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A record seven of 33 fraternity and sorority houses achieved perfect fire code inspections last spring, with the rest averaging just seven violations each.
Ron Binder, director of Greek Affairs, and Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones attributed the positive reports to changes by the Office of Greek Affairs, the fire department, students and chapter alumni since the tragic Phi Gamma Delta blaze that killed five students three years ago.
Changes include:
* The fire department's reports on inspections, performed each semester, are sent to Greek Affairs and chapter alumni, who own the houses.
The department fines houses not correcting violations within 30 days and requires that all are corrected by the semester's end. Previously, only house residents received the reports.
* Greek Affairs rewards perfect inspections, with $100 per chapter the past semester, up from $50 each.
Jones will present checks to last spring's seven winners at a Chapter Excellence Awards Ceremony this fall and discuss fire safety.
* Each house appoints a fire marshal who is trained by the fire department and Greek Affairs and who conducts house self-inspections and a fire drill and shows members Carolina's fire safety videotape each semester.
Greek Affairs fines chapters not represented at the training and regularly e-mails fire marshals.
* The fire department now monitors and times fire drills required at each house every semester.
The seven chapters achieving perfect fire code inspections were the sororities Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Zeta Tau Alpha and fraternities Chi Phi and Kappa Sigma.
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