In response to the article in the Collegian about an RA losing her job and room on campus because she lit a candle, I believe that the situation was handled correctly. Students are too nonchalant about fire drills and fire safety guidelines, such as the candle policy.

False alarms contribute to the apathy of students toward fire safety, but every fire drill should be treated as if it is a real emergency. Fire drills are dress rehearsals, and for those students that live on higher floors, they may be the only times when students identify and use the stairs instead of the elevators. Fire extinguishers and exit signs are also inspected during the drills.

Candles, incense and halogen lamps are prohibited for a reason. That reason is the safety and welfare of all students who choose to live on campus. I wish students off campus had similar guidelines.

Fire safety should be a major concern of the college community, especially in light of the Seton Hall dorm fire last year that claimed the lives of three freshmen.

The United States has the highest fire death rate in the industrialized world, and according to the NFPA, the No. 1 cause of fires on and around college campuses is arson.

We need to raise awareness as a community, and sometimes that means making examples of those individuals in leadership positions that violate the rules.