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Brian Browning reports fire-marshal findings; commissioners authorize work to address courthouse doors
Summary
After a fire-marshal inspection, Brian Browning outlined options for courthouse clerk/treasurer doors — keep them closed or install automatic releases tied into the fire alarm. Commissioners voted unanimously to pursue repairs and lower-cost options, authorizing staff to move forward with estimated work of up to about $25,000 pending final quotes.
Brian Browning reported to the Ohio County commissioners that a courthouse fire-marshal inspection identified noncompliant clerk and treasurer doors and recommended either keeping the doors closed during business hours or installing automatic door releases tied into the building’s fire-alarm system. "The bottom line, the doors either have to stay closed all the time or [the] fire marshal wants automatic door releases that are connected into the fire alarm," Browning said.
Browning said a full-system integration quote from Siemens initially came in at about $29,000 and was later lowered to roughly $25,000 after further discussion. He also obtained a lower quote to install equipment (about $12,000) that would not include connecting or reprogramming the county’s existing Siemens panel. Browning said he had not yet received a Siemens quote for the integration and reprogramming portion.
Commissioners discussed interim safety steps and cost. The chair and other members noted that keeping doors closed during business hours would mitigate immediate risk but raised concerns about access and clerks’ ability to serve the public. Commissioners and staff also flagged the fire marshal’s discretion to assess penalties for noncompliance; Browning said the marshal could levy daily fines if violations were enforced during an inspection.
A county official (staff member S5) moved that the county pursue the recommended repairs and seek the most cost-effective path to bring doors into compliance; the motion referred to pursuing the revised Siemens quote and exploring local-install options for equipment while obtaining Siemens’ integration work. The commission seconded the motion and voted unanimously in favor.
The commission directed staff to continue getting firm, written quotes for both equipment installation and Siemens integration/programming, to notify the fire marshal of the county’s planned timeline, and—if the marshal visits before the work is complete—to keep the identified doors closed as an interim safety measure. Browning said he would follow up at the next meeting with written cost estimates and progress notes.
Next steps: staff will request and circulate final Siemens pricing for the integration work, confirm a vendor and timeline, and return to the commissioners with a formal recommendation and contract information at the next meeting.
