"We're a group of alumni interested in shaping a better image for UNC's fraternities," said Robert Poitras, chairman of the group's Fire Safety Committee.
Before this year's first round of inspections, the group arranged mock house inspections. It also required fire marshals and fraternity presidents to participate in a fire safety training program, Anhorn said.
Poitras said that during the spring and summer, the group met with the fire department, which cited petty violations, poor attitudes and a lack of cooperation from the fraternities as problems plaguing the inspections and corrections.
But Anhorn said he is satisfied with the progress made by groups working to make corrections. "The efforts to make corrections have been amazing in all of the fraternities and sororities," he said.
Fire department Capt. Rodney Watson said the problem for most of the houses is a lack of funding to correct violations.
"(Fraternities) often don't have enough money to fix things like exit or emergency lights, to fix hood systems in kitchens or to service their fire extinguishers," he said.
And although progress has been made, houses still are not faultless, Gray said. "With so many intricacies in the fire code inspection process, it's hard to be perfect."
Still, Watson said, alumni involvement has had a positive impact on the fraternities and has contributed to reducing the number of violations.
Poitras, however, said his group's work is far from done. "We want to work together to make the UNC Greek system one of the best in the country."
