Kootenai County project team recommends compressed-air fire protection for justice building evidence room

Construction and systems work on Kootenai County’s new justice building is nearing completion and project staff recommended the county adopt a compressed-air fire-protection arrangement for a secure evidence storage room, rather than an interior nitrogen-charged sprinkler line, project manager David Mendez told the Board of County Commissioners on March 4.

Mendez, with Turner and Townsend Heery, said construction is most complete on the third floor, with ceilings, doors and finish work progressing. He summarized status across floors and then described two fire-protection options for the evidence room, which county bailiffs requested be kept free of standing water to avoid damaging stored evidence.

Mendez said the first option would remove active sprinkler water from inside the evidence room and place valves outside the room; a sprinkler head would still break and allow water into the room when needed for fire suppression. The second option would use nitrogen-charged sprinkler lines—an approach sometimes used on exterior lines to prevent condensation and corrosion. Mendez said the nitrogen option would add roughly $12,000 and require interior storage of nitrogen bottles, and that mechanical and fire-protection consultants favored the compressed-air/branch system. "I don't think that's a good option for you," Mendez said of the nitrogen approach, and recommended acceptance of the compressed-air Brancheri system.

Commissioners and staff also discussed other construction issues Mendez reported, including three exterior windows that remain uninstalled and one window that failed testing; staff said additional testing and repairs are underway to ensure proper sealing. He described floor-by-floor status: third floor approaching final finishes and doors in April, second-floor carpeting and elevator work underway, first-floor priming/painting just beginning, and lower-level mechanical and secure-area work in progress.

Jeff Fuller, director of building and grounds, joined the presentation and answered procedural questions about furnishings and other next steps. No formal vote was taken at the March 4 status meeting; Mendez presented the recommendation and said commissioners would be asked for a decision later in the day on fire-protection for the evidence room.

Work remaining on exterior windows, final finishes and installation of doors and hardware could affect final occupancy timing, county staff said. The county did not set a new occupancy date during the discussion.

The presentation focused on technical tradeoffs and cost/space impacts tied to protecting evidence from accidental water damage. Commissioners did not adopt a formal resolution on the choice at this meeting; project staff left the compressed-air Brancheri approach as the recommended option for later action or confirmation.