Through the marvel of Social Media I re-connected with an old college buddy after 40 years... Brought back a lot of memories about the work and the play we had back in those days...
So I have been doing more than the usual amount of thinking about those days and remembering what it was like to be out into what we thought was the real world for the first time and I thought I would jot down a few thoughts for College Campus Fire Safety Month.
Right off the bat there are a few things you shouldn't do...
- Penny anyone in their room... You know, jam pennies into the door jam at the doorknob that makes it impossible to open the door and leave your hapless victim stuck in their room for a day or so, great fun lot's of laughs... But,if there is a fire...
- Make a table candle. No not a candle you put on a table, make a table into a candle by melting wax onto the table and sticking wicks into it... Not smart...
- Hang clothes on a Sprinkler head... Just because it is handy, doesn't make it right and it is expensive when you break it and flood your room, your neighbor's rooms and the rooms on the floors below you...
- Cover the smoke detector in your dorm room because you may be doing something to make smoke... Do I really have to tell you this? Yes, I feel compelled to....
- Fill the hallway or the stairwells with trash... That is the way out in case of a fire, don't make a difficult situation worse...
- Assume that the fire alarm is just false alarming again... You never know when the real thing is happening and that alarm you are ignoring could be your last...
Some things you should do...
- Embrace Fire Drills... These not only condition you to move when the alarms go off, they show you the quickest way out.
- Learn the layout of the various buildings you will be in... Know where the Exits are!
- Leave the building when the alarm goes off... I saw my one and only Aurora Borealis in Maine at night in January during a false alarm, we stood out in the cold staring up at the sky Ohhing and Ahhing like we were watching fireworks, so you never know what you'll experience...
- Be nice to the service technicians servicing and testing the alarms in your buildings, they are making sure your safe not just making noise to annoy you and your friends.
- Report any missing or damaged Smoke Detectors, Horns or Strobes or Manual Pull Stations you see... Gives you a nice warm feeling inside and helps support those service techs too.
- Work hard, learn as much as you can and then go out into the world and make lots of money...
And remember all of the lessons you have learned in life like "Stop, Drop and Roll", "Don't Play With Matches" and other common sense things that have been drilled into your heads over your formative years. No one is going to be there watching over your shoulders every minute of every day, so be as Fire Smart and Fire Safe as possible.
Also, visit www.BestRoommatesEvah.org for an example of how Massachusetts is helping to spread the word!!!
Oh, and don't let 40 years go by without contacting an old friend...
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