Campus Fire Safety Month

Whereas Recent student housing fires in Minnesota, Maryland, California, Indiana, New York, Virginia, and Michigan have tragically cut short the lives of some of the youth of our nation; and

Whereas Since January 2000, over 145 people, including students, parents, and children have died in student housing fires; and

Whereas A majority of students across the nation live in off-campus occupancies, and over three-fourths of fire deaths occurred in off-campus housing; and

Whereas A number of fatal fires have occurred in buildings where the fire safety systems have been compromised or disabled by the occupants; and

Whereas Automatic fire sprinkler systems are a highly effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in its early stages; and

Whereas As students return to campuses across the Bay State this month, it is important to remind them of fire prevention and safety, hopefully reducing loss of life from this hazard,

Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim September 2011 to be,

Campus Fire Safety Month 

And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this eighth day of August, in the year two thousand and eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

By His Excellency

Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth

William Francis Galvin 
Secretary of the Commonwealth

God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts