Western University receives Fire Safety Award

Western University was recognized by the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council with a Fire Safety Award for outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention, presented at a ceremony on June 12, 2013 in Toronto.

“We have implemented a number of new safety measures across campus,” said Gitta Kulczycki, Vice-President (Resources & Operations), Western University. “We’re proud of the progress that’s been made to further enhance the safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to Western and to help students learn key fire safety skills of value for the rest of their lives.”

With training and guidance from London Fire Services, Western has put into place a wide range of fire safety initiatives. The University offers monthly fire extinguisher training sessions for interested students, faculty and community members. New security, monitoring and alarm systems have been implemented that have reduced false alarms by 50 percent and an outdoor speaker/siren system installed to warn of severe weather and other emergencies. A retrofit program replaced stovetop elements and microwaves with special technology in vulnerable housing units to prevent cooking fires.

An important part of Western’s orientation program for first-year students is mandatory attendance at a live burn of a mock dorm room that serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly fire can consume a dorm room and the need to obey fire alarms. A short film on the demonstration has been produced and shared with universities and colleges across North America for use in their fire safety programs.