The Nick Project to promote fire safety awareness on Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ’s campus

The annual event returns to the University Commons on May 1

Nick Project

DECATUR, Ill. – The fire prevention initiative returns to Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ University’s campus on Monday, May 1, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Doug and Diane Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance, located on the 1st floor of the University Commons.

“The Nick Projectâ€� was started by Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ alumna Sophia Schwalbach ’19 in the fall of 2015. Sophia was only four years old when her brother, Nick Schwalbach, tragically lost his life in a fraternity house fire on Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ's campus in June 2000. 

The Project has provided fraternities, sororities and off-campus students with fire safety equipment to help students plan to be safe.

This year's event will feature extinguisher demonstrations from CC Fire Equipment and speakers from local fire departments about fire prevention and how to take quick action in an emergency. While fire safety items are reserved for students, the event will be open to the public.

Fire safety and prevention are priorities in Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ's residential spaces and are highlighted several times each year. In the fall semester, the Office of Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ welcomed speakers Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons, two survivors of the Seton Hall University fire in New Jersey, also in 2000. 

For additional information on the event, contact the Director of Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ Residential Communities Nicole DeLiberis at (217) 424-6395.