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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1982)
ULTRA SHEEN „U LTR4 ■^SHES : noner & BUY 2 GET 1 FREE HIRONS 185 E 1 St* 1950 Frankfcn Btvd r«xt to Safeway next to McKays False alarm, too risky to be funny After too many scares, people tend to ignore the real thing By AHs* Refson False fire alarms in University dormitories are jangling the nerves of dorm officials and firefighters alike Data compiled by the Eugene fire dept shows that MFA's (Malicious False Alarms) summoned emergency equipment to the dorms 10 times during Fall term alone Lt. Tim Birr, public information officer tor the fire department, says the constant suc cession of false alarms can have a number of serious consequences False alarms take equipment out of the neighborhoods the fire department is sup posed to protect And Birr says there is a certain amount of danger when equipment with lights and sirens is travelling at high r speed through city streets But there is a third danger that Birr anticipates may be the most serious as far as dormitory residents are concerned After so many false alarms "people are not going to exit the way they should," he says In dormitory fires on other campuses, response to alarms has been slow to the point of danger because "occupants assumed the alarm was false.'' Birr says This is already happening on the Univer sity campus, he says Fall term the Bean Complex had four MFA's in addition to two false alarms caused by malfunctioning of the sensory equipment Greg Perry. Bean resident, stayed in his room last time there was a fire alarm simply because "I didn't think it was for real " l Smith calls for freeze on all federal spending SALEM (AP) - U S Rep Denny Smith. R-Ore proposed on Tuesday an across-the-board freeze on all federa! spending at this year's level to help balance the budget by 1984 Smith said his proposal would res trict spending at a S725 billion figure, estimated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for the year that ends Sept 30 That level of spending assumes a $99 billion deficit this year, but would match anticipated revenues by fiscal year 1984, he said "It's not the tax side where we re having a problem,” he told reporters "It’s the spending side ” "I don't think we can continue down the road we ve been on for 50 years, " he said The budget has been balanced only eight times since 1932. he said The freshman congressman said the need to balance the budget is especially important for the Pacific Northwest, where the health of timber-based econ omies is tied to interest rates He said the freeze would be the fairest way of balancing the budget and eliminate any negotiating with special interests and trade-offs between lawmakers for pet projects “I don't want to trade,-' he said "I think that's where we got where we are " Smith said that despite hrs descrip tion by some as a Reagan robot, the president s policies to cut spending and balance the budget are not coming fast enough He said he was surprised somewhat such a proposal would have to come from a freshman in Congress “I think the graybeards in Congress don't like to get out in front until they see which way the wind is blowing," he said Perry's neighbor, Tom Newman, says that "a tot of people didn't get up," and of those that did, "many went back in before the alarm went off ” However Dorm residents aren't the only ones whose response is being affected by too many false alarms The constant repeti tion of false alarms is beginning to effect the firefighters psychologically, says Carl Below, a Eugene fire chief All alarms must be answered instanta neously because "we can t take the chance that it's only a false alarm," Below says But after so many MFAs "you don't properly mentally prepare yourself " Anyone caught pulling a false alarm is subject to a fine, according to John Thorpe, director of housing health and safety Rewards are offered for information leading to the arrest of anyone pulling a false alarm Investigating the MFAs is the job of James Jensen, Eugene deputy fire marshall So far his arrest record has been good "I'm batting nine out of ten," he says "Very seldom do I not get them " Jensen says he owes much to the assistance of the dorm RAs As Diane Fleeks, Bean RA, explains, "We re very anxious to press charges, especially after the fire in Spiller last year " Those found guilty of MFAs either are fined or, as in a recent case brought before the municipal court, required to perform a certain amount of public service work However, despite Jensen's efficiency, there is likely to be an inexhaustable supply of potential false alarm pullers For. as Jensen himself stresses. 90 percent of the MFAs are "alcohol related ” In the event of a real fire Jensen advises "If for some reason you didn't hear the alarm, stay in your room and put a sheet or something out your window and the firemen will see you " The doors will resist flames for twenty minutes and the penetration of smoke can be restricted by laying towls along their bases “It really is not very funny," Thorpe says The people who are doing the false alarms are playing with the lives of the people in the hall " JOHN McCUTCHEON performing a concert of APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN MUSIC anti iaUmff an OLD TIME SQUARE DANCE - 2 The mar JOHSSY C.4SH called: "The most impressrje instrumentalist / sje erjer heard. " BLUEGRASS L SLIMITED christened him "A \oung legend w the oid time music cuh S2 SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 21 EMU BALLROOM-7:30 PM .■UmtSMurr at th< duur SO VO Saudrnt $ ' f/J Gcn' ra/ VuNh Sally HoDgkmon Gabriel Boenmer Hem* Editor Harry Ester* John Healy Photo Editor Bob GnpMn editor Var DePungs Editorial Popa Editor Con Parnate Sports Editor Stera Spaa A taociam Sport* Editor Jo* Chckorsor Marinese' Might Edhor DoOO« Hoehatl Ataodmtt Edttort ASUO Dane Oauaeen Uanan Green Departments end Schooh Debbie Homlett Faaturat Carotin* Patrich Htghar Education Ann Portal PoSttca / En irimrxmant Ron Hunt G•nmra! Staff A liiM.Hitn n -* Mu WTDStfiy t/M VC IW Dsrtone Gof* AOrvfuUOj S«#r C*>«r Ann Pfrson Con»p*»i J»*n Ownbty
