07/10/2003

Legislation introduced in Congress would require universities and colleges to provide parents, students and employees with annual fire-safety reports, said U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, a supporter of the bill.

The Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act requires the "dissemination of information on fire sprinkler or other fire-safety systems in campus buildings," fire statistics in student housing, fire-education programs and information on deaths, injuries and structural damage caused by fire, according to the Rhode Island congressman.

"I have witnessed firsthand the destruction that can result when fire strikes a building with inadequate safety measures," Langevin said in a statement.

"Had those attending the concert at The Station in West Warwick -- or perhaps the 10 women who perished in the December 1977 fire at Providence College -- known of emergency exit locations, or had sprinklers been installed in the buildings, lives could have been saved. This legislation brings the dangers of inadequate fire protection to the forefront, and will keep students and parents informed of any gaps in university fire safety."

The legislation was initially introduced in 2000 in response to a fire at Seton Hall University.