There are only a handful of residence halls on campus with sprinkler systems. Bromley Hall is one of those residences, and last week the system was put to the test when a small fire erupted on the sixth floor. The sprinklers worked fine, but many students' belongings were damaged by the water.
The immediate response from Ohio University was that none of the damaged property would be covered because the university was not at fault. On Thursday, however, President Roderick McDavis sent an e-mail to all Bromley residents. The e-mail acknowledged the damage done to student property and said that the university is looking into paying for hardship cases
or students without insurance. The university should move forward with this plan.
The university doesn't carry insurance for personal effects in students' rooms, and when students sign the housing contract they agree that OU is not responsible for any damages to their property. OU has no legal responsibility to pay for anything destroyed by the sprinklers. That said, the university should do its best to help those who would otherwise be left out in the cold as Vice President of Student Affairs Kent Smith put it.
Fires break out rarely, and even more rarely in buildings with sprinkler systems. Usually, when a fire alarm sounds in a residence hall it is because someone decided that 2 a.m. would be a funny time to stand outside in the cold. As a gesture of good faith, the university should pick up the tab for the uninsured residents of Bromley Hall.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the executive editors.
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OU should assist uninsured students recover from water damage in Bromley
