25 February 2000 Source: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aaces002.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [Congressional Record: February 24, 2000 (Senate)] [Page S799-S820] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr24fe00-47] STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION [Excerpt] By Mr. EDWARDS (for himself, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Torricelli): S. 2100. A bill to provide for fire sprinkler systems in public and private college and university housing and dormitories, including fraternity and sorority housing and dormitories; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. College Fire Prevention Act <bullet> Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, today with my colleagues Senator Lautenberg and Senator Torricelli, I introduce the College Fire Prevention Act. This measure would provide federal matching grants for the installation of fire sprinkler systems in college and university dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. Mr. President, the tragic fire that occurred at Seton Hall University on Wednesday, January 19th of this year will not be long forgotten. Sadly, three freshman, all 18 years old, died. Fifty-four students, two South Orange firefighters and two South Orange police officers were injured. The dormitory, Boland Hall, was a six-story, 350 room structure built in 1952 that housed approximately 600 students. Astonishingly, the fire was contained to the third floor lounge of Boland Hall. This dormitory was equipped with smoke alarms but no sprinkler system. Unfortunately, the Boland Hall fire was not the first of its kind. And it reminded many people in North Carolina of their own tragic experience with dorm fires. In 1996, on Mother's Day and Graduation Day, a fire in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill killed five college juniors and injured three others. This fraternity house was 70 years old. The National Fire Protection Association identified several factors that contributed to the tragic fire, including the lack of fire sprinkler protection. Sadly, there have been countless other dorm fires. On December 9, 1997, a student died in a dormitory fire at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. The dormitory, Kinney Hall, was built in the 1960s and had no fire sprinkler system. On January 10, 1997, a student died at the University of Tennessee at Martin. The dormitory, Ellington Hall, had no fire sprinkler system. On January 3, 1997, a student died in a dormitory fire at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. On October 21, 1994, five students died in a fraternity house fire in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The list goes on and on. In a typical year between 1980 and 1997, the National Fire Protection Association estimates there were an average of 1,800 fires at dormitories, fraternities, and sororities, involving 1 death, 69 injuries, and 8.1 million dollars in property damage. So now we must ask, what can be done? What can we do to curtail these tragic fires from taking the lives of our children . . . our young adults? We should focus our attention on the lack of fire sprinklers in college dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. Sprinklers save lives. Indeed, the National Fire Protection Association has never recorded a fire that killed more than 2 people in a public assembly, educational, institutional, or residential building where a sprinkler system was operating properly. Despite the clear benefits of sprinklers, many college dorms do not have them. New dormitories are generally required to have advanced safety systems such as fire sprinklers. But such requirements are rarely imposed retroactively on existing buildings. In 1997, over 90 percent of the campus building fires reported to fire departments occurred in buildings where there were smoke alarms present. However, only 28 percent of them had fire sprinklers present. At my state's flagship university at Chapel Hill, for example, only six of the 29 residence halls have sprinklers. A report published by The Raleigh News & Observer in the wake of the Seton Hall fire also noted that only seven of 19 dorms at North Carolina State University are equipped with the life-saving devices, and there are sprinklers in two of the 10 dorms at North Carolina Central University. At Duke University, only five of 26 dorms have sprinklers. Mr. President, the legislation I introduce today authorizes the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration, to award grants, on a competitive basis, to States, private or public colleges or universities, fraternities, or sororities to assist them in providing fire sprinkler systems for their student housing and dormitories. These entities would be required to produce matching funds equal to one-half of the cost. This legislation authorizes $100 million for fiscal years 2001 through 2005. In North Carolina, we decided to initiate a drive to install sprinklers in our public college and university dorms. The overall cost is estimated at $57.5 million. Given how much it is going to cost North Carolina's public colleges and universities to install sprinklers, I think it's clear that the $100 million that this measure authorizes is just a drop in the bucket. But my hope is that by providing this small incentive we can encourage more colleges to institute a comprehensive review of their dorm's fire safety and to install sprinklers. All they need is a helping hand. With this modest measure of prevention, we can help prevent the needless and tragic loss of young lives. Mr. President, parents should not have to worry about their children living in fire traps. When we send our children away to college, we are sending them to a home away from home where hundreds of other students eat, sleep, burn candles, use electric appliances and smoke. We must not compromise on their safety. As the Fire Chief from Chapel Hill wrote me: ``Parents routinely send their children off [[Page S814]] to college seeking an education unaware that one of the greatest dangers facing their children is the fire hazards associated with dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses and other forms of student housing. . . . The only complete answer to making student-housing safe is to install fire sprinkler systems.'' In short, the best way to ensure the protection of our college students is to install fire sprinklers in our college dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. My proposal has been endorsed by the National Fire Protection Association and the College Parents of America. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation. Thank you. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the legislation, the letters of support and a partial list of fatal college fires be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 2100 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``College Fire Prevention Act.'' SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) On Wednesday, January 19, 2000, a fire occurred at a Seton Hall University dormitory. Three male freshmen, all 18 years of age, died. Fifty-four students, 2 South Orange firefighters, and 2 South Orange police officers were injured. The dormitory was a 6-story, 350-room structure built in 1952, that housed approximately 600 students. It was equipped with smoke alarms but no fire sprinkler system. (2) On Mother's Day 1996 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a fire in the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House killed 5 college juniors and injured 3. The 3-story plus basement fraternity house was 70 years old. The National Fire Protection Association identified several factors that contributed to the tragic fire, including the lack of fire sprinkler protection. (3) It is estimated that in a typical year between 1980 and 1997, there were an average of 1,800 fires at dormitories, fraternities, and sororities, involving 1 death, 69 injuries, and $8,100,000 in property damage. (4) Within dormitories the number 1 cause of fires is arson or suspected arson. The second leading cause of college building fires is cooking, while the third leading cause is smoking. (5) The National Fire Protection Association has no record of a fire killing more than 2 people in a completely fire sprinklered public assembly, educational, institutional, or residential building where the sprinkler system was operating properly. (6) New dormitories are generally required to have advanced safety systems such as fire sprinklers. But such requirements are rarely imposed retroactively on existing buildings. (7) In 1997, over 90 percent of the campus building fires reported to fire departments occurred in buildings where there were smoke alarms present. However, only 28 percent had fire sprinklers present. SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005. SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED. (a) Program Authority.--The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration, is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to States, private or public colleges or universities, fraternities, or sororities to assist them in providing fire sprinkler systems for their student housing and dormitories. (b) Matching Funds Requirement.--The Secretary of Education may not award a grant under this section unless the entity receiving the grant provides, from State, local, or private sources, matching funds in an amount equal to not less than one-half of the cost of the activities for which assistance is sought. SEC. 5. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this Act the Secretary of Education shall take into consideration various fire safety factors and conditions that the Secretary determines appropriate. (b) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--An entity that receives a grant under this Act shall not use more than 4 percent of the grant funds for administrative expenses. SEC. 6. DATA AND REPORT. The Comptroller General shall-- (1) gather data on the number of college and university housing facilities and dormitories that have and do not have fire sprinkler systems and other forms of built-in fire protection mechanisms; and (2) report such data to Congress. ____ Town of Chapel Hill, Fire Department, Chapel Hill, NC, February 15, 2000. Sen. John Edwards, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Edwards, One of the most unrecognized fire safety problems in America today is university and college student housing. Parents routinely send their children off to college seeking an education unaware that one of the greatest dangers facing their children is the fire hazards associated with dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses and other forms of student housing. We in Chapel Hill experienced a worst-case scenario, when in 1996 a fire in a fraternity house on Mother's Day/Graduation Day claimed five young lives and injured three more. We recognized the only complete answer to making student-housing safe is to install fire sprinkler systems. I have had the privilege of reading a draft copy of your legislation creating a matching grants program for universities, colleges and fraternity/sorority house who take the lifesaving step of installing fire sprinkler systems. I strongly urge you to introduce this legislation and I pledge to assist your staff in promoting this important bill and help to develop bi-partisan support for it. Your proposed legislation is the only real solution to the fire threat in student housing. After ten years of being responsible for fire protection at the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, I am convinced that where students reside, alarms systems are not enough, clear exit ways are not enough, quick fire department response is not enough and educational programs are not enough. The only way you can insure fire safety for college student housing is to place a fire sprinkler system over them. Thank you for recognizing the magnitude of this threat and for proposing the solution to it. Tell me how we can help. Sincerely, Daniel Jones, Fire Chief. ____ College Parents of America, Washington, DC, February 15, 2000. Hon. John Edwards, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Edwards: College Parents of America (CPA) would like to commend you on the introduction of grant legislation to encourage public and private colleges, universities, fraternities and sororities to install sprinkler systems in all dormitories and other forms of group housing. Today college parents represent an estimated 12 million households. An additional 24 million households are currently saving and otherwise preparing children for college. College Parents of America is the only national membership association dedicated to helping these parents prepare for and put their children through college easily, economically and safely. College Parents of America places a high priority on ensuring safety in student housing. In fact, CPA is urging parents and students during their college evaluation process to make sure there are smoke alarms, sprinkler systems and scheduled drills in all campus housing and classroom buildings. While the financing and installation of smoke alarms are relatively easy, funding is cited as a challenge in the installation of sprinkler systems in many older residential buildings on the nation's campuses. Your grant legislation will provide a vehicle for institutions to ensure all student residential facilities have adequate sprinkler safety systems. As a result, the grant legislation will not only save millions of dollars annually from property damage, but also save young lives. Please let me know how and when I can provide assistance. I look forward to working together to pass this important piece of legislation. Sincerely, Richard M. Flaherty. ____ National Fire Protection Association, Arlington, VA, February 23, 2000. Sen. John Edwards, U.S. Senate, Senate Hart Building, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Edwards: On behalf of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and its 68,000 members, we are pleased to support your legislative efforts to provide federal assistance for the installation of fire sprinkler systems in college and university housing and dormitories. Our statistics show that properly installed and maintained fire sprinkler systems have a proven track record of protecting lives and property in all types of occupancies. In particular, the retrofitting of fire sprinkler systems in college and university housing will greatly improve the safety of these public and private institutions. Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance in this important initiative. Sincerely, Anthony R. O'Neill, Vice President, Government Affairs. [[Page S815]] NFPA FIDO SUMMARY REPORT FATAL COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY FRATERNITY AND SORORITY HOUSE FIRES REPORTED TO U.S. FIRE DEPARTMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Location Deaths Injuries ------------------------------------------------------------------------ March 24, 1973................ Auburn University, 1 0 Auburn, AL. February 23, 1974............. Kents Hill School, 1 0 Readfield, ME. March 16, 1975................ Kappa Sigma 1 1 Fraternity House, Burlington, VT. July 22, 1975................. Tank Hall MIT 1 0 Dormitory, Cambridge, MA. January 8, 1976............... Alpha Rho Chi 2 6 Fraternity House, Columbus, OH. April 5, 1976................. Wilmarth Dorm, 1 27 Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY. August 29, 1976............... Kappa Sigma 5 2 Fraternity House, Baldwin City, KS. December 13, 1977............. Providence College, 10 16 Providence, RI. January 14, 1978.............. Alpha Tau Omega 1 2 Fraternity House, University Park, TX. March 4, 1979................. Slippery Rock State 1 3 College, Slippery Rock, PA. April 5, 1980................. Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1 1 Fraternity House, Eugene, OR. July 2, 1980.................. Dncer Hall University 1 0 of North Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA. September 20, 1981............ Davis Dormitory Texas 1 8 College, Tyler, TX. March 16, 1982................ Dormitory University 1 0 of Chicago, Chicago, IL. September 9, 1982............. Phi Kappa Theta 1 8 Fraternity House, Philadelphia, PA. September 18, 1982............ Dormitory Clark 1 3 University, Worcester, MA. May 28, 1983.................. Alpha Epsilon 1 1 Fraternity House, Bridgewater, MA. December 11, 1983............. Lambda Chi Alpha 1 1 Fraternity House, Austin, TX. January 6, 1984............... Pi Kappa Alpha 1 0 Fraternity House, Thibodaux, LA. April 11, 1984................ Phi Gamma Delta 1 0 Fraternity House, Lexington, VA. October 21, 1984.............. Zeta Beta Tau 1 30 Fraternity House, Bloomington, In. December 20, 1984............. Prometheus House (Pi 1 0 Kappa Sigma), Geneseo, NY. March 3, 1985................. Alpha Tau Omega 1 1 Fraternity House, San Jose, CA. April 19, 1986................ Delta Kappa Epsilon 1 0 Fraternity House, Danville, KY. November 29, 1986............. Russell Apt. Building 1 1 Busch Campus, N. Brunswick, NJ. April 12, 1987................ Wesley College- 1 4 Williams College. September 8, 1990............. Phi Kappa Sigma 3 2 Fraternity House, Berkeley, CA. December 8, 1990.............. Lambda Chi Fraternity 1 4 House, Erie PA. February 13, 1992............. Phi Kappa Theta 1 0 Fraternity House, California, PA. October 24, 1993.............. Alpha Xi Delta 1 2 Sorority House, LaCrosse, WI. October 21, 1994.............. Beta Sigma Delta 5 0 Fraternity House, Bloomsburg, PA. May 12, 1996.................. Phi Gamma Delta 5 3 Fraternity House, Chapel Hill, NC. October 19, 1996.............. Phi Delta Theta 1 0 Fraternity House, Delaware, OH. January 3, 1997............... CMSU-Foster-Knox 1 0 Hall, Warrensburg, MO. January 10, 1997.............. Hannings Ln-UTM- 1 5 Ellington Hall, Martin, TN. February 20, 1997............. Gramercy Park-School 1 0 of Visual Arts, Brooklyn, NY. December 9, 1997.............. Greenville College- 1 0 Kinney Hall, Greenville, IL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This table lists fatal college dormitory and fraternity and sorority houses fires and associated losses reported to the National Fire Protection Association's Fire Incident Data Organization. This listing should not be considered complete since only those incidents for which information was collected by the National Fire Protection Association were listed. Revised: 3/99<bullet> Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I am pleased to join my colleague from North Carolina, Senator Edwards, in introducing the College Fire Prevention Act. On Wednesday, January 19, 2000, a fire raged through a dormitory at Seton Hall University, claiming the lives of three students and injuring 58 others, including at least 54 students, two police officers and two firefighters. The dormitory, Boland Hall, was built in 1952, and although it was equipped with smoke detectors, it was not required to be equipped with a fire sprinkler system. Nothing is as painful as a senseless accident that takes the lives of young people. And unfortunately, the Seton Hall community is not alone in its grief. In fact, in the last decade, 18 young people lost their lives in dormitory fires. We must do all we can to prevent future tragedies. Students have a fundamental right to pursue an education in a safe, secure environment. Parents have a right to know that their children are protected from harm while on school property. That is why I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this legislation to provide Federal matching grants for the installation of fire sprinkler systems in student housing. This bill authorizes the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the U.S. Fire Administration, to award grants to equip dormitories, sorority, and fraternity houses with fire sprinkler systems. I thank Senator Edwards for sponsoring this important legislation, and I look forward to working with him to ensure that student housing is as safe as possible. ______