Sprinklers get the go

Students who live on campus will soon find themselves face to face with a room and board rate raise as the University looks to fill a funding gap caused by a state requirement for sprinkler systems.

During the Board of Trustees meeting March 10, it unanimously decided to begin installing sprinklers this summer, starting with Schneider Hall in Brush Towers. According to the year 2000 Fire Protection Life Safety Code from the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office, all residence halls in the state must install fire-dampening sprinklers by 2013. The Board of Trustees estimates a 6 percent to 7 percent increase over the next five years for students living in all residence halls.

The $1.4 million summer project plans include the installation of fire sprinklers in each of Schneider Hall's 17 floors. Construction is scheduled to start in May and end in August, just before the students return in the fall. Mae Smith Hall's sprinklers will be installed in the summer of 2006, and Neely Hall will have sprinklers in the summer of 2007, costing the University an estimated $3,500,000.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, is the co-sponsor of a federal bill for a grant to help the University pay for the sprinklers. Shimkus's legislative assistant, Ryan Tracy, said the bill was introduced to a House committee March 3, but has not yet come to the House floor for a vote. Ed Jones, director of University Housing, said after the towers have the sprinklers installed, the next project on the list is to install them in Thompson Point and University Park, costing an additional $3 million.

Jones said Greek Row housing will not get sprinklers, but will get an upgraded $600,000 alarm system this summer. Jones said the buildings are scheduled for destruction in 2010. Duane Stucky, the University's vice-president for Financial and Administrative Affairs, said it is critical that Greek Row gets the fire safety upgrades. "You don't ignore the need for providing safety requirements in buildings," Stucky said.

The buildings will get upgraded electrical systems and the alarms will be hard wired rather than battery powered. The new systems will also register with the Physical Plant and the Carbondale fire department when they go off. "Safety is a very important thing," Jones said. "We're making sure we cover everything."

University Hall will also get upgraded fire alarm systems this summer. McDaniel Fire Systems of Marion will install the sprinklers. The company has installed sprinklers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dennis Rowlett, vice president of the company's Marion branch, said the project will take a little extra help to get it finished before the fall semester begins. "It's a fairly aggressive schedule," Rowlett said. "We're bringing in extra manpower."