Spring Break
Charter Oak Suites Inspected
University, State Inspectors Find Safety Features To Be Adequate
Regina Forker
Issue date: 8/31/05 Section: News
After inspections yesterday morning, Charter Oak Suites have been deemed livable for the time being.
According to Vice President for Public and Environmental Safety Robert Hudd, state and UConn building inspectors and fire marshals inspected the complex to "see if it had enough safety features for people to keep living in it."
The inspection focused mainly on the sprinkler system, which was thought to be inadequate for the size of the building. The building, according to Hudd, is "a little over 61 feet tall," and therefore required a state inspection though none was done when the building first opened in 2003.
The results of the inspection found that the building does have enough safety features, and students will be allowed to continue living in them for the rest of the semester.
Hudd said they would keep firefighters on watch indefinitely.
"There will be two firefighters there 24 hours a day," Hudd said.
According to an article in The Hartford Courant Tuesday, Deputy State Fire Marshal John Blaschik said Charter Oak Suites do not have sprinklers in the attic or in other places where people aren't living, such as walls between ceilings and floors, which are required by the state building code.
According to Hudd, the plan for what will be done to the building will be ready within a day or two.
"Then we're going to move as rapidly as humanly possible to get the heat detectors in the attic, and then as fast as humanly possibly to get a sprinkler system in the attic," he said.
Even after a sprinkler system and heat detectors are installed in the building, it still will not be up to state code, according to Hudd.
"We'll hire a design professional to come up with a plan to get the building up to code," Hudd said.
Though Hudd said it's hard to say what else will have to be done to rectify the building situation, there are still issues with fire walls and fire doors. The construction that must take place has to be done while people aren't living in the facility.
According to Vice President for Public and Environmental Safety Robert Hudd, state and UConn building inspectors and fire marshals inspected the complex to "see if it had enough safety features for people to keep living in it."
The inspection focused mainly on the sprinkler system, which was thought to be inadequate for the size of the building. The building, according to Hudd, is "a little over 61 feet tall," and therefore required a state inspection though none was done when the building first opened in 2003.
The results of the inspection found that the building does have enough safety features, and students will be allowed to continue living in them for the rest of the semester.
Hudd said they would keep firefighters on watch indefinitely.
"There will be two firefighters there 24 hours a day," Hudd said.
According to an article in The Hartford Courant Tuesday, Deputy State Fire Marshal John Blaschik said Charter Oak Suites do not have sprinklers in the attic or in other places where people aren't living, such as walls between ceilings and floors, which are required by the state building code.
According to Hudd, the plan for what will be done to the building will be ready within a day or two.
"Then we're going to move as rapidly as humanly possible to get the heat detectors in the attic, and then as fast as humanly possibly to get a sprinkler system in the attic," he said.
Even after a sprinkler system and heat detectors are installed in the building, it still will not be up to state code, according to Hudd.
"We'll hire a design professional to come up with a plan to get the building up to code," Hudd said.
Though Hudd said it's hard to say what else will have to be done to rectify the building situation, there are still issues with fire walls and fire doors. The construction that must take place has to be done while people aren't living in the facility.