Black Caucus Calls on Government to Increase Promotion Of Fire Safety on College Campuses - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Sept 13, 2001

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus want the federal government to do more to promote fire safety in college dormitories and, in some cases, fraternity and sorority houses.

The College Fire Prevention Act from Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, would provide $100 million to states, public or private colleges and Greek organizations to support the installation of fire sprinkler systems or other technologies that help prevent deadly fires. Funding would support new systems in college dormitories as well as fraternity and sorority housing.

Grantees would have to match federal funds, and priority for grants would go to institutions with the greatest financial challenges in improving their fire protection systems. Jones, a CBC member, is a second-term House member. A co-sponsor of the bill is this year's chairwoman of the CBC, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas.

The new bill joins others introduced in Congress during the past two years following a series of deadly campus fires. In January 2000, three male freshmen died in a fire at a Seton Hall University dorm. In 1996, five college students died in a North Carolina fraternity house fire.

The bill was referred to the House Education and the Workforce Committee.