GILROY
– Two school’s fire alarms are now up to code after it was
recently discovered that they were working intermittently,
according to school district maintenance staff.
GILROY – Two school’s fire alarms are now up to code after it was recently discovered that they were working intermittently, according to school district maintenance staff.
“We discovered we had some problems there with the underground wiring that connects the different buildings,” said Charlie Van Meter, director of facilities and maintenance operations.
Much of the wiring between buildings was placed underground during an upgrade of Gilroy Unified School District fire alarm systems several years ago,
During recent modernization work at South Valley Middle School, it was discovered that there was a problem with the fire alarm system.
“We kept having, just, on and off persistent problems with them,” Van Meter said. “We thought there might be a short or a ground in the system somewhere.” The alarm system at Brownell Academy Middle School was reporting a similar problem and both were repaired this week.
“No kids were in danger or anything like that because the alarms were working, it was just a little problem here a little problem there,” Van Meter said. “They are all fixed and all working.”
While fire alarms in schools are required by law, sprinklers are not. Only one Gilroy school – Antonio Del Buono Elementary – has a fire sprinkler system, Van Meter said. Sprinklers are often seen as too great a preventative expense when insurance will cover the cost of replacing destroyed buildings.
In 2002, a law was passed requiring sprinklers to be installed in all newly constructed schools, but does not apply to repairs or upgrades.
Installation costs have prevented state legislators and fire officials from passing laws requiring smoke detectors and sprinklers in schools.
