Contact: Ed Comeau, Publisher
Campus Firewatch
www.campus-firewatch.com

413-323-6002 (tel)
413-896-5718 (cell)
ecomeau@campus-firewatch.com

Campus Fire Safety Month resolution passed by the U.S. Senate

Resolution key in helping to raise awareness of fire safety at campuses across the nation

BELCHERTOWN, Mass., June 25, 2007— The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed Senate Resolution 105, recognizing September as Campus Fire Safety Month. Introduced by Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, this resolution will be instrumental in helping to raise the awareness of the importance of fire safety at campuses across the nation. The 2006-2007 academic year has been the most fatal one on record, with 20 campus-related fire deaths identified by Campus Firewatch.

“Every year, too many of our nation’s campuses are plagued with tragic deaths resulting from fires,” said Senator Biden. “The real travesty is that, with increased and diligent awareness techniques, many of those lives could have been saved. We must do all we can to ensure that our students are learning and living in the safest environment possible; this resolution takes us one step closer to that goal.”

This is the third year that Campus Fire Safety Month has been recognized across the nation. In 2005, parents who had lost children in campus fires sent a letter to all of the governors asking them to issue proclamations and 12 states answered their call. In 2006, this increased dramatically to 31 states, covering 61% of the population, and a resolution unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, schools held events and training in September to educate their students about how they could protect themselves from fires.

“Tragedy strikes at our campuses far too often,” said Ed Comeau, publisher of Campus Firewatch. “Many of these deaths could have been avoided with a greater awareness. With this resolution, schools will be encouraged to give more attention to educating today’s students about fire safety as they prepare to become tomorrow’s decision-makers, and the information they gain will not only protect them during their college careers but throughout their lives. I applaud the leadership shown by Senator Biden and his colleagues in addressing this vital issue.”

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Campus Firewatch, in publication since 2000, is a monthly electronic newsletter focusing on campus fire safety. For more information on campus fire safety, including a map of the states that have issued proclamations in 2007, visit www.campus-firewatch.com.