Okemos High School fire-alarm system to be replaced after lightning damage; board approves $360,000 award

Okemos Public Schools trustees voted unanimously to replace the fire-alarm system at Okemos High School after a lightning strike and widespread component failures left the existing system effectively unrepairable.

Director John Lieber told the board the system is more than 30 years old, many replacement parts are no longer available and the state fire marshal required rapid action. While the district is under a state-approved fire watch, the district is paying roughly $5,600 a week to keep the building open and supervised; Lieber said insurance is covering the weekly fire-watch expense.

The board voted to award the replacement contract to Boynton Fire Safety Service in an amount not to exceed $360,000. Lieber said insurance will cover roughly $70,000 of that total and that the remainder will be paid from the district’s 2022 bond funds or the sinking fund; trustees amended the award to explicitly include both funding sources for flexibility in final invoicing. The vote was 7–0.

Lieber described the procurement as an emergency response directed by the state fire marshal and said a normal competitive bidding process was not followed because of the urgency and parts availability. He added that contractors will not begin installation until all specified devices are available, which has extended timelines for similar projects elsewhere.

Superintendent Hood said the district hopes to complete installation by the end of the summer, with a goal of finishing in July to allow time for testing and final state approval. Trustees asked staff to report back with invoicing details and final funding allocations once invoices begin arriving.

The board’s action authorizes the district to move forward with the replacement and gives administration discretion to use bond or sinking-fund dollars in addition to insurance reimbursements.