Northwestern’s tentative plan to install new fire sprinklers in all residence halls could be hurried along by an ordinance proposed by the Evanston fire department.
The proposed ordinance would require the installation of fire sprinkler systems in buildings with large nighttime populations or with residents who might have trouble evacuating, said Chief Alan J. Berkowsky said.
The proposed ordinance, which was introduced at a City Council meeting on April 22, also would affect hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and non-owner occupied rooming houses.
While NU already has installed new sprinkler systems in some residence halls, many don’t have the most up-to-date fire safety systems.
The university already has a “strategic plan” for installing sprinkler systems, but administrators have not yet worked out the cost or a time frame for the project, said Mark Mitchell of NU’s Office of Risk Management.
According to fire department estimates, it costs between $5 and $7 per square foot to install a sprinkler system, which includes painting, plastering and other unexpected costs.
Berkowsky estimated it would take about $20 million to $30 million for NU to install sprinkler systems in all its residential buildings.
“Instead of waiting for something bad to happen, we are trying to be a little ahead of the curve,” Berkowsky said. “But of course, everything goes back to dollars and cents.”
However, Office of Risk Management administrators said money wasn’t an issue.
Though installing sprinkler systems in all NU housing facilities would be an expense, the administration is more focused on students’ well-being than cost, Mitchell said.
“This is the right thing to do,” said Christopher Johnson, director of the Office of Risk Management.
During Winter Break, sprinkler systems were installed in the upper floors and living areas of Allison Hall. Systems also were installed at College of Cultural and Community Studies and Lindgren Residential College of Science and Engineering at the end of last summer.
Both Mitchell and Berkowsky said fire safety in a university setting is tricky because students often disregard safety procedures or do not consider fire safety a high priority.
It’s difficult to remove the “human element” no matter how many safety programs are implemented, Mitchell said.
“A fire alarm is good as long as people respond accordingly,” Berkowsky said. On the other hand, sprinklers “don’t require human intervention.”
Usually only one or two sprinklers are needed to put out a fire, and they are about 96 percent successful, Berkowsky said.
Contrary to popular belief and Hollywood depictions, not all sprinkler heads activate in the event of a fire, he said.
Sprinklers are in specific locations and only activate when temperatures reach about 165 degrees and melt a stopper, allowing water to flow.
Many dorm fires are caused by smoking, cooking and malfunctioning or misused electrical devices, he Mitchell said.
The university provides extensive fire safety training to resident assistants, but students need to recognize the procedures for them to be effective.
“We are dealing with young adults,” Mitchell said. “They are not kids, they are not senior citizens. Our posture is to educate, not mandate.”
