A combination of education, prevention, enforcement and a change in procedures has resulted in a large reduction of calls from the SUNY Oswego campus to the Oswego Town emergency response, a welcome development all around.

The numbers tell the story as incidents where the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department has had to respond to calls from campus dropped more than tenfold, with 120 fewer calls each semester. For the fall semester (August to December), calls dropped from 133 in 2023 to 12 in 2024; while spring (January through May) saw an even deeper decline, from 128 to just eight.

The figures are significant because the previous call volume stretched the department and its municipal partner, the Oswego Town Fire District, to its limits. The calls overwhelmed the all-volunteer department, infringing on nights and weekends, and had frustrated firefighters and officials looking to eliminate their partnership, requiring them to serve the campus.

But by summer 2025, Oswego Town officials were very pleased with the drop in call volume.

Robert Lighthall, one of five fire commissioners for the Oswego Town Fire District and its public information officer, credited the leadership of President Peter O. Nwosu for the tremendous reduction.

“The new president, he really stepped up,” Lighthall said. “I have nothing but praise for that man.”

With many alarm activations accidental or minor in nature, officials deemed a change in protocol that still allowed for a greater response could prevent a lot of calls to the volunteers.

“To enhance internal response efficiency, University Police will now take a more active role in response to a single fire alarm activation on campus,” President Nwosu wrote in a campus email in July 2024 outlining the new procedures. “In instances where multiple alarms are activated, fire response partners will respond via 911 dispatch.  In all cases, student residence halls will be evacuated until an all clear is issued.” 

The university also greatly increased its emphasis on fire prevention and education programs, Lighthall added. 

“The incoming freshmen were given much more fire prevention education, much clearer information about alarms, prevention and the need to evacuate buildings,” he said.

“I am very pleased that all parties were able to come together in a spirit of collegiality to find a solution that will keep both our campus community and our neighbors safe,” President Nwosu wrote in a campus email in July 2024 outlining the new procedures.

Lighthall also credited campus leadership for stepping up on disciplinary procedures for those who violated fire-related rules – such as smoking in the residence halls and tampering with fire detectors –- to make it clear that such actions had consequences.

“The Office of Student Conduct will oversee strict enforcement with escalating sanctions for repeat offenses, including deferred suspension for tampering with safety equipment or failing to evacuate during alarms,” President Nwosu announced in July 2024. “Regular and unannounced inspections will be conducted collaboratively by Residence Life and Housing, Environmental Health and Safety, and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations.” 

Greater campus involvement

Last summer, the university also announced the formation of a Fire Safety Task Force to review measures and develop additional solutions. Ken Ayhens, SUNY Oswego fire marshal, praised the efforts of many for the fewer fire calls and fewer overall incidents.

“Fire safety, and safety in general, is all about behavior, what we can do to be safe,” said Ken Ayhens, SUNY Oswego fire marshal. 

Ayhens had special thanks to fire guardians, students who play a number of roles in working with peers, logistics and education.

“Our fire guardians are phenomenal,” Ayhens said. “These are students who take leadership roles on campus, and they go above and beyond. They have been a tremendous help.”

Ayhens said his department addresses a wide range of responsibilities, from training on what to do in fires to checking sprinkler and fire systems to testing alarms to scheduling and executing fire drills. 

In mid-August, Greg Hermann, the first assistant fire chief for the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department, Lighthall and several other firefighters were on campus to provide training for resident assistants in the university’s residence halls.  

On the fourth floor of Oneida Hall, participants went through a hallway filled with what Lighthall called “theatrical smoke” – generated to obscure but not harmful –- to familiarize themselves with such a situation and show them that getting low, where the smoke is least dense, is the path to safety.

In the adjacent parking lot, students had the opportunity to use a fire extinguisher to put out a controlled fire. These exercises let students practice fire safety in non-threatening situations so they know what to do if they encounter a real emergency.

But since most calls –- fortunately –- do not involve real emergency situations, the prevention and change in protocol have created plenty of impact. And that, Lighthall said, comes from the top.

“I can’t stress enough my admiration for your president,” Lighthall noted. “He’s been a true professional.”