UK Police, Fire Marshal Recognize National Campus, Fire Safety Awareness Month

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2019) — The University of Kentucky Police Department and Fire Marshal’s Office kick off their annual campus safety awareness campaign during the month of September. College campuses all across the nation recognize September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month and National Campus Fire Safety Month as an opportunity to educate students, employees and visitors on overall safety, fire safety, disaster preparedness and crime prevention.

Several events will be taking place on campus throughout the month of September. A kickoff for UK Campus and Fire Safety Awareness Month will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, on the corner lawn of Woodland and Hilltop Avenues across from The 90. 

The kickoff event will feature demonstrations, T-shirts and other giveaways, fire extinguisher training, and opportunities to learn more about UK Alert, LiveSafe, STARR women’s self-defense training and UKPD Citizen’s Police Academy.  Items that are recommended to be included in a go-kit and a home preparedness kit will also be on display.

You won’t want to miss the live fire demonstration at 8:15 p.m. — the dramatic highlight of the kickoff event each year. The Fire Marshal’s office literally builds a room to the same specifications of a typical residence hall room using the same building construction materials and furniture donated by UK Housing. A small flame is introduced and then spectators are able to see the fire develop until it is free burning. It shows how quickly a dangerous situation can develop and stresses the importance of reacting immediately and evacuating a building if a smoke detector or fire alarm sounds.

“Fires double in size every minute,” says UK Fire Marshal Greg Williamson. “Reaction is critical for survival in a fire situation. The fire alarm is your first line of defense against a deadly situation, and your quick response to an alarm sounding can mean the difference between life and death!” 

Safety efforts at UK encompass many other potentially hazardous situations as well.

“UK Police offers many resources and programs to complement public safety initiatives at the university," said UK Police Chief Joe Monroe. "Since not all emergencies come with built-in alarms, the mass notification system, UK Alert, is one of the most important safety tools available to the entire campus community.”

UK students, staff and faculty may access and update their UK Alert account via the myUK portal. Parents, media, visitors and other interested parties may register for UK Alert on a voluntary self-subscription basis by clicking here.

While safety begins and ends with personal responsibility, there are a number of campus departments and programs that promote safety, preparedness and crime prevention throughout the year. The UK Campus Safety and Fire Safety Awareness Month kickoff will emphasize a variety of these UK programs to encourage students, faculty and staff to stay more informed, aware and safe while on campus. 

Follow UKPD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out the latest updates. For more information on crime prevention and safety instruction, contact the UKPD Community Services Division at ukpdcommunity@uky.edu. 

For more information about UK’s Fire Marshal schedule of events, upcoming fire drills and classes, fire safety tips and fire extinguisher training throughout the year, visit http://ehs.uky.edu/fire. For the latest news, follow UK Fire Marshal on Facebook and Twitter. Contact Jason Ellis, UK assistant fire marshal, at jasonellis@uky.edu.