Board asks school department to explain expired fire extinguishers, requests contractor attendance

The Lowell Board of Health asked the School Department to send a representative and the department’s contracted fire-safety company to its next meeting after multiple local schools were found to have expired fire extinguishers and at least one failed hood system.

Board members said the issue matters because expired extinguishers and failed kitchen hoods are routine safety items that should be maintained through the School Department’s contract. A motion asking that School Department representative Mr. Underwood attend the next Board meeting carried after a second; board members also discussed inviting the contractor and reviewing the contract language.

Matthew Sheehan, Development Services staff, reported that several schools — including Pawtucket, Shaughnessy and Moody — were in a failed status for expired extinguishers or hood-system problems as of his report. "They passed on 04/28, so they're all set" in one case, he said, and noted that some sites had since been brought into compliance. He told the board he had photographed expired equipment and sent the images to the appropriate city contacts.

A board member said the schools had known about some expired extinguishers since October and questioned why replacements were not completed earlier. "They've known that these were expired since October," the member said, urging the board to press the School Department for clearer scheduling and accountability. Another board member suggested the School Department and its contractor could set two yearly service dates (for example, October and April) to avoid midyear expirations.

Board members discussed whether the School Department could simply replace extinguishers itself and then bill the contractor if the company failed to perform. Several members asked the board clerk to request a copy of the contractor agreement and to invite both the School Department representative and the contractor to the next meeting so the board could review how the work is assigned and inspected.

The motion to request that Mr. Underwood attend the next meeting, with a contractor representative invited if appropriate, was moved by Miss Turner and seconded; the board voted in favor. The board did not adopt further enforcement actions at the meeting; members said they expected the meeting with the School Department to clarify next steps and possible remedies.

The Board of Health also discussed logistics and inspection cadence: staff noted that many extinguishers have a one-year cycle while ANSUL/hood-system checks vary by equipment and can range from 30 days up to a year. The board asked staff to provide the contract language and to confirm which schools remain in failed status at the time of the next report.

The board’s questions and the motion originated during the Development Services monthly update and were recorded as part of the meeting’s old-business discussion. The board expects a follow-up presentation and contract review at the next scheduled meeting.