University Business - November 2009 - (Page 38)

To crack down on the theft and damage of fire extinguishers, Gettysburg College (Pa.) adopted a scanner system to manage the status and location of 1,000 devices throughout the campus (left). And at Loyola University Chicago (right), RealView’s CommandScope Electronic Pre-Plan software helps officials quickly access pertinent information about building floor plans. Campus Fires: Prevent to Protect Richmond Hall, a ’50s-era dorm, was retrofitted in 2007 with an ONYX ExitPoint system. When a fire alarm goes off, the alarm control activates a white noise signal that gives directional commands to help building occupants pinpoint the nearest exit location. Gettysburg has also evolved in its use of fire safety technology. All alarm systems now report to a monitoring station within the public safety department, Taylor explains. While the alarms used to have digital phone dialers, they now use fiber optic cables, which enable control from a remote location and a quicker incident response. The new system also reports when a smoke detector is dirty or has been removed. Before, students could remove the batteries from a detector if they wanted to smoke in their rooms without getting caught. Now, Taylor notes, he and his colleagues “know about it the second they remove it, and we respond and get it back up and working.” A goal of retrofitting all residence halls and Greek houses with new sprinkler systems and hard-wired smoke detectors by August 2010 has been established at the institution. Calling in Local Enforcement Another stride in fire prevention has been in town/gown relationships. “Campus officials are openly involving [community] fire departments in event planning and training, and, in some areas, even voluntarily opening their doors for inspection,” notes Martin. Administrators at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, worked closely with the state fire marshal’s office during the course of fire safety upgrades. The improvements went beyond state requirements to include full sprinkler systems in all residence halls as well as new annunicator panels, which alert university police when a specific alarm goes off, in three older halls. “It gives us a higher degree of information more quickly that you can respond to,” says Terry Cook, associate vice president for administrative services. The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute of the University of Maryland also helped out by lending a fire burn trailer for a simulation in October, which demonstrated to students the time it takes from activating an alarm to extinguishing a fire, adds Cook. Seton Hall: A Decade Later Following the fatal Seton Hall University dorm fire in 2000, legislation required all New Jersey colleges and universities to retrofit their residence halls with sprinkler systems. It’s a move being made by institutions across the country as well. Laura Wankel, vice president for student affairs at Seton Hall, says fire safety procedures, training, and practices have since been revised considerably. Officials work with the South Orange Fire Department and student government and Greek organizations to educate students. At the time of the fire, Wankel notes, residence hall fire systems were in full compliance with code. But all campus residence halls now contain state-of-the-art fire suppression and alarm systems. Officials have also expanded fire prevention efforts in relation to academic buildings. A Fire Safety Awareness Team was trained to expand the number of employees with the knowledge and skill to assist with education and compliance needs across campus. “We are also running more complex fire drills,” adds Wankel. Commonly used exit paths in buildings are blocked off so that occupants can come up with alternative strategies for leaving a building. 38 | November/December 2009 Extinguishing Damage Another preventative tool is the veteran fire extinguisher. While these devices can assist in the early stage of a fire, vandalism and theft are common. In fall 2003, the University of Utah began installing a system from en-Gauge to electronically monitor fire extinguishers in two freshmen residence halls that had a history of extinguishers being vandalized. The system is now campuswide. “We were probably averaging about 50 fire extinguisher thefts or discharges a year,” says Halligan. The new system continuously monitors each device’s location and checks on pressure status and obstruction to access. Incidents of vandalism have dropped significantly. The system has also cut down on response time and the need to hire extra staff for handling fire extinguisher maintenance, and it provides reassurance for students and families. “That makes people feel a lot more comfortable—knowing the equipment that is universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November 2009

University Business - November 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Human Resources
35 Smart Building Ideas
Campus Fires: Prevent to Protect
Pushing ADA Beyond the Limits
Internet Technology
End Note

University Business - November 2009