Spring Break
Charter Oak Gets Second Safety Patrol
Regina Forker
Issue date: 10/12/05 Section: News
A second UConn housing complex has been put under surveillance by fire and police patrols as of Sept. 17.
In addition to Charter Oak Suites, which according to university spokeswoman Karen Grava, houses 656 residents, Charter Oak Apartments, which house about 500 students, are now being patrolled in the event of an emergency.
Grava said the school is spending $20,000 per week on the patrols, and the cost did not increase with the addition of the patrol of the apartments. Maj. Ronald Blicher said the cost is being covered by state money and is coming from overtime budgets.
Patrols were first placed at Charter Oak Suites when it was found that the wrong fire sprinkler system was installed in the 2-year old building.
The same two-person patrol that has been watching the suites since Aug. 31 hasbeen extended to also patrol the apartments, Grava said.
According to Blicher, the police watch is "new to the operation," and they are conducting checks throughout the day and night.
Blicher said the decision to extend the fire watch, "was an agreement between the department of public safety for the state and the university to assure the safety of the Charter Oak Apartments."
Grava said the patrols will be in place, "until they are able to deal with the whole issue of the heat detectors."
The existing fire sprinkler system in Charter Oak Suites is inadequate for a building of its size.
According to an article in the Hartford Courant, 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.
Initial estimates to do the work on the sites, "came in really high," Grava said. According to an article in the Hartford Courant, the initial estimate was $582,000. University officials originally estimated the work would cost $60,000 to $90,000.
Grava said a walk-through of the complex with new bidders would be done this week, but the bidding has not officially opened yet.
In order for the patrols to leave, Blicher said either "the temporary fixes need to be in place or the actual permanent fix to the Charter Oak Apartments would need to be in place."
Blicher said police and fire patrols were put in place because they have the training, knowledge and expertise to deal with emergencies if a situation were to arise.
"These are mostly fire professionals who are trained to handle emergencies as they may arise, and if they come upon a situation they have the knowledge to address the situation," Blicher said.
In addition to Charter Oak Suites, which according to university spokeswoman Karen Grava, houses 656 residents, Charter Oak Apartments, which house about 500 students, are now being patrolled in the event of an emergency.
Grava said the school is spending $20,000 per week on the patrols, and the cost did not increase with the addition of the patrol of the apartments. Maj. Ronald Blicher said the cost is being covered by state money and is coming from overtime budgets.
Patrols were first placed at Charter Oak Suites when it was found that the wrong fire sprinkler system was installed in the 2-year old building.
The same two-person patrol that has been watching the suites since Aug. 31 hasbeen extended to also patrol the apartments, Grava said.
According to Blicher, the police watch is "new to the operation," and they are conducting checks throughout the day and night.
Blicher said the decision to extend the fire watch, "was an agreement between the department of public safety for the state and the university to assure the safety of the Charter Oak Apartments."
Grava said the patrols will be in place, "until they are able to deal with the whole issue of the heat detectors."
The existing fire sprinkler system in Charter Oak Suites is inadequate for a building of its size.
According to an article in the Hartford Courant, 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.
Initial estimates to do the work on the sites, "came in really high," Grava said. According to an article in the Hartford Courant, the initial estimate was $582,000. University officials originally estimated the work would cost $60,000 to $90,000.
Grava said a walk-through of the complex with new bidders would be done this week, but the bidding has not officially opened yet.
In order for the patrols to leave, Blicher said either "the temporary fixes need to be in place or the actual permanent fix to the Charter Oak Apartments would need to be in place."
Blicher said police and fire patrols were put in place because they have the training, knowledge and expertise to deal with emergencies if a situation were to arise.
"These are mostly fire professionals who are trained to handle emergencies as they may arise, and if they come upon a situation they have the knowledge to address the situation," Blicher said.