SecureU - Burn Foundation Targeting Campus Fire Deaths

Published: 01/07/08

Burn Foundation Targeting Campus Fire Deaths
From the article of the same title by: Chris O'Malley, Indianapolis Business Journal: The Indianapolis-area nonprofit People's Burn Foundation plans to create and distribute a DVD for college students on fire prevention. A final version will be distributed to nearly 5,000 colleges and 38,000 fire departments starting in April 2008. The video was funded largely by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, one of several grants the foundation has received since it was established in 1997. The DVD, entitled To Hell and Back III, marks the foundation's first outreach to the college-age segment.

So far during this academic year, there have been 13 campus fire deaths. There were 20 campus fire deaths in the 2006-2007 academic year, according to Campus Firewatch, a monthly electronic newsletter focusing on campus fire safety. The majority of campus-related fatalities take place in off-campus housing, says Ed Comeau, publisher of Campus Firewatch. Reasons include a lack of smoke alarms, inappropriate disposal of smoking materials, and poor judgment due to alcohol consumption.

Read more >