Fire at Georgetown prompts students to look for hazards

Georgetown University senior Daniel Rigby died in an electrical fire last month that engulfed his basement apartment not far from the old stone buildings that mark the elite campus in the nation's capital.

The Washington, D.C., Fire Department listed smoke inhalation as the cause of death.

Rigby, like many upperclassmen at Penn, lived in an off-campus dwelling on a street full of old rowhouses.

And Rigby, again, like many on campus, never had his house inspected for fire hazards.

The tragedy at Georgetown prompted city officials to inspect the area houses and evict 43 students from their homes due to fire hazards, according to the Georgetown student newspaper, The Hoya.

Officials at Penn have started to look into ways to protect students who live in off-campus housing from fires, before tragedy hits closer to home.

The Off-Campus Safety Coalition -- sponsored by Penn, Drexel University and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, among many others -- is trying to lead a fire safety effort.

"The University is very concerned right now with the safety of off-campus housing," Deputy Chief of Fire and Emergency Services Eugene Janda said. "Families send their sons and daughters off to Penn to get educated. You don't go to college to die in a fire."

The coalition is looking to get consent forms from students living off campus that would allow Penn officials to inspect their homes for fire hazards. They want to make sure every house has two exit possibilities, as well as certified fire alarm systems.

However, officials have been slow to put any of these fire policies into practice. The coalition was started almost a year ago, and Janda reports it is still "in the initial stages right now of trying to get information" from the Office of Off-Campus Living.

For its part, OCL requires all properties listed through its advertising services to be compliant with the fire code.

OCL also offers several workshops each semester on housing issues, which include fire safety information. The next workshop is likely to be sometime in December, according to the Business Services spokeswoman Rhea Lewis.

However, Lewis said that while "we're certainly concerned about [fire safety], we can't tell students where they should live."

In addition, the office does not require subletters who advertise using its listing to be up to code.

"As students are not the actual landlords, they cannot be held to the same requirements," Lewis said. "This service is provided as a courtesy to students."

In the aftermath of the Georgetown fire, some students took the initiative to request fire inspections on their own.

Georgetown senior Lindsey Cassidy was friends with Rigby, and asked for fire officials to inspect her off-campus apartment.

Cassidy said that the inspectors focused on basement ceiling heights, electrical wiring, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, debris and escape routes.

"We never think about things like that," Cassidy said.

Wharton senior Alicia Galbo, who is friends with Cassidy from their hometown, heard about Rigby's death and called Philadelphia fire officials for an inspection. Galbo lives on the 3900 block of Pine Street on Penn's campus.

"I don't have any fire escapes, and I don't feel if there was a fire I'd be able to get out of my room in time," Galbo said.

The inspector came to the house one week after her call. Galbo says he cited bars on the windows and an outdated fire extinguisher as violations.

Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections Communication Director Andrea Swan said it is a good idea to call and get an inspection, no matter what.

"Students will opt for cheap housing," Swan said. "However, oftentimes you get what you pay for."

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