Our Opinion: In light of recent tragic events, and because this week is Fire Prevention Week, the need to become aware and knowledgeable about fire safety is more important than ever.
The scenario is not uncommon.
You have just settled down for some shut eye after studying countless hours for that big biology exam tomorrow morning. As you gently fall into a slumber, counting sheep and contemplating their role in the Nitrogen Cycle, you are suddenly awoken by a painful and repetitive shrieking.
Fire alarm.
Few people enjoy being woken up and forced to stand in the cold or rain while a test of the dorm’s fire safety procedures is conducted. But rather than curse the fact that our bodies are cold and sleep-deprived during such drills, we should be thankful that we have bodies to be cold and sleep-deprived.
Too often, we take for granted the measures that are taken on this campus to ensure everyone who steps on it is safe. Sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, emergency contact beacons and a local fire department all function to prepare our campus for an emergency. Fire drills are just another part of those measures that help to avoid potential tragedies.
Sadly, no system is 100-percent fool proof, and accidents are bound to happen. Take the recent Apex chemical plant fire for example, or Saturday’s one-year anniversary of a fire at the Alpha Sigma Mu fraternity house that claimed two lives. The best one can do is take all possible precautions to avoid incidents such as these.
That’s where Fire Prevention Week comes in. This week is a time when all students and staff should evaluate their involvement in and their own personal awareness of fire prevention.
Avoidance is the first step. Students and staff should know some of the causes of fires and what behaviors can constitute a risk. Many fires, such as the one at the Alpha Sigma Mu house, are started by things as simple as a lit cigarette carelessly placed on flammable material.
The second step, and the one fewer people seem to take time to understand, is knowing what to do in case of a fire emergency. It isn’t enough to be knowledgeable of preventative measures, as people could find themselves in situations where a fire was caused by no fault of their own. In such situations, it is important to know how to react, whether it is by contacting the proper authorities, understanding how to use resources to extinguish small fires or being aware of the safest evacuation route from any given building.
A combination of prevention and preparation are an individual’s best chance at avoiding or surviving a fire emergency.
Many of us have been exposed to fire-prevention lessons, such as those first “Stop, Drop and Roll” demonstrations that we were shown in grade school. But such lessons never seem to matter until such a situation presents itself when these lessons are needed.
It is at that time when an individual will either be prepared to live, or be ill-prepared to survive.
So take preventative measures like fire drills seriously. Because if you face a fire emergency, you’ll find you have a burning desire to recall what all those drills taught you.
