Armstrong students spent an exciting Wednesday evening at the 2025 “UP in Flames” event, participating in fire safety drills, simulations, games and giveaways.
Chris Colson, the organizer of “UP in Flames,” said the event aims to educate students on the importance of fire safety and is a way to showcase first responder services available both on and off campus.
Colson highlighted the mock dorm setup, a simulation that mimics the interior of two campus rooms: one with a sprinkler and one without. Each was set ablaze at the end of the event.
By demonstrating what Colson calls a “realistic seven to eight minutes”, students can see in real time how quickly fire spreads and the promptness of 911 dispatchers arriving at the scene.
For students like Zaria Finney and Cameron Galleon, the event was a fun way to hang out with classmates and learn about ways to escape a potential fire. Labela Denny, a freshman student, attended the event because her friends invited her.
“I didn’t really know what it was, so I’m kind of just experiencing it,” Denny said. She reported that her favorite part was the snow cones included in the Georgia Southern coloring-changing cups.
Students were treated to concessions and freebies from the University Police Department, Fire & Life Safety and Georgia Southern Housing. The event also included a DJ cranking up some ‘fire’ tunes!
