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In wake of Seton Hall fire, University affirms dormitory fire system is safe

The dorm fire at Seton Hall University Jan. 19 shocked the nation, prompting a bill to be placed before the New Jersey state legislature that requires automatic sprinkler systems in all college dorms.

At Princeton, administrators said the incident, which killed three 18-year-old Seton Hall students and injured 62 others, probably will not immediately impact the University's approach to fire safety.

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"There's nothing we learned from the experience in Seton Hall to tell us how to make the dormitories more safe," University spokesman Justin Harmon '78 said.

If the new bill passes, however, the University's existing fire system would require significant renovation, according to Harmon. The prospective law would require sprinkler installation in nearly every dorm on campus within the next few years.

Harmon emphasized that the existing system is sufficient, but said the University would act accordingly to remain within state fire safety guidelines. "As the regulations change, we'll continue making changes to be in compliance," he said.

Existing system

According to Ken Paulaski, a University building inspector, Princeton's fire system uses a network of smoke detectors in all dorm rooms that allows Public Safety officers to respond quickly.

Though the University's current system stresses early detection of fires with smoke detectors, dorm buildings on campus are being retrofitted with fire suppression systems in order to comply with existing state regulations, Harmon said.

Legislation

In the late 1980s, when state regulations began to require sprinklers in all hallway and lounge areas, the University began to install them in all new buildings.

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More recently, New Jersey required that fire sprinklers be located in each dorm room. As a result, the University began incorporating sprinkler installation into a larger dorm renovation project. The renovations started last year with Patton Hall, and are continuing with Blair Hall this year and Little Hall next year, Harmon said.

There are also sprinklers in all rooms in the newer buildings — Scully Hall and Wright Hall — and in all hallway and lounge areas of Brown, Clapp and 1927 halls.

Under the existing system, when a smoke detector is triggered by anything from a real fire to cigarette smoke, Public Safety officers are alerted immediately. They can then close in on the alarm area and take appropriate action, Harmon said. In the case of a false alarm, the smoke detector is reset. "We think it is a very good, reliable system," Harmon said.

Harmon also said fire safety officers visit residential colleges twice a year to talk about fire safety and that there are two fire drills in each dorm building every year. During drills, fire inspectors record and report on the time it takes to evacuate the buildings and check fire equipment within the building.

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Students tend to be cooperative in clearing out of the buildings, Ugonna Duru '00 said. "Everybody evacuates the building. Public Safety people will come around, and they get pretty upset if they find people inside."