on campus.”
To help students protect themselves from the dangers of fire, the SFMO shared a list of campus fire safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which can be found on their website here.
The SFMO notes that fires occurring in on-campus housing can carry a tragic toll. From 2016 to 2020, 187 campus housing fires occurred across the nation resulting in one civilian injury, two firefighter injuries and over $200,000 in property loss. Since 2000, SFMO’s data shows that two students have been killed in campus-related fires in Tennessee.
Many campus-related fire fatalities have common factors such as a lack of automatic fire sprinklers, missing or disabled smoke alarms, careless smoking habits and the misuse of alcohol — which impairs judgment and hampers evacuation efforts.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Quincy MA Fire Puts Out Fire on Unsprinklered Room” by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
