In the early morning hours of April 10, three students at Miami University-Oxford were killed when a fire broke out in an off-campus rental home. One of the three was said to have been killed by the blaze itself and the two remaining victims were pronounced dead from carbon-monoxide poisoning. Although details of the cause of the fire are still under investigation, it was certainly accidental, meaning it could have been anything as innocent as a dropped cigarette to a stove being left on.

A tragedy like this one cannot be ignored and must call our attention to our own safety right here at the University of Wisconsin. With many students renting housing after their freshman years, it is important to assure these students will be safe in the chance of a fire like the one that occurred at Miami University.

It has long been regulated for all housing to have smoke detectors installed and in working order. Response time for local fire departments and police departments is constantly being monitored and improved and is under surveillance by the city. One must wonder, though, especially after the tragedy at Miami University, how many off-campus housing facilities are readily equipped with carbon-monoxide detectors and whether the smoke detectors and sprinkler systems even work.

There is no way of knowing the exact number of houses that do or do not have adequate fire-safety equipment installed. It is possible, though, to demand from our landlords these instruments be checked and their quality maintained.

A Madison Fire Department Community Education Specialist Lauri Wirth commented on the condition of off-campus housing here at UW, saying because carbon monoxide detectors are still fairly new devices, they are not yet required in the city of Madison to have them in your home. Smoke detectors, on the other hand, are required. There is a debate, however, over whose responsibility it is to make sure the smoke detectors present in housing are in working order.

With the student population at UW constantly changing and tenants moving in and out of different housing, it is impossible to regulate everything that happens in each apartment or house. In addition, it is illogical for a landlord to check tenants’ smoke detectors as often as they should be checked (about once a month), as it would be a great hassle and disturbance to the resident. Thus it can be said that the responsibility of fire safety is not solely the landlord’s responsibility, but also the tenant’s. Where it is the landlord’s responsibility to make sure the housing has fire protection, it is the tenant’s obligation to report any faulty equipment.

Without being certain that the apartments and homes we all live in are up to date when it comes to our safety, we should all agree to be aware of the potential dangers that surround us. Although this may seem obvious, many students here at UW remain uneducated about fire safety. Those students who have, perhaps, never lived alone may make common mistakes that could set their home ablaze.

As the semester draws to a close and many landlords fix up apartments before the next lease term begins, it is important they are aware that it is their responsibility to protect us as students. It is the perfect opportunity for both landlords welcoming new tenants and students who are relocating to educate themselves on their personal safety. It may be a trite expression, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Emily Friedman ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism and legal studies.