The Justice

In January, I wrote a column discussing a widespread fire safety problem on campus. This problem had centered around the discovery of a number of covered smoke detectors in dorm rooms and the subsequent arising issues, including charges to the University from the Waltham Fire Department.

In that column, I argued that the specifics of how room inspections were to be done seemed to conflict with students' rights and responsibilities. However, I wholeheartedly agreed that fire safety is something very important and that this needed to be understood by those who covered the smoke detectors. But random spot checks were not the right way to go about finding a final solution to the problem.

With this in mind, it was very heartening to learn of the fire safety program planned for the first two days of April. The event, run by the Waltham Fire Department, the Office of Student Development and Conduct and the Student Union will attempt to help educate students about fire safety by distributing informational pamphlets and making firefighters available to answer any questions that students may have.

The event will include a 20-foot fire safety trailer with the appearance of a typical dorm room whose interior will be able to simulate different levels of smoke during a fire. The trailer will be situated between Sherman Dining Hall and Rosenthal Quad.

Such a thing may seem unnecessary for college students, many of whom have presumably gone through various fire education programs at some point in their lives. But fire emergencies are extremely hectic, and a refresher on the finer points of what to do in case of fire can never hurt.

Continued...

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