bambii
<font color=#000080>aka Jadedee<br><font color=dee
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This a story about tampa bay schools it is from there abc news website.
Investigation: Dangerous fire code violations at Hillsborough schools
an ABC Action News report 2/27/04
TAMPA - When a fire breaks out, we expect the alarm to go off. But that doesn't always happen at some schools in the bay area.
ABC Action News investigator Mike Mason spent months looking through records and visiting school campuses, and he found serious fire code violations at Hillsborough County schools.
The problems included alarms that don't work, escape windows screwed shut, blocked exits, and missing fire extinguishers.
"I've seen some things that I'm not very happy with," said Rand Napoli, the director of the state Fire Marshal's Office.
Parents and state officials want answers, but Hillsborough school officials offered only excuses.
"They're very safe and they're safe to be occupied by students," safety director Glen Lathers said, lamenting the frequent fire code changes.
Across the bay in Pinellas County, they've managed to keep up with changing codes. But violations in Hillsborough are ignored for years.
Mike discusses inspections with Hillsborough safety director Glen Lathers.
"For two years in a row, it was not up to code by not having smoke detectors," Mike told Glen Lathers as they read an inspection report.
"It doesn't mean it's unsafe, it means that it didn't meet code," Lathers claimed.
At East Bay High, Mike found emergency escape windows screwed shut. School officials couldn't even open them. East Bay was cited nine months ago, but no one ever fixed the problem.
At Leto High School, the fire alarm panel is malfunctioning; there's no way to know if the alarms even work. Records show that panel has had problems for years.
"All I can do right now, Mike, is report it back and see what's causing this and find out why," explained Oscar Gonzalez of Leto High.
The fire alarms inside Leto's portables don't work. Inspectors have cited them year after year.
At Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary, the alarms inside their portables don't work either.
"We do not have the resources, at this time, to go out and upgrade all of these portables," Lathers told Mike.
No one could open the emergency escape window at East Bay High.
Portable classrooms at Tampa Bay Boulevard have gone without fire alarms or smoke detectors for the last seven years.
"I thought, by law, you had to have a smoke detection device, strobe lights, a fire alarm," Mike Mason told Glen Lathers.
"Strobe lights, I'm not sure about," Lathers replied. "Smoke detectors, the law changed in July of 2003. We're in the process of upgrading all of our portables, and they're not there yet."
However, Lathers was wrong. The law changed in 1994, not 2003.
Starting in 1994, wooden portables were required to have "at least one smoke detector" and "shall activate the fire alarm."
Leto High and Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary are both in violation.
At Carrollwood Elementary, the school's main fire alarm was recently down for months. Principal Jan King had to buy blow-horns as a backup, which she demonstrated for Mike.
The situation is serious at Yates Elementary. In October, school personnel there told inspectors "the fire alarm has chronic 'trouble' problems that are not being addressed by the administration."
Where is the fire extinguisher?
"A fire alarm system that is not functional would be an imminently dangerous condition," Lathers admitted.
So why didn't the district fix the alarm?
Superintendent Earl Lennard refused to talk about specific schools, and only gave Action News general answers.
"Anything that is of an imminent or of a life, limb, safety problem, we fix immediately," Dr. Lennard insisted.
But at Yates, records show it took two years for the district to fix the fire alarm.
At Plant City High School, Mike found fire extinguishers missing and exit signs broken. Fire alarm pull stations throughout the school were busted
Armed with all this information, Mike Mason took his findings to state officials in Tallahassee.
"Violations of the code are not acceptable," stated Rand Napoli, the director of the state Fire Marshal's Office, which began overseeing school inspections two years ago. "You can be certain I'll be having some conversations with the Hillsborough County officials."
Rand Napoli, director of the state Fire Marshal's Office.
Mike also showed his video of the schools to parents.
"Oh my God," observed Tammy Griffin, whose 15-year-old son Brandon goes to Plant City High. "That is horrible."
Brandon told Action News the fire alarm seldom works. "Most of the time," he said, students can't hear the bell.
In all, Mike found a total of 62 schools in Hillsborough County with fire alarm problems, and the investigation is already prompting action.
The Hillsborough County Fire Marshal's Office just inspected more than 30 schools because of what Mike found. District officials are now taking action to repair violations.
In Pinellas County, schools are in better shape. Portables there are equipped with fire alarms, plus heat and smoke detectors.
INSPECTION REPORTS
Pinellas County offers a list of the schools that had fire code violations. Selected school inspection reports are also available for download in Microsoft Word format.
Pinellas County schools list
Hillsborough County does not offer individual inspection reports, but ABC Action News has compiled a list of the reports for the 62 schools with fire alarm problems.
Hillsborough County reports
After Mike's investigation, Hillsborough County schools issued a 127-page corrective action plan. That plan is available for download, in PDF format, from their Web site.
Corrective action plan
That district hired Gene Banks as a fulltime fire marshal, a position that does not exist in Hillsborough.
"It helps us to be in a better position to address concerns that come up, as well as dealing with new construction and keeping up with the codes so everyone in the district will be on the same page," Banks explained.
Hillsborough superintendent Earl Lennard maintains his schools are also in good shape, despite video and records that show serious violations.
"Hillsborough County schools are safe. There is no question about that," he added.
But parents like Tammy Griffin question whether the district is doing enough.
"Safety comes first. And they need to get it fixed," she said.
After Mike's investigation began, the district issued a corrective action plan outlining how it would address all 2,000 violations. The report (linked above) lists each and every school, along with every violation that needs to be corrected.
Monday, Mike is taking a closer look at the state fire marshal and the mistakes that agency made in keeping up with inspections. Plus, members of the Hillsborough County School Board will react to his investigation.
Investigation: Dangerous fire code violations at Hillsborough schools
an ABC Action News report 2/27/04
TAMPA - When a fire breaks out, we expect the alarm to go off. But that doesn't always happen at some schools in the bay area.
ABC Action News investigator Mike Mason spent months looking through records and visiting school campuses, and he found serious fire code violations at Hillsborough County schools.
The problems included alarms that don't work, escape windows screwed shut, blocked exits, and missing fire extinguishers.
"I've seen some things that I'm not very happy with," said Rand Napoli, the director of the state Fire Marshal's Office.
Parents and state officials want answers, but Hillsborough school officials offered only excuses.
"They're very safe and they're safe to be occupied by students," safety director Glen Lathers said, lamenting the frequent fire code changes.
Across the bay in Pinellas County, they've managed to keep up with changing codes. But violations in Hillsborough are ignored for years.
Mike discusses inspections with Hillsborough safety director Glen Lathers.
"For two years in a row, it was not up to code by not having smoke detectors," Mike told Glen Lathers as they read an inspection report.
"It doesn't mean it's unsafe, it means that it didn't meet code," Lathers claimed.
At East Bay High, Mike found emergency escape windows screwed shut. School officials couldn't even open them. East Bay was cited nine months ago, but no one ever fixed the problem.
At Leto High School, the fire alarm panel is malfunctioning; there's no way to know if the alarms even work. Records show that panel has had problems for years.
"All I can do right now, Mike, is report it back and see what's causing this and find out why," explained Oscar Gonzalez of Leto High.
The fire alarms inside Leto's portables don't work. Inspectors have cited them year after year.
At Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary, the alarms inside their portables don't work either.
"We do not have the resources, at this time, to go out and upgrade all of these portables," Lathers told Mike.
No one could open the emergency escape window at East Bay High.
Portable classrooms at Tampa Bay Boulevard have gone without fire alarms or smoke detectors for the last seven years.
"I thought, by law, you had to have a smoke detection device, strobe lights, a fire alarm," Mike Mason told Glen Lathers.
"Strobe lights, I'm not sure about," Lathers replied. "Smoke detectors, the law changed in July of 2003. We're in the process of upgrading all of our portables, and they're not there yet."
However, Lathers was wrong. The law changed in 1994, not 2003.
Starting in 1994, wooden portables were required to have "at least one smoke detector" and "shall activate the fire alarm."
Leto High and Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary are both in violation.
At Carrollwood Elementary, the school's main fire alarm was recently down for months. Principal Jan King had to buy blow-horns as a backup, which she demonstrated for Mike.
The situation is serious at Yates Elementary. In October, school personnel there told inspectors "the fire alarm has chronic 'trouble' problems that are not being addressed by the administration."
Where is the fire extinguisher?
"A fire alarm system that is not functional would be an imminently dangerous condition," Lathers admitted.
So why didn't the district fix the alarm?
Superintendent Earl Lennard refused to talk about specific schools, and only gave Action News general answers.
"Anything that is of an imminent or of a life, limb, safety problem, we fix immediately," Dr. Lennard insisted.
But at Yates, records show it took two years for the district to fix the fire alarm.
At Plant City High School, Mike found fire extinguishers missing and exit signs broken. Fire alarm pull stations throughout the school were busted
Armed with all this information, Mike Mason took his findings to state officials in Tallahassee.
"Violations of the code are not acceptable," stated Rand Napoli, the director of the state Fire Marshal's Office, which began overseeing school inspections two years ago. "You can be certain I'll be having some conversations with the Hillsborough County officials."
Rand Napoli, director of the state Fire Marshal's Office.
Mike also showed his video of the schools to parents.
"Oh my God," observed Tammy Griffin, whose 15-year-old son Brandon goes to Plant City High. "That is horrible."
Brandon told Action News the fire alarm seldom works. "Most of the time," he said, students can't hear the bell.
In all, Mike found a total of 62 schools in Hillsborough County with fire alarm problems, and the investigation is already prompting action.
The Hillsborough County Fire Marshal's Office just inspected more than 30 schools because of what Mike found. District officials are now taking action to repair violations.
In Pinellas County, schools are in better shape. Portables there are equipped with fire alarms, plus heat and smoke detectors.
INSPECTION REPORTS
Pinellas County offers a list of the schools that had fire code violations. Selected school inspection reports are also available for download in Microsoft Word format.
Pinellas County schools list
Hillsborough County does not offer individual inspection reports, but ABC Action News has compiled a list of the reports for the 62 schools with fire alarm problems.
Hillsborough County reports
After Mike's investigation, Hillsborough County schools issued a 127-page corrective action plan. That plan is available for download, in PDF format, from their Web site.
Corrective action plan
That district hired Gene Banks as a fulltime fire marshal, a position that does not exist in Hillsborough.
"It helps us to be in a better position to address concerns that come up, as well as dealing with new construction and keeping up with the codes so everyone in the district will be on the same page," Banks explained.
Hillsborough superintendent Earl Lennard maintains his schools are also in good shape, despite video and records that show serious violations.
"Hillsborough County schools are safe. There is no question about that," he added.
But parents like Tammy Griffin question whether the district is doing enough.
"Safety comes first. And they need to get it fixed," she said.
After Mike's investigation began, the district issued a corrective action plan outlining how it would address all 2,000 violations. The report (linked above) lists each and every school, along with every violation that needs to be corrected.
Monday, Mike is taking a closer look at the state fire marshal and the mistakes that agency made in keeping up with inspections. Plus, members of the Hillsborough County School Board will react to his investigation.
