FIRE SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN STUDENT RESIDENCE HALLS AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NEW YORK STATE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Transcription

1 FIRE SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN STUDENT RESIDENCE HALLS AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NEW YORK STATE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Mark F. Mallick Fire Protection Specialist New York State Fire Prevention and Control Albany, New York An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Fire Program. November 2000

2 2 ABSTRACT The primary problem was the inability of the State of New York s Office of Fire Prevention and Control (NYS-OFPC) to ensure code compliance, promote installation of built-in fire protection systems and implementation of fire safety education programs to students and staff of residence halls across New York State. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate what the state of New York and individual public and private colleges and universities, as well as, what other states are doing to address fire safety policy and procedures in residence halls as a direct result of the Seton Hall tragedy. The author used a combination of historical and evaluative research methodology to answer the following personal interview questions: 1.) What is the current fire safety training provided to residence hall students and staff? 2.) What are all the current fire safety inspection programs being conducted in the residence halls? 3.) How do the campuses follow-up on code violations and recommendations from the fire safety inspections conducted in the residence halls? 4.) What are the different fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the residence halls? 5.) What are the current inspection, testing and maintenance programs on the fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the campus residence halls? 6.) Has the campus instituted any changes in fire safety policy and procedure in the residence halls as a direct result of the recent fire at Seton Hall College?

3 3 The procedures utilized by the author included extensive literature review, as well as, conducting personal interviews with state and college fire officials representing both public and private colleges. The results included the lack of code enforcement in public and private colleges, nonexistent standardized or mandatory fire safety education programs to residence hall staff and students and the need to install complete fixed fire sprinkler systems in roughly 85% of New York State s public and private residence halls. Numerous recommendations were made to address residence hall fire safety. The first recommendation is for the state of New York to enact legislation permitting the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control to address and correct fire safety deficiencies in all public and private residence halls utilizing short and long-term steps. The short-term steps include forming a campus fire safety advisory board, standardization and implementation of mandatory fire safety education programs in residence halls and enforcing compliance of state fire codes in all public and private residence halls. The long-term step was to install fixed fire detection and suppression systems in all public and private residence halls across New York State. These steps would assist the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control in ensuring fire safe residence halls on public and private college campuses in the state of New York.

4 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract... 2 Table of Contents 4 Introduction. 5 Background and Significance. 6 Literature Review... 9 Procedures.. 18 Results Discussion. 28 Recommendations. 32 References. 35 Appendix A 38 Appendix B 39 Appendix C 40 Appendix D 41 Appendix E 42 Appendix F 43 Appendix G 44

5 5 INTRODUCTION The tragedy of the Seton Hall dormitory fire in January 2000 in which three students died and many others were injured, reinforces the need for college and universities to take a closer look at their fire prevention efforts within residence halls. The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (NYS-OFPC) inspect New York State residence halls owned or operated by the State University of New York annually. The NYS-OFPC reports its findings to both the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department. The problem is that there is no mechanism to ensure code compliance, promote installation of built-in fire protection systems or implement fire safety education programs to the students and staff of these residence halls. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate what the state of New York and individual public and private colleges and universities, as well as, what other states are doing to address fire safety policy and procedures in residence halls as a direct result of the Seton Hall tragedy. Finally, there will be a review of these fire safety policy and procedures in residence halls to see if they may be implemented in residence halls across New York State by the OFPC. A combination of historical and evaluative research methodology was selected. Utilizing this methodology afforded a significant amount of data to be gathered and analyzed for possible implementation across the state. The primary focus of the research was to answer the following personal interview questions: 1.) What is the current fire safety training provided to residence hall students and staff?

6 6 2.) What are all the current fire safety inspection programs being conducted in the residence halls? 3.) How do the campuses follow-up on code violations and recommendations from the fire safety inspections conducted in the residence halls? 4.) What are the different fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the residence halls? 5.) What are the current inspection, testing and maintenance programs on the fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the campus residence halls? 6.) Has the campus instituted any changes in fire safety policy and procedure in the residence halls as a direct result of the recent fire at Seton Hall College? BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE Catastrophic events like the Seton Hall fire that occurred on January 19, 2000 that killed 3 students and injured another 58 students are not isolated cases. Recent fires have taken the lives of students and have caused significant property losses at Providence College, Murray State College, The College of William and Mary, Skidmore College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to name a few. (NFPA, 2000 Appendix A) In New York State as recently as May 11, 2000 at Alfred University, 9 students were injured one critically. (Comeau, 2000) These are the events that attract the attention of media, parents, students, local authorities and legislators leading them to make dormitories safer by retrofitting them with fixed fire protection systems or by instituting more effective policies and procedures for fire prevention and life safety. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, there is a record number of students enrolling in colleges and universities. Approximately 14.9 million students enrolled

7 7 in the 1999 fall semester, up from 14.6 million in These numbers have increased 10 percent over the past decade. (NYS Department of Education, 1999) The United States Dormitory Fire Statistics provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reflect in the time period from 1988 to 1997, more than 1,600 fires occurred on college campuses in the United States annually with 66 annual civilian injuries and 8.9 million dollars in property damage. (NFPA, 2000 Appendix B) The majority of these fires occurred in the bedrooms, kitchens and hallways. (NFPA, 2000 Appendix C) The most common causes of these fires is incendiary or suspicious (32.9%), cooking (18.4%) and smoking (11.6%). (NFPA, 2000 Appendix D) These statistics may be higher as the statistics referenced are derived from information reported to the National Fire Protection Association by the United States Fire Administration and municipal fire departments throughout the United States. It is based on fire department response only. If a fire department is not called to a campus, the fire department is not aware a fire has occurred and subsequently the fire is not reported. My research was prompted by the number of dormitory fires occurring in New York State. Approximately 160 fires occurred annually in dormitories during the years (NYS-OFPC, 1998) New York State s annual report does not list the annual damage from the above referenced fires, but does list the area of origin as sleeping rooms first (44.4%) followed by kitchen and cooking areas (11.7%) and laundry rooms (4.39%). (NYS-OFPC, 1998) The most common cause of these fires was incendiary or suspicious (54.0%), cooking (14.5%) and appliance and electric cords (7.6%). (NYS-OFPC, 1998) These statistics are also provided by municipal fire department response reports only. College and universities in New York State, including all dormitories, are required to have an annual fire inspection conducted either by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention

8 8 and Control (public colleges) or a private certified inspector or local county fire coordinator for the private colleges. These colleges and universities must submit a copy of the annual fire inspection to the NYS Education Department per section 807-b of the State Education Law. (Gould, 1999) The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is a multi-functional state agency. NYS-OFPC is responsible for developing and administering the fire fighting standards for the state s roughly 126,000 career and volunteer firefighters. (NYS-OFPC, 1996) This includes providing the majority of training from base firefighter field courses to advanced operation skills offered at the state s fire academy. The OFPC is also responsible for providing certification and technical assistance in the fields of arson investigations, hazardous materials, special reserve operations, basic fire incident reporting, building fire inspections, as well as, participating as a sitting member on the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code Council. In order to meet the requirements of New York State Education Law 807-b, the OFPC conducts annual fire safety inspections on 34 State University of New York college and university campuses. These inspections include dormitories, classrooms, medical buildings, hospitals, nuclear reactors and numerous other associated educational buildings. Dormitories alone account for 266 residential buildings encompassing roughly 17.5 million square feet. (Martin, 2000) My position as Fire Protection Specialist with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is to administer all of the office s functions in 6 western New York counties. This includes overseeing the annual fire inspection of the largest university in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, as well as, 3 additional colleges. This also includes

9 9 providing year round technical assistance on such items as fixed fire protection systems and on all applicable building codes and standards. As an organization, OFPC has an inherent concern with the reduction of fires in the SUNY residence halls. With the noted increase in student population coupled with the fact that 63 out of the 266 residential buildings in the SUNY system do not have any type of automatic sprinkler system and the majority of the remaining 203 buildings utilizing a domestic automatic sprinkler system that protects mainly mechanical and trash storage rooms, the potential for a serious fatal fire exists. During the National Fire Academy Executive Leadership course, a variety of topics were discussed which assist the student to make changes to one s self (self-improvement) and changes to one s agency (organizational delivery). New York State s OFPC legislative obligations relate directly with Unit 8, Influencing, Activity 8.1 Network Skills and Working Relations. Networking is the ability to create and maintain an effective, widely based system of resources that works to the mutual benefit of oneself and others (Tichey, 1979). In order for the OFPC to fulfill its code enforcement responsibilities in SUNY residence halls, it must be able to influence the necessary changes in promoting built-in fire protection systems, as well as, fire safety training by networking with various college and university staff, students, parents, legislators and local fire departments. LITERATURE REVIEW The literary review was conducted to examine the findings of others that have dealt with problems associated with student residence hall fire safety. This literature review was conducted at the Learning Resource Center at the National Fire Academy and the library located at the New York State Fire Academy. A substantial amount of information was found supporting the

10 10 benefits of code enforcement, installation of fixed fire protection systems and fire safety training of both staff and students in residence halls. Throughout this applied research project, the term student residence hall is used to describe dormitories. Per the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the word dormitory is defined in the Life Safety Code as a building or space in a building in which group sleeping accommodations are provided in 1 room or a series of closely associated rooms under joint occupancy and single management for more than 16 people who aren t members in the same family. The facility may or may not provide meals, but it may not have individual cooking facilities (Clack, 2000). The enforcement of fire safety policy and procedures in residence halls varies from state to state. In Michigan, an alleged arson fire on the first floor of Michigan State University East Hall dormitory seriously burned one student and left others with smoke inhalation and cuts. (The State News, 1998) After years of debate, Michigan still doesn t have a standard code. Those close to the adoption process say that the cost of implementing such a plan has been a major factor in keeping it sidelined. According to Traverse City Fire Marshal Captain Wally Schroeder: We are extremely lucky that we didn t have 50, 70, 100 bodies to deal with. We had some exit signs that didn t work and some smoke detectors that didn t work. If we don t have some codes (passed) that makes sure these things are working..... I mean, it s bad enough that the building wasn t sprinklered. (The State News, 1998) In New Jersey, the inspection of college campuses are conducted by local fire inspectors. According to an Associated Press Article, state officials expressing a lack of confidence in local

11 11 fire inspections of Seton Hall University have examined the dormitory where 3 freshmen died in a blaze and found code violations (Gold, 2000). The article further states that: The state of New Jersey stripped the South Orange Fire Department of its annual fire inspection duties at Seton Hall on February 3, Afterwards, state inspectors found violations in Boland Hall including unauthorized use of Christmas lights, extension cords and excessive debris in dormitory rooms. There also were more serious violations but the state inspectors would not specify. Another concern was no record of any annual fire inspection conducted on the campus after The local fire inspectors are required to perform annual inspections on the campus. (Gold, 2000) The problem of limited code enforcement in residence halls in the state of New York was addressed in the July 2000 report of the New York State Governor s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety: While the Office of Fire Prevention and Control reports its findings of its annual fire inspection to both the State University of New York and the State Education Department, the lack of a follow-up mechanism to ensure compliance is evident. It was noted in the reports and confirmed by discussions with inspectors that certain violations are often repeated year after year. (Martin, 2000) The same Governor s Task Force goes on to say: The present fire inspection system has no compliance mechanism and relies on individual campus administrations to correct violations. Rules and regulations governing the administration and enforcement of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code allow public agencies that own or control a building to enforce the

12 12 code within that building by designating itself as the code coordinator for the property. This does not ensure objectivity. (Martin, 2000) The recommendation in this task force report pertaining to the lack of code enforcement is as follows, the task force believes that a comprehensive inspection program with adequate followup and a system to ensure correction of violations is needed and would provide a more objective approach to fire safety inspections (Martin, 2000). The writings by the above authors influenced this research by illustrating the lack of code enforcement in residence halls on some college and university campuses and the negative results. Additional research found articles where code enforcement in residence halls is being promoted. For example a NFPA fire journal cited North Western University in Boston, Massachusetts as building a fire-safe dorm (Mongeau, 1999). The author reports: To augment the school s computerized fire detection and alarm system, North Western s fire safety unit administers an aggressive program of regular inspection, testing and maintenance to ensure compliance with applicable fire and life-safety codes and standards. In addition to 2 full-time people in the fire safety office, 180 student employees assist with weekly building inspections, monthly fire extinguisher inspections and quarterly fire drills. The department also provides a variety of education and training programs in fire safety and prevention techniques for student, faculty and staff. (Mongeau, 1999) At Princeton University in New Jersey, a booklet on fire safety regulations (Appendix E) enforced by the university is handed to the students every year. This booklet describes specifically which electrical appliances are and are not allowed. In addition, the booklet details

13 13 the campus fire safety policy and inspection procedures and the associated fines imposed for violation of these policies and procedures. Training of residence hall staff and students is just as important as code enforcement. There are 2 videotapes recently released that will help fill this void. Both videos were developed under contract with the United States Fire Administration. The first video entitled Get Out And Stay Alive was developed by the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) Fire Department. It is targeted toward students and carries a number of important fire safety messages, as well as, testimonials from parents who have lost children in fires at colleges and universities. This video is packaged with a brochure and a facilitator s guide. The second video is entitled Ready To Respond. This tape was developed by the University of Maryland and is directed towards school administrators. It explains the value of a multi-pronged approach to fire safety involving fixed fire suppression and detection systems coupled with fire prevention and occupant training. (Comeau, 1999) The United Fire Administration College Fire Safety Forum suggests that, these two videotapes should be included as part of an aggressive fire safety program. Efforts should be made to ensure that both of these tapes are placed directly into the hands of the individuals at the institutions who can best make use of them. A different twist in fire safety training is to use it as a marketing tool to attract students and parents to their institution. When prospective students and their parents tour the campus, the fire safety features of the dormitories are emphasized. The parents are encouraged to compare these features with other schools that they might be visiting. In an

14 14 environment where the schools are competing aggressively for students, this can become a potent weapon. (Comeau, 1999) Another party that may have an inherent interest in residence hall safety could be the individual campus insurance carrier. In a Hartford Insurance technical information paper entitled Fire and Life Safety in Dormitories and Residence Halls the author reports: School administrators working with fire safety professionals should develop parent and student guides about fire safety at the school and distribute them to all parents, guardians and students. Students must be educated about the importance of day-to-day fire safety and prevention measures in residence halls. In New York State, training of campus students and staff is addressed in the July 2000 report of the New York State Governor s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety. The task force found while some excellent programs are being offered in New York, they are being conducted voluntarily. Moreover, there are no basic learning objectives, minimum content or frequency regulations, nor are their minimum standards or knowledge levels for those providing instruction. (Martin, 2000) The recommendation by the task force is that: A comprehensive fire safety program should be provided to all college and university students. And both instruction for students and training for staff should require minimum content levels while still allowing each college the flexibility necessary to vary delivery methods and incorporate unique concerns and situations of the particular campus.

15 15 The observations by the above authors influences this research by emphasizing the importance of training and how it could be properly provided to students and staff of residence halls by a number of different organizations. The research identified numerous articles from trade journals, code and standard associations, as well as, government reports on the benefits of built-in fire protection systems in residence halls. Immediately after the Seton Hall tragedy, the media increased its focus on the cause of the fire. In a recent Fire Engineering article Seton Hall From Tragedy to Triumph the author reports: The ensuing news reports focused on many things: fire inspections were found to be lacking. The fire alarm sounded, but they were largely ignored. The fire department response was delayed while the validity of the alarm was checked. And like so many other fire tragedies, the building was reportedly in compliance with code requirements at the time of construction, but not with current standards in other words, the building did not have a working, functional sprinkler system. This proved to be a defining conclusion by the news media. They finally had identified the single most important issue surrounding this tragedy. (Naylis, 2000) In an NFPA press release that came out shortly after the Seton Hall fire entitled U.S. Dormitory Fire Statistics the author states: In 1997, smoke or fire alarms were present in 93% of all dormitory fires, but sprinklers were present in only 28% of these fires. These figures apply only to properties where fires occurred; the overall fraction of properties with these active systems is probably higher. On average, direct property damage per fire is 36%

16 16 lower in dormitory fires where sprinklers are present compared to those where sprinklers are not present. Properly installed and maintained sprinklers prevent deaths outside the area of origin in all but a few unusual situations. In fact, NFPA has no record of a fire fatality involving more than 2 people in a completely sprinklered public assembly, educational institutional or residential building where the system was working properly. More generally, sprinklers typically reduce your chances of dying by one-half to two-thirds in any kind of property where they are used. (NFPA, 2000) The above NFPA statistics coupled with a fire in 1996 at Chapel Hill University in North Carolina which killed 5 students, promoted Wake Forest University, also in North Carolina, to look at its fire protection systems in its residence halls. While legislation did not require additional fire protection, Wake Forest University Safety and Environmental Affairs, a division of the Facilities Management Department, pushed for total sprinkler and fire alarm protection. The university trustees agreed that safety of the students was paramount, and money was allocated to install systems in every student residence on campus. (Sprinkler Age, 2000) During January 2000 a sprinkler trade group called National Fire Sprinkler Association, Incorporated issued a NFSA Bulletin entitled Lessons of a Fire. In this article, the author points out the difference sprinkler systems make in dormitory fires. Monday, January 24, 2000 Patterson, New York, Lesson of a Fire is what the headline read in the letters section of this morning s New York Times, referring to the recent fire in an unsprinklered dormitory at Seton Hall University that claimed

17 17 the lives of 3 students. Unfortunately, this is a scenario that has played out all too often. Serving as sharp contrast to the Seton Hall tragedy, the following day a fire broke out in a dormitory at Cornell University with decidedly different results. Students were safely evacuated without injury and the fire extinguished before the fire department arrived on the scene. The difference: the Cornell dormitory was protected with an automatic fire sprinkler system. (Vandeyar, 2000) The benefits of built-in fixed fire protection systems were identified in New York State s Report of the New York State Governor s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety. In this report the results of a task force survey showed that 58% of the dormitories had partial sprinklers, 27% had no sprinklers and only 15% with complete sprinkler coverage. (Martin, 2000) The recommendations from this task force in regards to sprinkler systems in dormitories were: To increase the safety for all students housed in New York State s campuses, the task force believes all newly-constructed college residential structures should be equipped with a full sprinkler system and a phased retrofit program should be established to install sprinkler systems in all areas of existing campus residential structures during significant rehabilitation. The belief in sprinkler systems was echoed by the vast majority of those submitting testimony to the task force. (Martin, 2000) The writings cited from professional trade journals, consensus standard making organizations, government task forces and individual universities influenced this research by pointing out the overwhelming advantages of automatic sprinkler systems installed in residence halls.

18 18 Overall, the literature review validated the necessity to provide code enforcement, fire safety education and built-in automatic sprinkler systems in college and university residence halls. PROCEDURES The author of this paper gathered the necessary information to complete this research project by utilizing historical and evaluative research methods. The literature review as conducted at the Learning Resource Center at the National Emergency Training Center located in Emmitsburg, Maryland during May In addition, the author utilized resources at the New York State Fire Academy located in Montour Falls, New York during August The author also conducted personal interviews with individuals responsible for residence hall fire safety from across New York State. The research focused upon 4 areas of inquiry. The first was to identify what fire safety training was being provided to residence hall staff and students from across New York State. The second area of inquiry was to determine how code compliance is addressed in residence halls from across New York State. The third area of inquiry dealt with what type of fixed fire protection systems were found in residence halls across New York State. The final area of inquiry was to determine what, if any, changes were being implemented in residence halls across New York State as a result of the Seton Hall tragedy. Personal interviews were conducted with 4 individuals responsible for residence hall fire safety across New York State seeking answers to established research questions. (Appendix F) Personal interviews were conducted with Mr. David Miller, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, located at the State University of New York College at Buffalo on September 29, The second interview was conducted with Mr. Richard Clack, Director of Hazardous

19 19 Material and Safety, located at the State University of New York College at Brockport on October 24, The third personal interview was conducted with Mr. Frank Sweitzer, Director of Physical Plant, located at Daemen College on September 29, The interview process concluded with Mr. Paul Martin, New York State OFPC Staff Liaison to the New York State Governor s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety on October 5, These 4 individuals were chosen as representatives of residence hall fire safety from New York State as their input reflects public and private college campuses from across New York State, as well as, a statewide administrator of residence hall fire safety. The first interview with Mr. David Miller represents a public college located in an urban environment. Mr. Miller s campus contains 9 dormitories housing 2,600 students located in the city of Buffalo, New York. The second interview with Mr. Richard Clack represents a public college located in a rural environment. Mr. Clack s campus contains 13 dormitories housing 3,000 students located in the Village of Brockport, New York. The third individual interviewed, Mr. Frank Sweitzer, represents a private college located in a suburban environment. Mr. Sweitzer s campus contains 21 dormitories housing 1,540 students located in the town of Amherst, New York. The final interview with Mr. Paul Martin who is the New York State OFPC Staff Liaison to the New York State Governor s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety. Mr. Martin was responsible for conducting a survey on residence hall fire safety with all public and private college and universities in New York State. Assumptions and Limitations The first limitation was during the literature review. Limited information was available on the subject matter from professional trade journals, National Fire Protection Association

20 20 statistics, United States Fire Administration publications and newspaper articles found at both the National Fire Academy and the New York State Fire Academy. The second limitation dealt with the validity of the results from the personal interviews and are based on the following assumptions: 1. The grouping is a sample representation of public and private college campuses in New York State. 2. A campus residence hall fire safety administrator within the State of New York has been included in the grouping. 3. Participants have had some experience with residence hall fire safety. 4. All participants answered the questions honestly. The third limitation was that the research objective was to gauge the status and attitudes of public and private college campus residence hall fire safety professionals from the state of New York only. RESULTS The following represents the findings from the 6 question residence hall fire safety personal interviews. The results were analyzed as they relate to the literature review and the original personal interview questions. The objective was to determine the respondent s status on residence hall fire safety training to students and staff, code compliance in residence halls, type of fixed fire protection system available and what changes, if any, were implemented as a direct result of the Seton Hall tragedy. Answers to the interview questions were as follows: Question 1: What is the current fire safety training provided to residence hall students and staff?

21 21 David Miller (Buffalo State) stated, There is fire safety training offered to students, it is not mandatory and there is limited attendance. As far as staff, the university police provide training on what to do in a fire to residence directors and this is mandatory training. Neither training program contains hands on fire extinguisher training and there is no training for the residence hall cleaners (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000). Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated, My office provides 45 minutes of fire safety training to residence assistants. This training includes fire extinguisher, elevator safety and fire alarm procedures. There is no mandatory training for staff members and I do not know if this training to the residence staff is passed on to the students (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000) Frank Sweitzer (Daemen College) stated that, Fire safety procedures are provided to the security guards on response procedures, and the local fire department provides fire extinguisher training to the students which is not mandatory. The residence assistants conduct fire drills and accountability drills 3 times a year. There is no training for staff (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated, The campus fire safety task force survey results and public testimony indicate that a vast majority of New York State s colleges and universities provide some type of fire safety training to students. The extent and frequency of this training varies dramatically, ranging from providing a fire safety pamphlet to mandatory fire safety training to all dormitory residents. As far as campus staff training, that also varies widely (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). The results from this question indicates that there is no standard or mandatory fire safety training for residence hall staff and students across New York State. None of the respondents

22 22 indicated that they were familiar with the residence hall fire safety videos promoted by the United States Fire Administration as stated in the literature review. Question 2: What are all the current fire safety inspection programs being conducted in the residence halls? David Miller (Buffalo State) stated, The only inspection is an annual inspection conducted by NYS-OFPC and limited inspections by the insurance carries for the New York State Dormitory Authority. There is no inspection by the Buffalo Fire Department (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000). Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated, An annual inspection by NYS-OFPC and every couple of years by the New York State Dormitory Authority. Also, New York State Department of Labor checks the boilers every 2 years (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000). Frank Sweitzer (Daemen College) stated, The college hires a private certified inspector to conduct an annual fire inspection as required by the New York State Education Department. Hanford Insurance Company inspects the boilers every 2 years (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated, The results of the campus task force survey indicated that the public colleges were receiving some sort of annual fire inspection either by the state or their local fire department. As for private colleges and universities, the survey results showed that either private contractors or local code enforcement officials were conducting an annual fire safety inspection (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). This interview question revealed that all public and private campuses in New York State receive some level of an annual fire inspection in their residence halls. The need for annual inspections was indicated in the literature review.

23 23 Question 3: How do campuses follow-up on code violations and recommendations from the fire safety inspections conducted in the residence halls? David Miller (Buffalo State) stated, A work order to the Physical Plant is generated if the violation requires the attention of a trade. If it is a housekeeping violation, the Residence Life Office is notified to correct it. If the violation is costly, then meetings with the Facilities Planning Department are held and the funds are requested in the capital project budget usually a 3 to 4 year turn around (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000). Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated, Once the state notifies us of the violations in writing, then work orders are placed with the director of dormitories. If the violation requires a capital investment, then a report goes to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000). Frank Sweitzer (Daemen College) stated, The private contractor verifies correction of the violations within 2 weeks of notification, very rarely would it require capital improvement money. As far as our boilers and alarm systems, any problems are addressed immediately (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated, The survey results and the testimony from inspectors showed that on public colleges and universities, a number of code violations are not being addressed and the same violations are repeated every year since there is no follow-up mechanism to ensure compliance. Discussions with other inspection groups and testimony from local government officials who have contact with private colleges state that similar conditions exist on these campuses (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). The results of this personal interview question indicate that the answers given to the author does not reflect the answers given to the New York State Campus Fire Safety Task Force

24 24 in regards to code compliance. In the literature review, the need for code compliance and the results of lax code compliance was addressed. Question 4: What are the different fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the residence halls? David Miller (Buffalo State) stated, All our dorm rooms have a local alarm smoke detector, as well as, heat detector that sends a signal to campus police and activates a master box that transmits a signal to the Buffalo Fire Department. There are no dorm rooms with sprinkler heads. The only sprinkler systems found in the dorms are domestic heads protecting old incinerator rooms that are used for storage. There is also standpipe systems in our 7-story highrise dormitories. All dorms contain fire extinguishers (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000). Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated, Heat and smoke detectors are located in all rooms and are tied into the campus police, physical plant and the local fire department. If the dispatcher does not receive an acknowledgement of the alarm from the campus police, then the fire department is dispatched. There are sprinklers in storage rooms and basements of all dormitories, but no dorm rooms are protected by sprinklers. There are 12 story high-rise dorms that have standpipe systems. We provide water and dry chemical extinguishers in all the dorms (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000). Frank Sweizter (Daemen College) stated, All dorms contain ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers. All dorm rooms have local alarm smoke detectors and in the common areas of the dorm, heat detectors are placed that send a signal to security. The local fire department is notified if security or a resident places a 911 call. None of our dormitories have sprinklers in the dorm rooms. The only sprinklers are found in the basement boiler rooms of our low-rise dorms.

25 25 We have 1 high-rise dorm which is 8 stories and that contains a standpipe system (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated that, The survey results from the campus fire safety task force showed only 15% of public and private dorms in New York State had 100% sprinkler coverage and 58% of the public and private dorms had partial sprinkler systems. The survey indicated that 27% of the public and private dorms had no sprinkler protection. This translates into roughly 19.5 million square feet of private dorms and 16.5 million square feet of public dorms having no sprinkler protection. As for alarm detection systems, the survey results indicated that more than 90% of the dorms in New York State are equipped with some type of fire detection and/or fire alarm systems. This translates into roughly 10 million square feet of public, as well as, 10 million square feet of private dorms in New York State lack a complete fire alarm detection system. All campus dorms in New York State indicated that they provide some type of portable fire extinguisher (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). Question 5: What are the current inspection, testing and maintenance programs on the fire protection equipment and systems that exist in the campus residence halls? David Miller (Buffalo State) stated that, Our alarm systems are tested twice per year to verify transmission of the signal to campus police and the Buffalo Fire Department. Our standpipe and sprinklers also have an annual inspection completed by an outside contractor. The fire extinguishers are inspected every Monday and Friday in the dorms by 2 part-time students. The reason twice a week is mainly due to vandalism (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000). Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated that, All our fire extinguishers are inspected inhouse monthly and every 2 years by outside contractors. Once per year an outside contractor tests all detection devices and pull stations in all campus buildings. As for our sprinkler systems,

26 26 the alarm company tests the alarm devices only and the standpipe system is inspected by college maintenance once per year (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000). Frank Sweitzer (Daemen College) stated that, On our campus, we hire a contractor who tests all our fire alarms and detectors annually, as well as, all fire extinguishers. Standpipe systems are pressure tested annually by another private contractor (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated that, The campus fire safety task force survey indicated that just over 50% of the existing sprinkler systems and 80% of the existing fire alarm detection systems are being inspected, tested or maintained according to nationally accepted standards. The quality of the system inspection, testing and maintenance programs, as well as, the expertise of the personnel performing the inspections and maintenance varies widely (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). The results of this interview question reflects that testing and maintenance on the residence hall fire protection systems are being conducted to varying degrees. The literature review cited the importance of testing and maintenance of built-in fire protection systems from a number of trade journals and professional organizations. Question 6: Has the campus instituted any changes in fire safety policy and procedure in the residence halls as a result of the recent fire at Seton Hall College? David Miller (Buffalo State) stated that, There is a heightened awareness with the university administration, however, what occurred at Seton Hall has not impacted the teachers or students. In order for more significant changes to take place, the chancellor of the State University of New York must instruct the individual college presidents to make fire safety important and back it up with the necessary funds (David Miller, Personal Interview, 2000).

27 27 Richard Clack (Brockport State) stated that, Seton Hall brought attention to the residence halls at Brockport, but I feel that the horse is out of the barn, close the door situation has taken place again. Boland Hall at Seton Hall had a false alarm problem that was not addressed until after the fatal fire. At Brockport, we have increased the penalties for pulling false alarms, as well as, made a commitment that when residence halls are renovated, a complete sprinkler system is installed. I also feel that follow-up enforcement from the state is needed (Richard Clack, Personal Interview, 2000). Frank Sweitzer (Daemen College) stated that No changes were made because of Seton Hall. What we are doing now in regards to fire safety in the dorms we have always done in the past. In the next 2 years, we are tearing down our 20 low-rise dorms and replacing them with 7 buildings. These new dorms will be completely sprinklered and have addressable fire alarm systems. This is not a result of Seton Hall but for marketing reasons (Frank Sweitzer, Personal Interview, 2000). Paul Martin (NYS-OFPC) stated that, Inquiries were made to determine what new initiatives, if any, other states are considering following the tragic fire at Seton Hall University. These states were found to be confronting the same concerns we have here in New York the lack of fire safety uniformity or consistency in campus fire safety policies. Several of the states contacted indicated that they too are re-evaluating fire safety on college campuses and have convened a work group similar to New York State s task force to study and make recommendations on college fire safety (Paul Martin, Personal Interview, 2000). This personal interview question revealed that any changes in fire safety policy on the campus did gain the attention of the administration only. The majority of the literature review focused on new articles and reports that were generated as a result of the Seton Hall tragedy.

28 28 DISCUSSION The discussion section of this applied research project is based upon the literature review, the personal interview question results and the author s personal interpretations of the study results. The discussion is divided into 5 sections. The first 4 discuss each of the issues explored by the literature review and personal interview questions. The final section is devoted to the issues in relationship to their implications on the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Code Enforcement in Residence Halls The personal interview question results indicated that both the public and private colleges stated that procedures were in place to address any code violations based upon how the violations were being delegated to other offices located on their campuses. The New York State Campus Fire Safety Task Forces own survey and testimony from inspectors stated that a number of code violations are not being addressed and that the same violations are being cited every year. The author s personal interpretation of this situation is twofold. First there appears to be no follow-up mechanism within the campuses themselves to verify correction of violations that other offices on the same campus were in charge of correcting. The second problem with code enforcement is that the New York State OFPC inspectors are not required by law to follow-up on cited violations and for that matter, outside contractors on private campuses also are not required to follow-up on cited violations. No financial penalties are imposed on campuses that fail to correct cited violations. All of this appears to delay the correction of the cited violations. In the state of Michigan, 1 student was seriously burned and others suffered from smoke inhalation because Michigan State University was not enforcing fire codes within their residence halls. Fixed Fire Protection Systems in Residence Halls

29 29 The results of the personal interview question pertaining to fixed fire protection systems located in the residence halls of both public and private campuses revealed that placement of fire alarm systems including detectors in all of the student rooms is appropriate. The author of this research project questions the justification for the campus residence halls to provide sprinkler protection in trash and storage rooms only as opposed to student occupied rooms. Also as pointed out by New York State s Campus Fire Safety Task Force findings that only 15% of all residence halls in New York State have a complete sprinkler systems is another disturbing fact. The literature review articles supported the need for sprinkler systems to be installed in all student rooms. This point was clearly made in the National Fire Sprinkler article entitled Lessons of a Fire in which the comparison of the fire at Seton Hall claimed the lives of 3 occupants in an unsprinklered dorm compared to a fire in a sprinklered dorm at Cornell University in which no lives were lost. Training of Residence Hall Staff and Students As reflected in the personal interview questions, as well as, New York State Campus Fire Safety Task Force Survey, there is currently no mandatory or standardized fire safety training for student and staff of public and private colleges and universities across the state. The author of this research project s interpretation of this situation is that with the availability of high quality training videos geared toward residence hall occupants such as Get Out and Stay Alive as stated in the literature review article entitled College Fire Safety Forum Final Report should be incorporated as part of a statewide standardized and mandatory training program given to all residence hall occupants on an annual basis. The author feels that this fire safety program would be the least expensive and quickest way to get this important fire safety information out to all students.

30 30 Are changes being implemented in residence halls as a result of the Seton Hall Tragedy? The results of the personal interview questions indicated that public campuses have had an increased awareness with campus staff, however, very little impact on the student population. As far as the private college campuses, the Seton Hall tragedy had no impact whatsoever. The residence hall fire safety awareness level with state governments, especially in the northeastern part of the United States, increased after the Seton Hall fire. In the state of New York, Governor George Pataki issued an executive order establishing the task force on campus fire safety (Appendix G). This task force was charged with reviewing building codes as they applied to student residence halls at both public and private colleges and universities, records of code compliance, fire safety policy and procedures, and extent and adequacy of fire suppression and detection systems. The task force issued their findings in July 2000 including numerous recommendations and the potential cost to implement these recommendations. Some of the changes in fire safety policy and procedures in other states as a direct result of the Seton Hall fire include the state of New Jersey. Every New Jersey school must have sprinklers installed within 4 years. School can apply for no-interest or low-interest loans. The law applies to private and public schools as of July 5, 2000 (Pennsylvania Fireman, 2000). In the state of Pennsylvania, the House approved a bill requiring Pennsylvania colleges and universities to install sprinkler systems in all student housing. Some of the provisions of this bill include: In addition to requiring the installation of sprinkler systems, the bill would provide $125 million for low-interest loans to help schools pay for retrofitting existing sprinkler systems or installing new ones, allow the Department of Labor to close any student housing that does not comply with the act until it comes into