SecureU - University of Florida Inspection Program Improves Fire Safety at Greek Houses

Campus Security

Published: 11/07

University of Florida Inspection Program Improves Fire Safety at Greek Houses
From "Fraternité, Sororité, Fire Safety" by: Richard C. Graves, Security Management: Officials at the University of Florida decided to overhaul their fire safety program for fraternities and sororities after a series of fires hit fraternity houses across the nation. The university's department of environmental health and safety has been in charge of inspecting its 38 fraternity and sorority houses since the early 1990s. However, the university had no way to analyze whether their Greek houses were becoming safer, leading to the 2002 development of the ScoreCard system. The ScoreCard system grades the houses after inspections, offering rewards and penalties based on performance. The actual ScoreCard is a Microsoft Excel document featuring clear descriptions of violations, with points assigned to each violation and four different levels of performance, with Level One being the best. Two-point violations include use of extension cords, while a broken smoke detector or blocked exit has a ten-point value.

After the inspection, the results are sent electronically to the Greek organization, which is either rewarded or punished. A Level Four score, which is over 150 points, results in loss of social privileges and mandatory special training sessions, while a Level One score, which is under 50 points, could exempt a house from the next season's inspection. In order to establish a basis for analysis, the Fall 2002 inspections were completed using the new score sheet; however, no rewards or punishments were handed out for that performance. Using those scores as a benchmark, the program has been effective, with a 61 percent average improvement over the entire community. With most fraternities and sororities consistently scoring in Level One or Level Two, in Spring 2008 there will only be three levels. The eventual goal is for the houses to consistently gain Level One scores. Read More > - Publication Homepage: Link to Full Text Unavailable

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