[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5256-S5257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 295--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2019 AS 
                      ``CAMPUS FIRE SAFETY MONTH''

  Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Carper, and Ms. Warren) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 295

       Whereas campus-related housing fires at colleges in Texas, 
     Oregon, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and other 
     States have tragically cut short the lives of several young 
     people;
       Whereas, since January 2000, at least 175 people, including 
     students, parents, and children, have died in campus-related 
     fires;
       Whereas approximately 87 percent of those deaths occurred 
     in off-campus occupancies;
       Whereas a majority of college students in the United States 
     live in off-campus occupancies;
       Whereas a number of fatal fires have occurred in buildings 
     in which the occupants had compromised or deactivated the 
     fire safety systems;
       Whereas automatic fire alarm systems and smoke alarms 
     provide early warning of a fire that is necessary for 
     occupants of a building and the fire department to take 
     appropriate action;
       Whereas an automatic fire sprinkler system is a highly 
     effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in 
     its early stages, protecting the lives of the building 
     occupants;
       Whereas many college students live in an off-campus 
     occupancy, fraternity or sorority house, or residence hall 
     that is not adequately protected by an automatic fire 
     sprinkler system and an automatic fire alarm system or 
     adequate smoke alarm;
       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: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of September 2019 as ``Campus Fire 
     Safety Month''; and

[[Page S5257]]

       (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--
       (i) fire safety education;
       (ii) installation of fire suppression and detection systems 
     and smoke alarms; and
       (iii) the development and enforcement of applicable codes 
     relating to fire safety.

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