Fire Safety Month Demonstrations Under Way in September

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2012) — “Don’t Wait – Evacuate!”  These are three simple words that can literally mean the difference between life and death during a fire situation.

The UK Fire Marshal kicked off its annual campus fire safety campaign yesterday with a fire demonstration and fire extinguisher training at the Blanding-Kirwan Complex. More events are planned during the month of September, now in its eighth year of being recognized as National Campus Fire Safety Month for college campuses throughout the country.  Governors in 24 states have issued a proclamation recognizing September as National Campus Fire Safety Month, including Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear.

Tasked with the responsibility to maintain a fire safe campus at UK, the Office of the UK Fire Marshal actively pursues fire prevention and safety throughout the year.  “Since 2000, 155 people have died in campus-related fires across the nation,” said Jason Ellis, assistant fire marshal for the University of Kentucky.  “September National Campus Fire Safety Month is the springboard for which our office introduces new fire prevention training and fire safety programs throughout campus in an effort to prevent a fire incident from occurring.”

The UK Fire Marshal’s Office conducts fire safety training, evacuation and fire drills, and offers fire extinguisher training for all UK and community constituents.  These programs are taught throughout the year as part of the office's continuing mission to make UK a fire-free campus. 

The UK Fire Marshal’s Office will conduct more events on campus throughout  September including live fire demonstrations using the UK Mobile Burn Trailer, giving out free T-shirts, conducting fire extinguisher training, smoke and fire drills, and fire safety talks on each Wednesday of the month.  Events are planned from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Sept. 19, in front of the Main Building and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the Roselle Hall courtyard.

“We have constructed a mobile burn unit and outfit it with the same construction and furnishings found in each UK residence hall, and we introduce a small flame to it and let it continue until it is free-burning,” Ellis said.  “It shows how quickly a dangerous situation can develop and stresses the importance of paying attention to the fire alarm and taking immediate action when it goes off. 

“The room is completely involved in fire in about two minutes. Even with two fire stations located on either side of campus and a response time of about 4-5 minutes, you are still looking at a dangerous working fire when the fire department arrives." 

For more information about UK’s Fire Marshal schedule of events regarding September National Fire Safety Month, fire safety tips and to request fire prevention training and safety, visit their website at  http://ehs.uky.edu/fire/ or contact Jason Ellis at jasonellis@uky.edu and at (859) 257-6326.