Repairs extinguish Van Pelt fire alarms

Smoke detectors will replace Van Pelt Library's heat-activated ones, shutting down the system for weeks. Renovations of the fire alarm system in Van Pelt Library have forced library officials to deactivate the system since last Friday -- and the alarms will remain off until repairs are completed within the next couple of weeks. According to Charles Jenkins, manager of Operational Services for Van Pelt, the library's old heat-activated detectors are being replaced by smoke detectors. But students noticing the missing alarms expressed concern over the possible safety hazard. "That's pretty disturbing," said College of General Studies senior Sonia O'Leary, who was studying on Van Pelt's third floor Tuesday. "I wonder if I want to keep sitting here." But Fire and Occupational Safety Director James Miller said the replacement is necessary. The old alarm system was "not as dependable as as it should be," he said. Van Pelt is one of several campus buildings where the smoke alarms are being replaced, said Miller, who added that alarms in the David Rittenhouse Laboratory were replaced several weeks ago. He speculated that more campus buildings will undergo the same renovations in the future. Miller added that during such renovations, old systems usually remain operational while the new system is installed. But he said that was not possible in Van Pelt and DRL because the old wiring needed to be removed and replaced. Until completion of the renovation, "there is no automatic warning system" in Van Pelt, Miller said. Temporary measures to ensure safety include signs posted near all fire alarms and notification of the security guards. The signs posted to alert library patrons of the system shutdown say, "Van Pelt Library's Fire Alarm System is in the process of being updated. Some of the building's fire alarm pull stations are out of service. In event of an emergency notify people to leave the building and call campus police at 511 from the nearest available phone." But O'Leary said the signs alerting students of the alarms' temporary deactivation should be posted in more visible locations -- including the library entrances. This is "acceptable by fire code," said Miller, who added that the University had to notify the Philadelphia Fire Department of the deactivation. And Philadelphia Fire Department Lt. Jack Gallagher said this procedure is permitted as a temporary measure in order to renovate the system. While students said the deactivation could pose a threat if a fire were to occur, "totally occupied buildings are pretty safe," Miller noted. And the security guards who routinely patrol at night are aware of the situation. Van Pelt security official James Ayers said, however, that he thought the old fire alarms were still operational. "In the event of a fire, the old one still works," Ayers said. "They're updating it -- that's all." College junior Rob Fechner noted that library officials should make an extra effort to get the system back up. "I'm not in here enough to worry about it personally, but it's definitely unacceptable, especially in a place like the library which is probably one of the most flammable places on campus," Fechner said. And Wharton graduate student Dominic Petty said he has seen missing alarms throughout the library. "I went to the bathroom on the third floor and saw one ripped out," Petty said. "I assumed that it would be fixed as quickly as possible."