Three students died and 58 others were injured, six critically, after fire and smoke ravaged a Seton Hall University dormitory filled with sleeping students early yesterday morning.
While the cause of the tragic fire in New Jersey is still under investigation, the blaze itself was contained in a lounge, where two of the three students were killed.
Initial student response to the fire alarm was slow because 18 false alarms had previously been triggered since September, according to The Associated Press.
The tragedy featured a few students jumping from windows and others blackened from smoke. Classes have been cancelled for the rest of the week.
While smoke detectors and fire extinguishers were installed in the 48-year-old dorm, a sprinkler system was not mandated by law at the time of the construction.
Director of Residential Operations at Dartmouth Woody Eckels said he assumes the lack of sprinklers is responsible for the extent of the damage because loss of life is unusual when a sprinkler system is in place.
At Dartmouth, 19 of the 66 undergraduate buildings on campus, are currently not equipped with sprinklers. This summer, however, the RipWoodSmith cluster will be renovated and a system will be installed.
Of the then 16 buildings that will remain unsprinkled, all are residence halls except for Gamma Delta Chi fraternity. Among the unequipped include the heavily populated River and Choates clusters.
According to Eckels, a budgeting plan that began in 1992 stipulated the addition of sprinkler systems in each renovated building, a goal five more years from realization.
Installing a sprinkler system is an undertaking only possible when the residence halls are empty, such as during the summer, Eckels said. "We are moving in the right direction, but the practicalities of this renovation take time, not just dollars," Eckels said of the construction.
The fiscal cost accumulates quickly, however, and the recent outfitting of the Gold Coast cluster with sprinklers carried a price tag of $100,000, Eckels said.
While 1992 marked the first conscious decision to install buildings with sprinkler devices, in 1994 and 1995 a physical plant audit of all buildings occurred, and a long-term plan to complete the process was established, Eckels said.
Sprinklers are not the only concern when renovating older buildings. Removing external fire escapes and adding internal stairwells are also a part of the process.
