Saturday, September 1, 2001
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Closed UNH fraternity allowed to reopen

By SEAN GOODWIN

Democrat Staff Writer

DURHAM — Residents of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity will be allowed to
move back into the house on Sunday, the same day all University of New
Hampshire students are expected to return to campus.

The fraternity, which was ordered closed by the Fire Department on July 20
after numerous fire, building and health code violations were found during
an inspection, was inspected again on Friday.

Durham Fire Chief Ron O’Keefe said there were two outstanding issues on the
second inspection. One issue was an electrical receptacle that was shorting
out, but it was fixed by the afternoon when O’Keefe himself went to look at
the fraternity.

The second issue was that evacuation plans have to be posted in every room,
according to O’Keefe, and that has also been done.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon passed the fire inspection.

The Durham Fire Department shut down the University of New Hampshire’s
fraternity house at 28 Madbury Road following an inspection that revealed
hazardous conditions "creating immediate danger to life and health,"
according to a news release from the department.

Fire Department officials had previously made an observation of the building
from outside and obtained a search warrant to conduct the inspection on July
20.

Violations included blocked exits, blocked open fire doors, open electrical
wiring and disconnected smoke detectors.

According to the news release, officials of the fraternity house were
ordered in September by Justice Gerald Taube of the Durham District Court to
comply with fire codes for a year.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the second UNH fraternity house to be closed down in
the last year and a half. The fraternity still faces a court date in October
to answer for the fire code violations.  They could face a stiff fine if
convicted.  The University of New Hampshire has also imposed strict
sanctions on the fraternity.

In April 2000, the Durham Fire Department temporarily shut down the Zeta Chi
Fraternity after discovering several safety code violations.


Mark Tetreault


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