New Jersey lawmakers are attempting to jump-start a bill that would provide fire-safety education grants to colleges.
The bill was first introduced following the deadly Seton Hall dormitory fire in 2000, and has languished in Congress since. The blaze at Boland Hall killed three students and injured 58 in January 2000. Since then, there have been 170 college- or university-related fire fatalities, according to Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.’s office.
“Fire Safety 101 should be a requirement, not an elective,” Pascrell said at a press conference at the university in South Orange on Monday.