Set priorities
Exemplary fire safety takes effort

For the students of Seton Hall University residential fires are real.

A year after an early-morning fire engulfed a residence hall there, the memories of the blaze which killed three students and injured 58 others still burn.

But nothing like that could happen here, right?

TCU is renovating its residence halls — installing sprinkler systems, replacing flammable doors with fire-safe ones and constructing interior fire escapes. The university has spent millions ensuring our residence halls meet fire codes. Students who live on campus know burning candles is against the rules.

That’s sufficient, right?

Wrong.

When it comes to classes, meeting the minimum requirements is often barely enough to pass the class. Getting an A takes effort. When it comes to keeping this campus safe from fire disaster, meeting the minimum code is not enough. We need to get an A in that, too.

Just because the buildings are safe does not necessarily mean the people in them are safe. Although feeling safe in our environment is important, feeling too safe is dangerous.

Students, faculty and staff not only need to be aware of safety measures, but also need to hold each other accountable for following them. TCU officials need to take responsibility for making sure every building on this campus is as safe as possible. No single department, office or individual acts alone.

In order to ensure the tragedy at Seton Hall never reaches the steps of TCU, we can’t pass the buck. We hold the cards.

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