Montclair State Earns Spot on Princeton Review’s Fire Safety Honor Roll

Montclair State University has earned a spot on the Fire Safety Honor Roll in the 2014 editions of The Princeton Review’s books, The Best 378 Colleges and The Complete Book of Colleges.

The University received a perfect Fire Safety Rating of 99 – one of only 23 institutions in the nation to do so – to earn a place on the Fire Safety Honor Roll.

The Princeton Review asked 1,165 schools about the fire safety measures – such as automatic fire sprinkler systems and smoke detectors in residence hall rooms – they have in place to support on-campus fire safety. Each school was rated on a scale of 60-99, with only 23 colleges receiving perfect scores.

According to Robert Ferrara, the University’s director of fire safety, the recognition reflects “the dedication and support I have from the University to upgrade life safety systems, as well as the efforts of my staff to update training programs for students and staff.”

Noting that 100 percent of Montclair State’s residence hall rooms are equipped with sprinklers and alarms, Ferrara says: “We are committed to our community.” This commitment is evident in groundbreaking programs like the new Fire Academy for Greek Life Students, scheduled for August 28, 2013.

Partnering with the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute (BCLPSI), the daylong academy shows fraternity and sorority students – an off-campus population that fire prevention programs often overlook – how simple measures can prevent fires and save lives. The program is held at the BCLPSI’s Life Safety Complex, which houses live fire-training simulators.

“This program is the first of its kind in New Jersey,” says Ferrara, a past chief of the Lyndhurst, N.J. fire department and member of the Center for Campus Fire Safety Board of Directors. “It reflects Montclair State’s progressive stance on fire prevention and education.” The University has received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to perfect the pilot program and share it with other colleges and universities.

“Being included on the Fire Safety Honor Roll proves that the efforts of my department and the University’s commitment are being recognized on a national level,” says Ferrara.

Read The Princeton Review’s press release.