Tag Archives: campus

General Safety Issues

SEPTEMBER IS CAMPUS FIRE SAFETY MONTH

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There is nothing more important to a parent than knowing that their children are going to live in a safe place when they go off to college.  Most  college students are currently in the process of moving into on-campus or off-campus housing.  The month of September is a good time to remind all of us of campus fire safety.  There are many things to know about fire safety, when it comes to relocating your student.   

In its’ seventh year, Campus Fire Safety Month reminds us that since January, 2000, 144 persons have died in campus-related fires, with four out of five of the fires occurring in off-campus housing.  Nationwide colleges and universities must make teaching their students about fire safety a high priority.  In a survey prepared by the Michael Minger Foundation in 2009, most schools showed a lack of a coordinated approach to fire safety.  Michael Minger was a college student who lost his life in a residence hall arson fire.   The survey showed that schools were inconsistent in how they educated their students on fire safety, and what would be done to ensure that students, faculty and staff, as well as disabled students were evacuated safely from campus buildings.  A number of fires on campus or in apartments started on porches where couches and other combustible furniture caught fire, either through carelessness, smoking materials, or impaired judgment from alcohol, which lead to ignition or inability to escape the fire. 

Parents need to ask these questions when helping their student choose where they will live: 

  •          Are there two ways out of the house?
  •          If they live on the upper floor, is there a way to escape, such as a working window?
  •          Do they have an escape ladder?  If not, purchase one.
  •          Ask the same question if it is a basement apartment: are there two ways out, and is there a window that works?
  •          Are there smoke alarms and do they work?
  •          Tell your student never to disable a smoke alarm!
  •          Are there automatic fire sprinklers?
  •          Find out about cooking safety rules, either in a dorm, or in an apartment. 

When it comes to fire safety on campus, there are three entities involved: (1) the school must ensure that the campus and building environment meets the applicable codes and requirements of state and local building codes.  Also that it meets the policies and procedure requirements regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), relating to fire safety for all students, faculty, and staff.  (2) The local Fire Department should be familiar with the floor plans of the campus and conduct inspections and fire prevention and training.  (3) Each student should be responsible for himself by having a basic awareness of his/her surroundings, and what to do in case of fire or other emergency.  One of the most important lessons all college students must learn is fire safety.  This lesson will stay with them the rest of their lives.  

Source: campus-firewatch.com

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety, Home Safety Products, Uncategorized

WHEN KIDS LEAVE THE NEST, CONSIDER THESE SAFETY TIPS

When raising kids, certain family milestones are times for sadness and gladness.  You are happy because they have completed high school, and excited if they are going to experience college.  You know you will miss them, and regardless of their choices, either to enroll in college, or seek a profession, they are still young, and believe me, you will worry about them.  They are your kids, and you always have concerns, even when they are older; because you love them, you want everything to go well for them. 

There are many safety factors to consider for young people.  You probably have trained them since they were youngsters, but here are some reminders: 

  • They must understand that they are responsible for their own safety.
  • They need to scope out their new surroundings, and be familiar with  the safest routes they will be using.
  •  There’s always safety in numbers; go out in groups, or at least with a “buddy.”
  •   Never walk in dark places alone.
  •   Do not go to an ATM at night.
  •   Trust their instincts.  If they are uncomfortable with what’s   going  on, don’t be afraid to leave.  Most young people are going to try their wings.  But if things get out of hand, they need to move on.
  •  Always carry cab fare.
  •  Consider taking a self-defense class.
  •  Always tell a roommate, friend, or someone else where they plan to be if they are going out at night.  If plans change, they should let that person know, just in case they don’t return when they should.
  •  Have them make copies of important papers, credit cards, health cards, etc. and leave a copy with parents, just in case they are stolen or lost.
  •  Suggest that they have a “health buddy,” someone that will get them to a doctor or emergency room if necessary.  They can do the same for that friend.
  • Warm them of alcohol hazards.  Never mix acetaminophens with alcohol, and encourage them to not overdo drinking, just because it seems to be the popular thing to do.  They need to know that drinking and driving don’t mix. (Texting and driving don’t, either.)

Here are some safety items they should have: 

  • First Aid Kit
  • Auto Safety Kit
  • Smoke, carbon monoxide detectors if the apartment or dormitory doesn’t have them.
  • Fire escape ladder
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Mace or pepper spray
  • Key Chain Alarm
  • Reflective vest for jogging or biking
  • Fully charged cell phone
  • ICE programmed on phone (in case of emergency) on cell phone; authorities know to check for this in order to notify family 

Stay in touch with your kids; have them call you at least once a week, and let you know what’s happening in their lives.  They need to know you are just a phone call (or text) away.  Give them encouragement in the important choices they make.  It’s hard to believe that that little boy or girl you sent off to kindergarten is now going off to college, the military, or a job.  We send them our best for safe, happy, and successful futures.