2008 Woodie Awards
Students' fire safety concerns seem to diminish
Lauren Mercer
Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: Front Page
Immediately following the 2005 fire that claimed the lives of three Miami University students, the university community turned its attention to fire safety. Forums were held, smoke detector batteries were checked and students could be heard discussing the conditions of their own homes. But two years later, that dialogue has largely faded.
The current junior and senior classes were on campus during the April 10, 2005 fire, but after graduation this May only one class of students who were in Oxford during the tragedy will remain. According to Bobbe Burke, director of the Office of Off-Campus Affairs, that makes a difference.
"Relatively soon all the people who knew (the students who passed away) will not be here," Burke said. "They'll all be gone. We have to push the topic to raise it up to the consciousness of other people. If it hasn't touched your life you won't be thinking about it."
Oxford Fire Chief Len Endress said he thought the issue of fire safety was prevalent enough in the national news to keep the topic on students' minds, but did acknowledge that over time Miami students have become less cognizant of what has happened in Oxford.
"I think the only real thing that's dropping off is unfortunately there are not as many people now that if you mention the fire are even aware that it happened," Endress said.
Despite this decline in awareness, Endress said that Miami students have been fortunate this academic year. He estimated that the Oxford Fire Department has responded to about 25 calls from students living off campus, but they have been regarding smells of smoke, alarms going off or small fires that were already extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. However, Endress stressed that in the case of a fire, students should always call the fire department immediately.
While Endress said that there are still students living in off-campus residences with substandard fire safety devices, there have been changes in the city that have lead to more secure living conditions.
The current junior and senior classes were on campus during the April 10, 2005 fire, but after graduation this May only one class of students who were in Oxford during the tragedy will remain. According to Bobbe Burke, director of the Office of Off-Campus Affairs, that makes a difference.
"Relatively soon all the people who knew (the students who passed away) will not be here," Burke said. "They'll all be gone. We have to push the topic to raise it up to the consciousness of other people. If it hasn't touched your life you won't be thinking about it."
Oxford Fire Chief Len Endress said he thought the issue of fire safety was prevalent enough in the national news to keep the topic on students' minds, but did acknowledge that over time Miami students have become less cognizant of what has happened in Oxford.
"I think the only real thing that's dropping off is unfortunately there are not as many people now that if you mention the fire are even aware that it happened," Endress said.
Despite this decline in awareness, Endress said that Miami students have been fortunate this academic year. He estimated that the Oxford Fire Department has responded to about 25 calls from students living off campus, but they have been regarding smells of smoke, alarms going off or small fires that were already extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. However, Endress stressed that in the case of a fire, students should always call the fire department immediately.
While Endress said that there are still students living in off-campus residences with substandard fire safety devices, there have been changes in the city that have lead to more secure living conditions.
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