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Fall River County approves repairs to courthouse and jail fire alarm and sprinkler systems
Summary
Commissioners approved quotes to replace failing alarm panels and repair sprinkler components after a fire marshal inspection raised safety concerns; funding will come from the county building fund.
The Fall River County Board of Commissioners approved contractor quotes to replace outdated fire alarm control panels and to perform sprinkler-system repairs at the courthouse and county jail after an inspection by the state fire marshal flagged intermittent alarm failures and a nearly closed fire-department connection.
The work was presented to commissioners by Darr, a county staff member, who said the county received an anonymous complaint that prompted a New Year’s Eve inspection and written quotes from the county’s longstanding vendor for fire protection work. Darr said the alarm panels are old and intermittently failing, and that a check valve on the fire-department (FD) connection is “almost shut.” He said the fire marshal would accept a documented plan to make repairs but indicated a 24-hour fire-watch (a fire guard) could be required if the county did not move forward.
The county intends to use funds from its building fund and general-fund surplus to pay for the work; the panel replacements were described as in-stock by the vendor and the vendor estimated a roughly two-week lead time with crews likely available sooner because of upcoming cold weather. Commissioners discussed that the building fund is a levied fund designated for repairs and maintenance and that the expense was not specifically budgeted but can be covered from those reserves.
Commissioners moved to accept the vendor quotes and authorize the work; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Darr said he would call the vendor and get the work scheduled immediately, noting cold weather made prompt action preferable.
The county will also schedule the required five-year inspection after completion; Darr said a five-year inspection will make any future fixes easier if issues arise within that period. The board did not announce a total dollar figure in the meeting record and no specific vendor invoice amount was read into the minutes at the time of the vote.
The action responds to the fire marshal’s direction and aims to restore reliable alarm and sprinkler operation at two critical public facilities.
