University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, August 30,1977
Fire inspections . . .
7
From page one
STEPHANIE BLACKWOOD, adviser to the KU Pahnellie Association, said that 10 of the 12 sorcerers had been contracted to install them. Gamma Phi Beta was required to make some adjustments in the system, so it would be correctly hooked to the ground soon.
Markley said that compliance with in-
novations had not been a problem in Greek houses, balls
"People on campus have been very cooperative, KU is in a lot better shape than last fall," he said. "The biggest problems have been budgetary. Although the improvements to the buildings are not necessarily major ones in terms of structural change, the expenses can be major if a house has not budgeted for them."
According to University officials, the fraternities have already spent $85,000 on improvements and the total cost may run as high as $100,000.
All eight scholarship halls at KU have installed smoke detectors within the last year. Battenfeld Hall will be required to build two new fire escapes onto the building and contract bids for that job will be opened soon.
THE SORORITES are expected to spend more money a house on fire safety improvements, since many wish to preserve the appearance of the house.
"We have as safe dorms in this state as any in the United States," he said. "In the Kansas schools a lot has been corrected, and we have been busy checking on their progress."
The improvements to Corbin Hall include the installation of new fire doors and the correct enclosing of stairwalls. New alarms were installed at the as GSP, and Corbin by tunnel.
J. J. Wilson, director of residence halls, said Monday that the Corbin improvements were partly necessitated by the fact that it was the oldest hall on campus.
He also said that many of the alarm systems in the halls have been updated but usually not because they were inadequate. New alarms, he said, were more sophisticated in their functions and in no way reflected on the safety of the buildings, most of which were constructed in the early 1960s.
Markley spoke optimistically about the safety status of KU residence halls.
"NO MATTER HOW much we improve the halls' fire detection, escape routes and fire prevention equipment in kitchens and common living areas." Wilson said, "the hazards in the individual students' rooms must be given direct threat to the safety of all the residents."
Wilson said some of the potential fire hazards included candles, rugs suspended from the ceiling or on the walls, strobe lights or LEDs on the ceiling and old, flammable furniture.
KANSAN On Campus
Events
TODAY: SOCIAL WELFARE orientation is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union. COLLEGE BUILDING is in the Union's Jayhawk and Parlor rooms.
TOMORROW: NAVY ROTC fall awards ceremony is at 4 p.m. in woodruff Auditorium. KU COLLEGE nmeet 7 KU Union's Pine Room. KU HANG GLDING CLUB meets at 7:30 p.m. in 3140 Wescoe Hall.
Corrections
The hours for Sister Kettle's Cafe were incorrectly reported in the Kanans back-room, where they were changed during the summer. The cakes are a.m. to p. 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Bucky's
Small Hot Fudge Sundaes Only 35c
Offer good thru Sept. 2
In addition to the ordered improvements made in some residence halls, Dibbern released an open letter to all hall residents in mid-July. Students were informed of new rules governing the redecorating of their rooms once they moved in.
HOMEMADE SLEEPING LOFTS will no longer be permitted, and all materials used
Bucky's
2120 W. 9th
standards as closely as possible. He said the priority was to get building occupants alerted to fire, then out of the building and evacuated so that no fire emptiness on saving the building, he said.
"The terms for compliance are that, in the event of fire, the building is safer for the use of equipment than it would be without them."
The age of a structure was not a factor in determining its safety, Turvey said, and did not indicate whether a house or hall was less likely to satisfy current safety codes.
m decorating must meet flame retardant standards, which the resident must be able to prove with a manufacturers' label.
Before the Baker fire, the interpretation of the code was that a living unit had to comply with general standards at the time it was in use, with minor updating changes, Turvey said.
TURKEY SAID THE newer in-
building should follow the code that was
the building should follow the code
Many fritillary houses were built in the 1840s to 1865. Turvey said, but that was no reason to build a house of this kind.
older houses. The Beta Theta Pi house, which Turvey said was built around the 1860's, had some of the same problems as houses—open airwalls and post fire escapes.
COMPLETE IN STORE SERVICE FACILITIES!