The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / News / Fire safety month prompts demonstration

Fire safety month prompts demonstration

September 29, 2010 by Jeff Craig

ACU students saw firsthand Friday how fast a small dorm fire can spread and envelop an entire room.

The Office of Risk Management teamed up with the Abilene Fire Department for its eighth-annual Burn Room demonstration after Chapel Friday. A replica dorm room was assembled on the lawn just north of Moody Coliseum, complete with furniture, clothes and other dorm room décor. A small fire was lit and engulfed the entire room in minutes. Firefighters from AFD Station No. 5 had the fire put out within a few seconds.

“It’s visual. It gets all of the senses involved,” said Guy Saylor, safety manager for the Office of Risk Management. “Students can feel the heat and see just how quickly the fire takes over.”

The fire in the trash can was lit at 11:40 a.m., and the entire room was filled with flames in only seven minutes. Saylor said the intended purpose of the annual demonstration is to show students how fast unintentional fires can ignite and spread.

“The vast majority of fires in residence halls are due to unattended cooking. People leave for a few minutes, and fires can start,” Saylor said. “We have a list of approved and unapproved devices students can have in their rooms in the student handbook.”

Saylor said the other main causes of fires are hair dryers, curling irons and electrical overloads in wall sockets.

Lieut. Greg Goettsch, public information officer for AFD, said the Burn Room demonstration is beneficial for all students, even those who don’t live on campus. However, he said the demonstration is particularly beneficial for ACU’s newest students.

“I think it benefits the freshmen more than anybody. Mom and Dad have watched for fire safety for them, but now they are on their own,” Goettsch said. “It’s good for them to see what can happen.”

Goettsch said the fire in a dorm room can reach more than 1,000 degrees within just a few minutes. He said the best way to prevent fires is to learn about the dangers they present. He said dorms and other buildings are more fire resistant than they used to be, but dangers still exist.

ACU students have been successful in preventing fires in the past. He said the last major dorm room fire he can remember was more than 10 years ago.

“I think ACU has been outstanding about preventing fires,” Goettsch said. “People have done a good job of making students aware, and the numbers show it.”

Other fire safety activities on Friday included fire drills in the dorms at 6:30 a.m. and a fire drill in Moody Coliseum as Chapel came to an end.

Filed Under: News, Showcase

Other News:

  • Provost adopts new policy for emeriti faculty

  • Demolition begins on Sherrod residential apartments

  • ACU Gives exceeds goal, raises over $919,000

About Jeff Craig

You are here: Home / News / Fire safety month prompts demonstration

Other News:

  • Provost adopts new policy for emeriti faculty

  • Demolition begins on Sherrod residential apartments

  • ACU Gives exceeds goal, raises over $919,000

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved