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