But Harvard is an old University, with old buildings like Claverly, built in 1892. With them come old safety measures, like fire escapes. And these can be hazardous.
Kuhn, the deputy chief, said Harvard "should make the people aware of the purpose of fire escapes." He said he believes the College is taking such precautions.
Epps said the fire escapes "are supposed to be fully functional."
Dingman said he does not know how often the fire escapes are inspected, or when the most recent renovations were made to Claverly Hall, which houses overflow from Quincy, Adams and Lowell Houses.
Quincy House Superintendent Ronald W. Levesque, who could be seen inspecting the Claverly fire escape after the accident, refused to comment on the fire escape's condition.
Stephen E. Frank and D. Richard de Silva contributed to the reporting of this story.