Free nine-volt batteries were distributed at Union South
Thursday to remind students to check their smoke detectors.
The Madison Fire Department and the University of Wisconsin
Offices of the Dean of Students aim to educate and promote fire safety among
students.
?I?m going to go home and change mine right now,? UW
sophomore Ashley Hedges said at the event, referring to the smoke detector in
her home. ?I don?t even know the last time it was changed.?
Students passing through the Union were given free nine-volt
batteries and a quiz about fire safety. After completing the quiz, students
were given coupons for a free slice of Ian?s Pizza. If they answered all
questions correctly their names were entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card
to the University Book Store.
?The quiz was harder than I thought it would be,? UW
graduate student Janice Poehlman said.
The main goal of the giveaway was to insure fire safety and
awareness among UW students, especially in the wake of the fires that occurred
near campus last November at 123 N. Bedford St. and 505 N. Carroll, Assistant
to the Dean of Students Alicia Jackson said.
UW sophomore Eric Wedul said he lives off campus only two
blocks from where the fire on Bedford Street occurred.
?I know we have a few [detectors] that don?t work, because
we don?t have batteries for them, but now I do,? Wedul said.
Lori Wirth, community education officer for the MFD, has
been working with Dean of Students Lori Berquam since December to plan Fire
Safety and Awareness week.
Wirth said the main goal is educating students about taking
responsibility for their own safety.
Bob Luling, a code enforcement officer for the MFD, said
according to Wisconsin Statutes and Madison General Ordinances, tenants are
responsible for informing the landlord, in writing, if there is a broken smoke
detector.
?All landlords are required to provide working smoke
detectors, but students living away from home for the first time don?t always
pay attention to those sorts of things,? Wirth said.
Both Berquam and Wirth were enthusiastic about the support
from local businesses. A former Ian?s Pizza employee was a resident of the fire-stricken
house on Bedford Street. When they contacted Ian?s, the restaurant jumped on
board right away due to the connection with that resident, Wirth said.
On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m., Ian?s on State
Street will randomly choose delivery orders for possible free pizza. The
Madison Fire Department community coordinators will then go along on the
deliveries and, with the tenant?s permission, they will inspect the smoke
detectors.
If the smoke detector is working properly, the pizza will be
free. If not, the tenants will receive a free battery to fix the broken
detector.
UW seniors Joe Ferris and Bryan Fondrie had positive
reactions to the battery giveaway and said the Ian?s delivery giveaway was a
good deal.
Berquam, Wirth, Jackson and Luling will be giving away more
free batteries to UW students from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Memorial Union
today.