WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced the introduction of The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act of 2009. The late Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced the College Fire Prevention Act in each of the last four sessions of Congress and passed a resolution regarding Campus Fire Safety Month. Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Tubbs Jones’ successor in Congress.

“We owe it our college students and to Stephanie to invest in fire prevention and suppression technologies,” Brown said. “This legislation will improve the safety of Ohio’s student housing and will prevent deaths. Stephanie was a champion of fire safety and a voice for young people. This legislation honors her legacy by protecting Ohio students.”

There are between 1,500 and 1,800 fires each year in college residence halls, dormitories, and sorority or fraternity houses. In Ohio, there have been 13 deaths and 36 related campus incidents since 2000. When fire suppression technology is present in student housing, the chance of surviving a fire increases by 97 percent and property damage is lowered by 35 percent.

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act establishes an incentive program within the Department of Education (DOE) to promote the installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student housing or dormitories. The program will provide competitive matching grants that will fund up to half of the installation costs and priority will be given to applicants that demonstrate the greatest financial need. The legislation would reserve at least 10 percent of the funds in grant program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions and at least 10 percent of the funds for fraternities and sororities.

Fire Reports at Ohio Colleges: 2000 to Present
Information from Campus-FireWatch.Com
Date School City Occupancy
22-Jan-00 Heidelberg College Tiffin Residence Hall
3-Mar-00 University of Toledo Toledo Residence Hall
7-Mar-00 Ohio University Athens Residence Hall
2-Nov-00 Defiance College Defiance Assembly
10-Nov-00 University of Miami Oxford Greek-Fraternity
10-Dec-00 University of Dayton Dayton Residence Hall fatal fire
29-Apr-01 Ohio State University Columbus Riot
19-May-01 John Carroll University Cleveland Heights Off-campus fatal fire
19-May-01 Ohio University Athens Off-campus fatal fire
11-Oct-01 Ohio State University Columbus Residence Hall
25-Oct-01 Ohio State University Columbus Off-campus
8-Mar-02 Ohio State University Columbus Off-campus
16-Nov-02 University of Toledo Toledo Off-campus
22-Nov-02 Ohio University Athens Greek-Fraternity
25-Nov-02 Ohio State University Columbus Riot
3-Apr-03 Ohio State University Columbus Greek-Sorority
13-Apr-03 Ohio State University Columbus Off-campus fatal fire
19-Apr-03 Ohio State University Columbus Off-campus
30-Aug-04 Ohio University Athens Academic-Laboratory
2-Feb-05 Ohio State University Columbus Off-campus
8-Apr-05 Ohio State University Columbus Academic-Laboratory
10-Apr-05 Miami University Oxford Off-campus fatal fire
10-May-05 University of Toledo Toledo Chemical Spill
15-Jan-06 Mount Union College Alliance Greek - Fraternity
9-Sep-06 Ohio State University Columbus Riot
7-Jan-07 Miami University Oxford Off-Campus, Attempted Arson
2-Apr-07 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green Residence hall
9-Apr-07 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Off-campus apartment
21-Apr-07 Cincinnati State Cincinnati Fatal off-campus fire
1-Apr-08 Kent State University Kent Residence Hall Fire
1-May-08 Central State University Wilberforce Residence hall
28-May-08 Ohio University Athens Off-campus apartment
27-Aug-08 Miami University Oxford Residence hall
6-Jan-09 Bowling Green State University Bowling Green Off-campus apartment
28-Jan-09 Wittenburg University Springfield Explosive
5-Mar-09 College of Mount St. Joseph Cincinnati

Residence hall arson fire

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