S.Res. 259 — Agreed to in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 259 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 25 (legislative day, September 24), 2013Ms. Collins (for herself, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating September 2013 as Campus Fire Safety Month. Whereas recent campus-related fires at colleges in Massachusetts, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Kansas, and other States have tragically cut short the lives of several young people; Whereas, since January 2000, at least 162 people, including students, parents, and children, have died in campus-related fires; Whereas approximately 86 percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus residences; Whereas a majority of college students in the United States live in an off-campus residence; Whereas many fatal fires have occurred in a building in which the occupants had compromised or disabled the fire safety system; Whereas automatic fire alarm systems provide the early warning of a fire that is necessary for occupants of a building and the fire department to take appropriate action; Whereas automatic fire sprinkler systems are a highly effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in the early stages, thus protecting the lives of building occupants; Whereas many college students live in an off-campus residence, fraternity or sorority housing, or a residence hall that is not adequately protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system and an automatic fire alarm system; Whereas fire safety education is an effective method of reducing the occurrence of fires and the resulting loss of life and property damage; Whereas college students do not routinely receive effective fire safety education while in college; Whereas educating young people in the United States about the importance of fire safety is vital to help ensure that young people engage in fire-safe behavior during college and after college; and Whereas developing a generation of adults who practice fire safety may significantly reduce future loss of life from fires: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) designates September 2013 as Campus Fire Safety Month; and (2) encourages administrators of institutions of higher education and municipalities across the United States— (A) to provide educational programs about fire safety to all college students in September and throughout the school year; (B) to evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on-campus and off-campus student housing; and (C) to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, the installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.