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EDITORIAL: Fines won't fix fire safety issue
Probation would be better
Editorial | 1/13/09
Posted online at 11:25 PM EST on 1/12/09
/ Last updated at 12:33 AM EST on 1/12/09
In December, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan reported that students would now be fined $150 for covered smoke detectors due to the increased incidents of fire safety violations last November. The issue of covering smoke detectors is dangerous and should not be taken lightly. The University is right to implement some sort of punitive measure to dissuade students from doing this, but University probation or similar punishments would be a more appropriate and egalitarian measure than a fine.
It may seem prudent to dissuade students from covering smoke detectors by aiming at their finances, but parents may be likely to settle the $150 bill as often as students. This is even more probable given that the fee will be added to the list of expenses on a student's SAGE bill, according to Director of Student Development and Conduct Erika Lamarre. Additionally, many students receive allowances from their parents, and while the loss of $150 is significant, it is less so when coming from parental donations rather than student wages.
Furthermore, the use of a fine to punish students for covering their smoke detectors will not uniformly affect each person fined due to the variety of socioeconomic backgrounds of Brandeis students and families; for one student, $150 may be a much more significant sum than for another. Similarly, the methods by which students pay for college vary. A student paying his own tuition, regardless of economic background, would be more affected by a fine than a student on scholarship or supported by his parents. Brandeis should explore a nonfinancial penalty that would have an equal impact on all students and not affect their parents' pockets.
A better solution would involve offending students receiving a citation and a punishment that requires them to change their actions, rather than pay for their offenses whenever they happen to get caught. According to Ms. Lamarre, students will be notified by mail and will meet with an official to discuss conduct when being fined, and Residence Life might look to expand this system. ResLife already has a punitive system for students caught using drugs in their rooms. According to the Rights and Responsibilities section of the Student Handbook, students have to go through a series of ever-stronger punishments. A similar, less harsh system would be appropriate for people who cover their smoke detectors. A fire safety course or a lecture from a firefighter, for example, would not necessarily teach offending students anything new, but it would serve as a nuisance to discourage students from breaking the rules again.
Fire safety violations in dorms endanger the property and lives of all students in those buildings, and it is important that Brandeis students recognize the risks of covering their smoke detectors.
It may seem prudent to dissuade students from covering smoke detectors by aiming at their finances, but parents may be likely to settle the $150 bill as often as students. This is even more probable given that the fee will be added to the list of expenses on a student's SAGE bill, according to Director of Student Development and Conduct Erika Lamarre. Additionally, many students receive allowances from their parents, and while the loss of $150 is significant, it is less so when coming from parental donations rather than student wages.
Furthermore, the use of a fine to punish students for covering their smoke detectors will not uniformly affect each person fined due to the variety of socioeconomic backgrounds of Brandeis students and families; for one student, $150 may be a much more significant sum than for another. Similarly, the methods by which students pay for college vary. A student paying his own tuition, regardless of economic background, would be more affected by a fine than a student on scholarship or supported by his parents. Brandeis should explore a nonfinancial penalty that would have an equal impact on all students and not affect their parents' pockets.
A better solution would involve offending students receiving a citation and a punishment that requires them to change their actions, rather than pay for their offenses whenever they happen to get caught. According to Ms. Lamarre, students will be notified by mail and will meet with an official to discuss conduct when being fined, and Residence Life might look to expand this system. ResLife already has a punitive system for students caught using drugs in their rooms. According to the Rights and Responsibilities section of the Student Handbook, students have to go through a series of ever-stronger punishments. A similar, less harsh system would be appropriate for people who cover their smoke detectors. A fire safety course or a lecture from a firefighter, for example, would not necessarily teach offending students anything new, but it would serve as a nuisance to discourage students from breaking the rules again.
Fire safety violations in dorms endanger the property and lives of all students in those buildings, and it is important that Brandeis students recognize the risks of covering their smoke detectors.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Amy
posted 1/13/09 @ 9:17 AM EST
The author of this editorial will be subject to a harsh reality check when he or she enters the "real world." Brandeis is fining students for covering smoke detectors to offset the cost of fines the UNIVERSITY was forced to pay because of students' disregard for fire safety regulations. (Continued…)
Dan
posted 1/21/09 @ 11:59 AM EST
It is also worth noting that in the event the the Fire Department comes to inspect a building and finds a covered smoke detector, they fine the university $1000. (Continued…)
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