Fire warning

The recent fire in August on Ossippee Road demonstrates the importance and priority that should be given to campus fire safety at Tufts and across the nation. Since January 2000, 66 students have been killed in fires with over 80 percent of them occurring off-campus. This includes the 2003 fire that claimed the life of Tufts junior Wendy Carman.

The 2004 school year has had a tragic start with four deaths. A student from Medford was killed in an off-campus fire at the Savannah College of Art and Design and three students were killed in a fraternity fire at the University of Mississippi. This loss of life at the very beginning of the school year is the largest number in several years and points to the fact that we need to be doing more to prevent these needless tragedies.

Common threads that we have seen in the fires since 2000 include:

-Lack of automatic fire sprinkler systems
-Disabled or missing smoke alarms
-Careless disposal of smoking materials
-Alcohol

Colleges and universities can, and should, do more to educate students about the dangers of fires and what to look for when selecting housing. Communities should work closely with the schools to ensure that as students move off-campus they are aware of their personal responsibilities as well as those of the landlords who own the properties. Education, combined with a strong enforcement program and buildings that are designed to be fire-safe will result in fewer lives lost and a safer community for everyone.

For far too long we have been talking about the senseless loss, but no strong action has been taken to make a change. It is now time for a national "call to arms" to end the deaths and the tragedies. I call upon Tufts to be a part of this change and be a leader and role model for other schools across the country. Let Wendy Carman's death, along with those in Georgia and Mississippi serve as a wakeup call and a catalyst for change. They need not have died in vain.