DPS fire demo blazes by CUB
A screencap of Gburg TV’s video coverage of the Live Burn event, staged by DPS in order to teach about fire safety. One minute into the demonstration, the dorm room is completely ablaze.
By Alexis Grant, Staff Writer
On Friday, August 30 an innocent looking wooden shed, decorated on the inside to look like a typical Gettysburg College dorm kitchen, sat on the grass outside of the College Union Building. First-year students strolled over from the West Quad in packs and joined upperclassmen sitting in front of Stine Hall. In front of a crowd of over fifty students, professors and staff, a short man in a police uniform casually set the box ablaze.
The Department of Public Safety held its second Fire Safety Awareness Day. This day, though fairly new to campus, is garnering much attention and popularity with students and faculty alike.
The event was coordinated through the Community Service Ordinated Patrol Program. The demonstration took place after the first-years’ activities fair, held on Stine Lake.
The mission for this event was to educate students on safe living habits to prepare them for life experiences both within the residence life of Gettysburg College and beyond. The event included live hands-on fire extinguisher demonstrations, a fire apparatus display, blood pressure readings, free fire hats and information on fire and crime prevention. A fire truck was parked outside of Plank Gym for the majority of the day.
Ron Parr, Life and Fire Safety Manager, stated his belief that if Gettysburg College sets rules for prohibited items, such as candles and tapestries, in residential rooms, it is the school’s responsibility and obligation to demonstrate their reasoning for the bans to the students.
This year the mock room was a faux-kitchen that was propped with trash, overflowing garbage cans, paper products and posters, and other items one finds in a kitchen. When a fire was ignited these items created less smoke than items in a dorm room would, but created more heat. In less than two minutes, the entire room was engulfed in flames. Junior Logan Phillips was surprised that an open panel and discussion on fire safety would attract so many students. “I learned a lot,” said Logan, “The biggest thing was not to cover the smoke detectors with anything.”
The presenter of the demonstration revealed to onlooking students that an uncovered alarm only takes about seven seconds to sound and alert inhabitants. In contrast, a covered alarm may take over a minute.
Parr says, “This is a joint effort that involves many people towards a common goal of bettering the student’s experience here at Gettysburg.”
DPS has partnered with several organizations on and off campus including Alpha Tau Omega, the Red Cross and Gettysburg Fire Department among many others. The Student Rights and Responsibility Guidebook, which includes a complete list of prohibited items, can be found on the Gettysburg College website under Residence Life. The burn demonstration can be viewed on GBurg TV’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/GBURGTV, for anyone who missed the event.
DPS would like to thank the Dining Services, College Bookstore, Civil War Institute, Majestic Theatre and Alumni Relations for donating items to be given away during the event.
