By Lisa Heller
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The UA must comply with the Fire Marshal's Office's orders to install sprinkler systems in Graham-Greenlee, Maricopa and Kaibab-Huachuca residence halls or face the possibility of being shut down, Residence Life confirmed last week.
The state fire code requires all residential buildings to install sprinkler systems during construction. However, the Fire Marshal's Office excluded existing residence halls without sprinkler systems, said Herb Wagner, the University of Arizona's risk management occupational and fire safety officer.
During most of the residence hall renovations, the UA installed sprinklers in the older halls. Both Kaibab-Huachuca and Maricopa were renovated, but sprinklers were not installed, said Jim Van Arsdel, director of Residence Life.
"Most buildings were built between the 1940s and '50s when sprinklers didn't exist," he said.
The Fire Marshal's Office told Residence Life to install sprinklers in the three halls as soon as possible. The halls currently have fire alarms to alert and evacuate residents until the fire department can assist with the emergency.
"Sprinklers save buildings, fire alarms save lives," Wagner said.
Residence Life plans to install sprinkler systems in Graham-Greenlee and Maricopa this summer.
"It's too hard to try to do that kind of work when students are in the room," Van Arsdel said. "It never works."
The cost is not known yet, but Van Arsdel estimates it to be $250,000 for the three halls.
"Our job is to provide a safe place to live," Van Arsdel said. "If the fire marshal doesn't believe we're moving fast enough, we can be shut down."