After fires in a number of Greek houses, including one at my Alma Mater's (Ohio Unniversity) Beta House, this is a VERY good, but very costly idea. I know that some chapters would have trouble affording this -- but what is a human life worth?
In addition, three sorority women from Ohio U. were killed in the fire in the non-Greek house at Ohio State mentioned in the story below.
Bottom line, wouldn't it be great if all student housing was sprinkled?
By Anne Danahy
adanahy@centredaily.com
STATE COLLEGE - All fraternities in State College must have sprinklers in
their houses by Sept. 1, 2008.
State College Borough Council approved the requirement during a meeting
Monday night, according to council secretary.
"We'll work with them over the next five years to come into compliance,"
said Shawn Kauffman, Centre Region Council of Governments' fire inspector
and life-safety education coordinator.
He said there are 52 fraternities, 35 of which will need to meet the new
requirements. The other fraternities already have sprinkler systems.
"The concern is that the high number of people and large parties make them
high-risk properties for fatal fires," Kauffman said. Sprinkler systems
will reduce that risk, he said.
Scott Phelan, Penn State's director of fraternity and sorority life, said
there is support for the sprinkler systems.
"It increases the safety of all the guests in the houses and all their
residents," Phelan said.
But there is also concern about the price.
Estimates are that it will cost fraternity houses $50,000 to $75,000 to
upgrade to the required system, Kauffman said.
Phelan said the hope is that the General Assembly will pass a bill to make
it easier for fraternities to pay those bills.
"Our hope is that the state legislature passes the bill which would create
a pool of funds to borrow at low interest," Phelan said.
He said that, under the proposal, a one-cent tax on cigarettes would pay
for the loans.
Borough Council held a public hearing on the issue in July after 100 people
died from a fire in a Rhode Island nightclub. The day of that hearing, a
fire in Columbus, Ohio, killed two Ohio State students and three Ohio
University students at an off-campus home.
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