- Rozovsky wins prestigious NSF Early Career Award
- UD students meet alumni, experience 'closing bell' at NYSE
- Newark Police seek assistance in identifying suspects in robbery
- Rivlin says bipartisan budget action, stronger budget rules key to reversing debt
- Stink bugs shouldn't pose problem until late summer
- Gao to honor Placido Domingo in Washington performance
- Adopt-A-Highway project keeps Lewes road clean
- WVUD's Radiothon fundraiser runs April 1-10
- W.D. Snodgrass Symposium to honor Pulitzer winner
- New guide helps cancer patients manage symptoms
- UD in the News, March 25, 2011
- For the Record, March 25, 2011
- Public opinion expert discusses world views of U.S. in Global Agenda series
- Congressional delegation, dean laud Center for Community Research and Service program
- Center for Political Communication sets symposium on politics, entertainment
- Students work to raise funds, awareness of domestic violence
- Equestrian team wins regional championship in Western riding
- Markell, Harker stress importance of agriculture to Delaware's economy
- Carol A. Ammon MBA Case Competition winners announced
- Prof presents blood-clotting studies at Gordon Research Conference
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, programs announced
- Stay connected with Sea Grant, CEOE e-newsletter
- A message to UD regarding the tragedy in Japan
- More News >>
- March 31-May 14: REP stages Neil Simon's 'The Good Doctor'
- April 2: Newark plans annual 'wine and dine'
- April 5: Expert perspective on U.S. health care
- April 5: Comedian Ace Guillen to visit Scrounge
- April 6, May 4: School of Nursing sponsors research lecture series
- April 6-May 4: Confucius Institute presents Chinese Film Series on Wednesdays
- April 6: IPCC's Pachauri to discuss sustainable development in DENIN Dialogue Series
- April 7: 'WVUDstock' radiothon concert announced
- April 8: English Language Institute presents 'Arts in Translation'
- April 9: Green and Healthy Living Expo planned at The Bob
- April 9: Center for Political Communication to host Onion editor
- April 10: Alumni Easter Egg-stravaganza planned
- April 11: CDS session to focus on visual assistive technologies
- April 12: T.J. Stiles to speak at UDLA annual dinner
- April 15, 16: Annual UD push lawnmower tune-up scheduled
- April 15, 16: Master Players series presents iMusic 4, China Magpie
- April 15, 16: Delaware Symphony, UD chorus to perform Mahler work
- April 18: Former NFL Coach Bill Cowher featured in UD Speaks
- April 21-24: Sesame Street Live brings Elmo and friends to The Bob
- April 30: Save the date for Ag Day 2011 at UD
- April 30: Symposium to consider 'Frontiers at the Chemistry-Biology Interface'
- April 30-May 1: Relay for Life set at Delaware Field House
- May 4: Delaware Membrane Protein Symposium announced
- May 5: Northwestern University's Leon Keer to deliver Kerr lecture
- May 7: Women's volleyball team to host second annual Spring Fling
- Through May 3: SPPA announces speakers for 10th annual lecture series
- Through May 4: Global Agenda sees U.S. through others' eyes; World Bank president to speak
- Through May 4: 'Research on Race, Ethnicity, Culture' topic of series
- Through May 9: Black American Studies announces lecture series
- Through May 11: 'Challenges in Jewish Culture' lecture series announced
- Through May 11: Area Studies research featured in speaker series
- Through June 5: 'Andy Warhol: Behind the Camera' on view in Old College Gallery
- Through July 15: 'Bodyscapes' on view at Mechanical Hall Gallery
- More What's Happening >>
- UD calendar >>
- Middle States evaluation team on campus April 5
- Phipps named HR Liaison of the Quarter
- Senior wins iPad for participating in assessment study
- April 19: Procurement Services schedules information sessions
- UD Bookstore announces spring break hours
- HealthyU Wellness Program encourages employees to 'Step into Spring'
- April 8-29: Faculty roundtable series considers student engagement
- GRE is changing; learn more at April 15 info session
- April 30: UD Evening with Blue Rocks set for employees
- Morris Library to be open 24/7 during final exams
- More Campus FYI >>
2:57 p.m., Aug. 29, 2008----Crawling through a smoke-filled hallway in a residence hall may not top anyone's list of fun things to do on a summer evening, but when it's part of an organized fire safety training session the experience can provide an invaluable lesson in fire safety awareness.
On Monday, Aug. 25, some 235 Residence Life staff members joined six staffers from UD's Department of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), UD police officers, Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Co. volunteers and the Newark City Fire Marshal in a fire-safety training event held Monday evening at various East Campus locations.
“Kevin McSweeney of OHS gave an introductory talk in Bacchus in the Perkins Student Center. The presentation included a short video about how fires can affect a college student on or off campus, as well as providing information abut the safety equipment and systems on the UD campus,” Cathy Skelley, assistant director of residence life, said. “The participants then formed three groups, with one going to another room in Perkins, one to the Harrington Beach basketball courts and a third group going to Gilbert Hall E.”
Skelley said the residence hall, which is not being occupied this year, was filled with simulated smoke, while Residence Life staff received instruction on how to safely navigate a smoke-filled hallway by counting the doors to the exit.
“We had to crawl down the corridor through the smoke. Staff members could opt of the activity is they chose to do so,” Skelley said. “On Harrington Beach, staff members were taught how to use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire, and then had an opportunity to use fire extinguishers. UD Police reviewed fire drill protocol, including how to respond to an alarm.”
Skelley said the training will help Residence Life staff, including residence life assistants (RAs), in their job responsibilities while providing fire safety information to share with students residents.
“The goal is to increase awareness in the areas of fire safety, fire reaction and public safety programs,” McSweeney said. “We value the opportunity to reach this important group of students. They are literally our frontline for information exchange with student residents.”
McSweeney said that other campuses across the country have conducted similar campaigns to raise awareness and provide guidance to students in the event of a fire.
“We offer fire extinguisher familiarization as a chance for participants to recognize that these fire safety devices are available in the event that they need to use them to facilitate evacuation, or if they have confidence enough to extinguish a small fire,” McSweeney said. “We don't want them to risk injury attempting to extinguish a fire.”
The classroom sessions covered topics such as room inspections, reporting unsafe acts and initiating corrective action for deficiencies in the residence halls that develop during the course of the school year, McSweeney said.
“Our aim is to explain why an item appears on the list, and not just tell somebody to do it because we said so,” McSweeney said. “The participants now know that unattended cooking and oven incidents were our leading causes of preventable fire alarm activations in residence halls last year.”
Richard Goldschein, a student in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, said that the extended training format helped participants to learn some of the more detailed points about fire safety.
“If we had unanswered questions or concerns from one module of the training, we were able to speak with an expert at another smaller session.” Goldschein said. “Having all the resources in one place made it easier to grasp the material.”
McSweeney said during the course of the school year, information as to why a particular fire alarm occurs in their residence hall will be provided during weekly meetings between OHS/Fire Prevention and Safety program, Public Safety, Facilities electronics and Residence Life staff.
“We want to eliminate nuisance and false alarms. This training was just a first step in developing an annual program, and will help to foster a great relationship with the Delaware State Fire School, the Aetna fire department and the Newark fire marshal with our departments at UD,” McSweeney said. “I think everyone who participated was able to walk away better informed and with a higher level of confidence to react to a fire emergency in our residence halls.”
Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photo courtesy of OHS