Pa. House debates fire safety on campuses

A number of Pennsylvania representatives are working on legislation they hope will make the state's college campuses fire-proof. House Bill 209, if passed, will mandate that all Pennsylvania colleges and universities install sprinkler systems in all dormitories within five years. The bill, currently under consideration by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' Labor Relations Committee, would also apply to all fraternity and sorority houses officially recognized by a college or university. "Sprinklers act as a silent 24- hour-a-day professional fire fighter in every single room," said Rep. Michael McGeehan, who proposed the bill to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Ted Bateman of Penn's Fire and Occupational Safety agreed that sprinkler systems save lives, pointing to a statistic from the National Fire Protection Association. "There has been no large loss of life -- which is considered to be two or more fatalities -- on record for any facility with sprinkler activation," Bateman said. At New Jersey's Seton Hall University, for example, three students were killed and 62 were injured in January 2000 during a dormitory fire. The dormitory lacked the kind of sprinklers the Pennsylvania legislature is trying to implement. "There is a shameful record in Pennsylvania," McGeehan added. "More students in Pennsylvania have died in college fires than in any other state," he said. "That statistic says more than I ever could about the critical need for this legislation." Interim Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said she fully supports the bill. "We're not even waiting for the legislation to be passed," she said. "We're trying to expedite this plan in order to make campus safe." Sprinkler systems are just one element of a comprehensive safety model designed by Fire and Occupational Safety -- a model that still places emphasis on fire drills and evacuation. "It takes practice," Bateman said. "The more times you go through a fire drill, the more prepared you'll be in case of a real emergency." "Sprinkler systems help to contain a fire in a [small area]... and they reduce property damage," he said. For institutions that have problems paying for the installation of new sprinkler systems, the bill proposes that loan money be set aside. While the bill itself asks for $125 million for loans, another proposal by Gov. Tom Ridge suggests that a total of $350 million be loaned to needy schools at a reduced interest rate. Colleges and universities would be able to take out loans from the government at a 3.8 percent interest rate. The state would cover the other 3 percent of the standard 6.8 percent interest rate. "We're cognizant of expense. But it's cheaper to borrow this way than on the open market, and it's the right thing to do," McGeehan said. Legislators are working to incorporate some aspects of the governor's proposal into law. Whatever form the law takes, McGeehan said it will be acted on by April. However, McGeehan added that although each institution can apply for a loan at the same time, once the loan fund is used up, money will not become available again until the following year. McGeehan said he feels this could put small and independent colleges at a disadvantage. "Penn and Penn State would gobble up the lion's share of the loan money in the initial stages," he said. "A real concern is that larger institutions would be favored, and small and independent colleges would be an afterthought." "Folks who choose smaller colleges have as much right to be protected as those who go to Penn or Penn state," he said. Interim Police Chief Michael Fink also noted that smaller schools might encounter problems finding qualified companies to install sprinkler systems. "Companies faced with two contracts -- one from Penn worth a few million dollars, and another one from a smaller school -- will most likely choose Penn. That could pose a challenge to small schools, particularly in the Delaware Valley area," Fink said.

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