Wake County system schools will need to operate a “fire watch” after inspectors discovered more than two dozen schools’ fire alarms could no longer signal needed maintenance to school staff.
The school system has been operating under a fire watch since Wednesday, the school system announced Thursday. That means a staff member walks the entire building searching for fires when the buildings are occupied. They can’t do any other tasks, per state law on fire watches.
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The problems with the fire alarms don’t affect how they function when a fire is detected; the alarm would still sound and sprinklers would still go off, the announcement states. However, the affected alarms can currently only signal a need for maintenance — similar to how a home smoke detector beeps when it needs new batteries — to off-campus officials.
The alarms are supposed to signal two beeps, the first to off-campus officials and the second to on-campus officials.
The school system’s announcement states that alterations with panels inside the alarms is preventing the second beep from sounding.
As a result of the inspection findings, the Wake County Fire Marshal has revoked the school system’s ability to maintain their own fire systems. The school system will contract with a third-party to test and certify all of its fire alarms and correct any problems.
Once the fire alarms are fixed and re-certified, the fire watch would end, spokeswoman Sara Clark said.