Fire alarms in many dorm rooms on campus will be updated to include louder sirens and a system to pinpoint where a fire is located.
Walt Miller, vice president for Student Life, said Santa Ana Hall and Santa Clara Hall are being upgraded this semester. The two-building project this semester cost $250,000. The project will be paid for through students' room and board fees.
Miller said some of the campus dorms that were built in the '50s need the enhancements, though the buildings aren't out of code.
"The fire alarm code (says it) isn't required to make a change on the fire alarms unless there is a major change in the increase of the square footage or because the size and shape of the building were changed," he said. "Then the alarms would have to be brought up with the current code."
When the older dormitories were built, they met the fire alarm codes at that time, when these technologies weren't available, Miller said.
Miller said the fire alarms would only fail to meet legal requirements if the dimensions of the buildings had changed since they were built.
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Regent Raymond Sanchez said the dorm fire alarm issue is an important safety concern that should be at the top of the University administration's list.
"This issue is something that has been brought up in the Board of Regents for about two years now," he said. "I feel very strongly that anyone living in the dorms should have full security, and students should be able to have the faith that the fire alarms won't just go off for any reason. Safety is paramount and should not be secondary under any circumstances."
Housing services will upgrade family housing, Coronado and Alvarado dormitories next, Miller said.
The University will upgrade the alarms in order of when the buildings were constructed and only as funding for the project becomes available, Miller said.
Student Tomas J. Valerio, who lives in the dorms, said all the fire alarms should comply with the fire code.
"It's really necessary to have all the proper safety measures for all the dorm students, considering liability issues and also considering the fact that we as students are paying a lot of money to stay in the dorms," he said.
Miller said workers will stay out of students' ways while making the improvements. They will work during later morning hours in the business week and run all of the main lines through the hallways.
The improvements do not include a sprinkler-system hookup, which some buildings have only in areas with a greater risk of catching fire, Miller said.
"There are parts of these buildings that do have it, for example in the basement, trash areas and in utility areas like electric rooms," he said.
Valerio said the dorms have rules prohibiting flammable items to reduce the risk of fire.
"Some safety measures dorms are proceeding with are things like not allowing students to burn incense or candles and to not hang things on top of the ceiling in the dorms," he said.
