Off-campus and at risk: The hidden fire danger for students
Doug Turnbull remembers the day he took his daughter Julie back to college to move into an off-campus house. After the heavy lifting was done, he paused to ensure she'd be able to escape if a fire broke out.
"I checked the windows to make sure they weren't painted shut," he says. "I reached up and tested the smoke detector to make sure it was working."
It's a ritual repeated by parents all over the country thousands of times each year, as they help their almost-grown children settle into college dwellings.
"You wander around and see where they're going to live," he explains. "It's mostly curiosity. You're pushing buttons, checking around." Figuratively, he says, "It's your last parental act."
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Full Stories List for September 3rd, 2009 issue #0835
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