The University of Wisconsin, in partnership with the Madison Fire Department, will give students the ultimate hands-on experience in fire safety on Wednesday, which is Campus Safety Day.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the lower third of Bascom Hill, students will be able to practice using hand-held fire extinguishers to put out miniature, controlled fires under the supervision of Madison Fire Department Community Education staff.

The first 100 participants will receive coupons for a free slice at Ian’s Pizza.

Free nine-volt batteries will also be passed out at the event to encourage students to replace their smoke detector batteries before the end of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam said recent fires on campus that have affected students, particularly the fatal fire on North Bedford Street last November that took the life of a 23-year-old UW-La Crosse student, motivated the university to more aggressively promote fire safety.

Berquam added fire safety is just one of the concerns addressed by campus safety initiatives.

“At the core of all this is really our efforts at campus-wide safety for all students,” Berquam said. “It’s just one more way that we can continue to keep safety in the forefront of students’ minds.”

UW spokesperson John Lucas also named recent fires as a motivator in the organization of activities such as this one. After years of virtually no incidents, Lucas said the fires last year “shocked and upset” the university community

“We learned that this can really come up at any time,” Lucas said.

He added this activity would be especially helpful because it is hands-on.

MFD spokesperson Lori Wirth said getting real experience using a fire extinguisher in a safe, controlled setting can be very valuable.

“If people have any idea that they might try to put a fire out with a fire extinguisher, we want to make sure they know how it works,” Wirth said. “A lot of people start learning about it when the fire starts, and that’s not a good time.”

Before participating in the simulation, students will receive instructions on how to most effectively use a fire extinguisher, Wirth said. The fire will be created and contained using a recently purchased simulator, specifically designed to be easily contained.

The fire burns in an open tray, so that it will never actually touch the grass on Bascom, and everything is switch-operated. In addition, Wirth assured the fire extinguishers used will be water extinguishers, so they will not leave behind any chemical residue.

Although most household extinguishers are built to combat a larger variety of fires than the ones used in the simulation, Wirth said the same basic principles apply for the use of both types of extinguisher.

By participating, students can help protect others as well as themselves, Wirth said.

“The fact that it has happened on this campus in fairly recent memory should remind us all that we have a responsibility to take care of each other,” Wirth said.