Students got the chance to take a hands-on approach to fire safety and prevention Tuesday on Greene Street as part of Fire Safety Day. USC's own fire department teamed up with other local agencies to put on a series of demonstrations to teach students as part of Fire Safety Awareness Month.
One of the biggest demonstrations was a mock dorm room, designed with the help of University Housing, filled with common fire hazards. Students had the chance to go through the room and pick out the hazards to help them see the often-ignored dangers many residents don't even know are there, according to USC Fire Chief Todd Griffin.
"A lot of them are saying, 'Hey, I have that in my room. I'm gonna go back and change that now,'" he said.
Later in the afternoon, the departments actually set the mock dorm room on fire.
In addition to the demonstrations, students also have the opportunity to talk to area firefighters and learn more about their jobs and equipment.
Griffin hopes the interactive event taught students about common risks and the things they can do to prevent fires in dorms and off-campus apartments. He says most issues come from "cooking-related incidents" or things like overloaded power cords, and that small fixes like keeping clean and checking smoke detectors can make a big difference.