-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Binder [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2000 2:05 AM
Subject: Oregon State fraternity houses rack up thousands in fines



Associated Press
May 21, 2000

Oregon State fraternity houses rack up thousands in fines

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State University fraternities are creating a fire
hazard that could end in disaster despite repeated fines totaling thousands
of dollars, a newspaper reports.

The Mid-Valley Sunday said that Corvallis Fire Department records show that
fraternities have blocked fire exits, disconnected smoke detectors,
silenced fire alarms and let residents sleep in potentially deadly
crawlspaces over the past five years.

Only about half of the 32 fraternity and sorority houses have sprinkler
systems or modern fire alarms to protect their residents, although sorority
houses generally have a better safety record.

But every one of the 21 OSU fraternity houses has, at one time or another,
violated the city's building code, according to fire officials.

A major concern is what fraternities call a "butt hut" - using concealed
crawlspaces to sleep and to gain more privacy. Officials view them as
firetraps, because the only way in or out is through a tiny hole in the
wall.

The crawlspaces also often contain makeshift electrical wiring for such
items as space heaters.

Building supervision normally is the responsibility of nonprofit alumni
boards that act as landlords, but there is practically no oversight at
fraternities, officials say.

Repeated building code violations, inadequate buildings and a lack of
supervision mean it is only a question of time until a dangerous - even
deadly - fire sweeps through a frat house, said Jim Patton, fire prevention
officer for the Corvallis Fire Department.

"We've been fortunate, and our time hasn't come yet," Patton said.

Other campuses haven't been so lucky. In the past five months, fires have
struck fraternities at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, Washington
State University and a dormitory at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.
Students were either killed or injured in those blazes.

Every year, about 1,700 fires burn college dormitories, classroom
buildings, fraternities and sororities, according to a report by the U.S.
Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association.

But the report said the largest problem area is in off-campus housing,
including fraternities, sororities and apartments.

"These facilities are not as regulated as the campus housing facilities,
which means the risk to the students living in them is probably greater,"
the report said.

Some examples of violations at OSU include:

- On April 3, the Theta Chi fraternity house was fined $500 for seven of
its members sleeping in the building's study rooms where there are no smoke
detectors and no emergency escape windows.

- On Feb. 25, officials fined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house $1,000
for blocking a fire escape with mattresses.

- On Feb. 8, Acacia House fraternity was fined $1,400 for using two
concealed crawlspaces and silencing the fire alarm system to cancel the
fire department's response to an alarm tripped by kitchen smoke.

- On Jan. 24, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity was fined $500 for using a
concealed room for sleeping. A heater, outlets and light fixtures were
among the items found in the room. Officials ordered all items removed.

- On Jan. 19, officials penalized Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house $500
for using a concealed room for sleeping. Electrical outlets and light
fixtures had been installed in the room. Officials ordered the removal of
all items, including a couch and sleeping bag.

- On Nov. 12, the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house was fined $400 for
silencing the fire alarm system. Someone had broken into the fire alarm
panel and disabled the system, according to the report. During repairs,
officials discovered the wiring to two of the hallway smoke detectors had
been disconnected.

Patton, the city's fire prevention officer, said fraternities view
inspections and fire codes as a nuisance when they are intended to save
lives.

"The residents need to understand they're not doing these things to keep
the fire department off their backs," he said. "They're doing these things
to protect themselves and others in the house."

The Acacia Fraternity house, the oldest building in the frat system, has
drawn more civil penalties than any other fraternity over the past five
years.

Fraternity president Shane Sawyer says members are aware of the danger and
they're working to change things.

"I feel like we're at least on the right track," Sawyer said.

(c) 2000 The Associated Press.