President Flynn Takes Swift Action With Respect To TV Report Questioning Fire Safety on Campus

5/11/2007

Yesterday President Charles L. Flynn released a statement regarding a local television news report concerning building and fire code violations on campus. As the President indicated in yesterday’s statement, the College is committed to addressing any and all problems.

This morning the President reached out to the FDNY to request an unscheduled inspection of the two buildings that appeared to be in question. In contrast to the allegations made by the TV report, today’s inspection resulted in three minor violations which will be quickly addressed– one involving storage at the pool, one involving an affidavit and one boiler permit.

“We disagree with the alarmist tone of the news report,” President Flynn stated today.

“We are committed to keeping our students safe. We will continue to explore this situation and address any and all issues that we find. Much of this problem appears to be related to paperwork; we will address that problem too.

“Please know that the College seeks to surpass the standards established by law. For example, since 2002, we have been sprinkling residence halls although not required by law to do so. By the fall, 90% of residence hall rooms will be sprinkled.

“We are standing by to answer your questions and explain how any problems will be addressed and corrected. Please direct any questions to Madeleine Melkonian, Associate Vice President, Institutional Advancement and College Relations, at 718-405-3423.

“As you would expect, the University of Mount Saint Vincent takes these problems seriously. As we obtain more information regarding the resolution of these problems, we will, of course, communicate with you. I expect to provide you with a more detailed report within a few weeks.”