Administration

Communications

Mock dorm room burn stars in fire safety training
Thursday, August 13, 2009

CANTON, Mo. -- It took only five minutes for the fake dorm room that had been set up in the parking lot at Culver-Stockton College to be totally engulfed in flames and heavy black smoke Thursday, August 13. It was an important lesson in fire safety for the 25 residence hall directors and community assistants who are the "first line of defense," according to Canton Fire Chief Jeff McReynolds and C-SC Campus Safety Director Mike Bringer who put together a full day of fire safety training for students who work in the college's 12 residence halls and Greek houses.

The city and college collaborated in the fire safety activities, which also included crawling into a smoke-filled room, climbing the ladder on the fire truck, donning heavy firefighter gear, "rescuing" a 165-pound mannequin, and putting out fires with fire extinguishers.

"The students who work in our residence facilities are important partners in preventing fires and in responding to them," Bringer said. "The campus safety and student life staff are in the residence halls frequently, but these students live there and they need to be able to identify fire hazards and respond quickly in emergencies."

Bringer and McReynolds said the daylong activities were designed to help students understand how fire behaves and the difficulties firefighters face in working fires.

"You need to appreciate what it's like to be out on the end of the ladder if you're going to be helping us evacuate students from a window or a roof," McReynolds said.

"We believe our students will be much calmer, more confident, and more effective if they know in advance what it might be like to be in a fire and what they need to do if such an unfortunate event ever occurs," Bringer added.

The city of Canton and Culver-Stockton partner very closely on emergency response. Several Culver-Stockton students are volunteer firefighters, recruited and trained by McReynolds each year, and two of them participated as firefighters in Thursday's event.

The fire safety training day is part of the preparation that Culver-Stockton gives residence hall directors and community assistants before students arrive for the fall semester, which starts August 24.

CAPTIONS (from top)
Culver-Stockton students residence hall leaders are taught how to safely extinguish a blaze.

C-SC students crawl into a smoke-filled room under the watchful eye of Canton Fire Chief Jeff McReynolds.

Firefighters approach a mock dorm room, which has been engulfed by flames within five minutes of the first spark.

Campus Safety Director Mike Bringer explains the next drill -- rescuing a 165-pound mannequin.