One month, two fires and three deaths. Sadly, that is the reality Boston University has had to cope with.
The blazes happened two blocks from each other, but there is no reason to believe the fires near South Campus were anything but two horrific coincidences. Still, BU administrators must address fire safety on and around campus, and yesterday, they announced how they plan to keep students out of harm’s way.
Their efforts are commendable, and student safety is clearly a concern to all BU officials. But really, they had no choice but to take action. The university has to do all it can to counter worries of campus safety.
Everyone must remember, though, that BU is not accountable for these fires. They occurred in private off-campus apartments. When students choose to move into their own residences, they become responsible for themselves. Still, the community suffers from every life it loses.
But all the university has the power to do for students living off campus is spread the word about how to live safely. And that is exactly what officials are going to do when they hand out flyers and launch a website dedicated to fire prevention.
Too much information about how to stay safe is never a bad thing, and the university seems committed to providing its students all the tips and guidelines anyone could want to know.
Though it is important to remove fire hazards — which include candles, grills and halogen lights — the university can only suggest this to off-campus residents so many times. Eventually, it becomes students’ responsibility to take their own actions into account. Unfortunately, it often takes death for people to grasp life’s ever-present dangers, and even then, many students still believe nothing will happen to them.
On-campus housing offers students more protection because these dormitories are completely under the administration’s control. The university rightfully has provided a detailed outline about fire safety in the BU Lifebook.
According to a 2000 U.S. Fire Administration report, 1,300 fires occur in student dormitories each year. With smoke detectors in every room and strict regulations about what students cannot have in their rooms, BU is making great efforts to prevent students who live on campus from being harmed in a blaze.
And as a result of the recent events, BU is reexamining its buildings’ fire detection and prevention capabilities. But fire-safety awareness cannot be a temporary concern.
After Beatriz Ponce died after being struck by a car in October 2006, BU announced a Pedestrian Safety Awareness Day. But that message has not been stressed strongly enough, and several students have been hit by cars while crossing the street since the fall.
Everyone in the BU community will be safest from fire and other hazards if the message of taking proper caution doesn’t dissipate.