AU saw a decrease in fire-related incidents at residence halls on Main Campus and Tenley Campus from 2009 to 2010, according to the 2010 Fire Safety Report released this fall.
14 total fire incidents were reported in 2010, compared to 19 incidents last year.
Letts had the majority of fire-related incidents on campus in 2010 with four incidents.
Centennial, Nebraska, Leonard and Federal Halls reported zero incidents in 2010.
Cooking-related incidents rise
Fire incidents related to food preparation rose to 76 percent from 36 percent in 2009.
The majority of food-related incidents are related to situations such as a student forgetting a pan left on a stove, said Glynnis Bowman, assistant director of environmental health and safety for AU’s Risk Management and Environmental Health and Safety Department.
“The fire statistics in the Fire Safety Report only deal with instances where there is an actual smoke or flame event,” she said.
Less fire-related property damage
Only one fire incident on campus out of 14 total fire incidents caused property damage in 2010, according to the report. The damage from this incident, a fire in the mail services area of Letts Hall, was reported to cost $20.
In 2009, over $1,576.19 of fire-related damage was reported in six on-campus fire incidents, according to that year’s Fire Safety Report.
Bowman said various AU departments pay for the damage inflicted by fire incidents depending on the situation.
“My assumption would be that when it’s something building-related, then Facilities Management would come in and take care of that,” Bowman said. “If it’s something like a bulletin board that is owned by Residence Life, then I would assume that Residence Life covers the expense on that.”
Bowman said RMEHS only tracks statistics related to fire incidents and does not handle the finances related to fire damage.
RMEHS works with Residence Life each year prior to the report’s release to discuss ways to increase fire safety awareness at AU, according to Bowman.
“It’s always on the table to find something to do outreach to the students more than just the talk they get when we do a drill, and what’s written up in the Student Handbook,” she said.
No arson or fire-related injuries in 2010
There was also a decrease in attempted arson on campus. In 2009, 11 percent of incidents were attributed to attempted arson. The 2010 report said no cases of arson had happened on campus that year.
Despite the number of fire-related incidents on campus last year, there were no fire-related deaths or injuries on campus in 2009 or 2010, according to the report.
The 2010 report also said there were two scheduled fire drills per residence hall during the year, one during spring semester and another during fall semester.
The report is the second annual one to be issued by RMEHS, as mandated by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011.
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