III
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 105
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 14, 2007
Mr. Biden (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
June 14, 2007
Reported by Mr. Leahy, without amendment
June 20, 2007
Considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Designating September 2007 as
Campus Fire Safety
Month
.
Whereas tragic fires in student housing in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania have cut short the lives of college students in the United States;
Whereas, since January 2000, at least 99 people, including students, parents, and children, have died in campus-related fires;
Whereas more than 75 percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus occupancies;
Whereas a majority of the students in the United States live in off-campus occupancies;
Whereas a number of fatal fires have occurred in buildings in which the fire safety systems have been compromised or disabled by the occupants;
Whereas automatic fire alarm systems provide the early warning of a fire that is necessary for occupants and the fire department to take appropriate action;
Whereas automatic fire sprinkler systems are a highly effective method for controlling or extinguishing a fire in its early stages and protecting the lives of the building's occupants;
Whereas many students are living in off-campus occupancies, sorority and fraternity housing, and residence halls that are not adequately protected with automatic fire alarm systems and automatic fire sprinkler systems;
Whereas fire safety education is an effective method of reducing the occurrence of fires and the resulting loss of life and property damage;
Whereas students are not routinely receiving effective fire safety education throughout their entire college careers;
Whereas it is vital to educate future generations in the United States about the importance of fire safety to help ensure the safety of young people during their college years and beyond; and
Whereas by educating a generation of adults about fire safety, future loss of life from fires may be significantly reduced: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
designates
September 2007 as Campus Fire Safety
Month
; and
encourages administrators of institutions of higher education and municipalities—
to provide
educational programs about fire safety to all students during
Campus Fire Safety
Month
and throughout the school year;
to evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing; and
to take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.