Several refurbishment projects were announced at the Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 22, and one aims to upgrade fire alarm systems in each of the eight Quad residence halls.
The buildings currently make use of a zone-based system but will switch to a system more compliant with the University’s safety standards over the next two years with some added design improvements.
The project will be split into two phases over two years, according to Dan King, associate vice president for facilities.
Harper, Broun, Owen and Dowdell Halls will receive the new alarm systems in 2020, while four other buildings will be upgraded in summer 2021. The first phase is projected to cost between $1.1 million and $1.3 million and will be funded by Student Affairs.
King stated that the current fire alarm systems in place are functioning as normal, but the replacements will be more efficient.
“It’s certainly not the case today that the residences are unsafe,” King said. “They have operable fire alarm systems. When there’s a fire detected, it’ll show what area of the building it’s in. With the new system, it’ll show the exact room and the exact space.”
A question was raised by one member of the board on whether the project could be pushed back to 2021, but King urged trustees to approve the proposal for the periods outlined in the resolution.
“The reason to split it is we can’t afford to impact all eight of those Quad residence halls over the summer,” King said, citing a limited budget for the replacement process.
The project was approved and Facilities Management will move on with the upgrades as scheduled in the next year.
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