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A bond issue facing voters in Maine would allow the University of Maine to get up to $7 million to install sprinkler systems in residence halls.
“This day and age sprinkler systems are an absolute necessity for student safety,” said Lorin LeClaire, the chief of the Orono fire department.
The bond issue follows a bill that was turned down by Congress, which would have required residence halls to have sprinklers. LD1561, the issue being voted on, would allow the UMaine System access to no-interest loans to be used to install sprinkler systems in residence halls that do not have existing systems. Currently only six out of 19 of UMaine’s residence halls have sprinkler systems, including Balentine Hall, Colvin Hall, Hancock Hall, Oak Hall, DTAV and York Village.
“It will create a safe campus environment, and prevent another situation like the Hancock fire,” said Jonathan Thomas, the House representative for District 123.
Fire damage could have been severely lowered in the Hancock fire in the spring of 2000. LeClaire estimates that the damage could have been kept to around $1,000 rather than $1 million, if buildings had been equipped with sprinklers.
“With sprinklers, fires would be under control or contained, so we would deal with a smaller fire,” LeClaire said.
Fire doors are currently in the residence halls as well as alert systems. LeClaire said that one problem is that sometimes the doors will be propped open, allowing fire to spread into halls and stairwells. He said that UMaine has been great about maintaining fire doors and alert systems, and as it is now there is rapid detection, but the fire can not be extinguished until the fire department arrives.
“Lives can’t be replaced, property can,” LeClaire said.
LeClaire, who has been active in legislation of sprinklers in residence halls, said that estimates show that it would cost the university about $3 million to install sprinklers into the remaining 13 residence halls.
“Its just a very small investment for a life,” LeClaire said.
During Maine Day last year, the Orono Fire Department conducted a demonstration for students to show the benefits of sprinklers in dorm rooms. They constructed two dorm rooms, and lit both of them on fire. One room was outfitted with a sprinkler system and the other was without the system. LeClaire said that students could walk through the room when it was on fire because it was extinguished so quickly with the sprinkler system. The room with out the sprinkler system was engulfed in flames.
“If I could see anything, this would be it [sprinkler systems], to save students lives,” LeClaire said.
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