From Firehouse.com: As of yesterday, Salisbury firefighters are no longer providing a
fire watch at two local businesses at taxpayer expense, saving the town
about $1,000 a day.
Due to a snafu involving the incomplete connection of sprinkler systems at the businesses, beginni
ng Sept. 7, one Salisbury firefighter had been stationed at two Route
110 businesses owned by Bruce Arakelian — Sylvan Street Grille
Restaurant and Vision Max movie complex, which have a total capacity of
1,980 people. As of yesterday the cost of that watch is estimated to be
around $27,000, which the town of Salisbury picked up for Arakelian.
Town Manager Neil Harrington said the controversial watch was begun
because Salisbury officials believed an official in the state fire
marshal’s office had ordered it during discussions with the town
Building Inspector Dave Lovering. Harrington said yesterday’s watch
removal came after Salisbury fire Chief Rick Souliotis resolved any
misunderstanding about the issue with the state fire marshal.
According to Jennifer Mieth, public information officer for the state
fire marshal, in early September, the Salisbury building inspector
called the agency to discuss concerns about the lack of an operating
sprinkler system at two related properties in town. The state fire marshal’s office denied that it ever ordered Salisbury to put town firefighters on the watch....
Neither of Arakelian’s buildings are a fire hazard or unsafe and
neither building is currently required to have sprinkler systems.
However, Arakelian decided to voluntarily upgrade the buildings by
installing sprinklers throughout about three years ago. The
controversial and expensive problem of the firefighter watch arose when
town inspectors realized that the partially installed sprinkler system
wasn’t connected to a water source.
Town officials believed that because the sprinklers themselves were
installed and are visible in the ceilings, people patronizing the
businesses had the expectation that they were working. Harrington said
one of the options given to Lovering by the fire marshal’s office was to
place a paid firefighter at the buildings when they were open for
business to monitor constantly for fire.
http://www.firehouse.com/news/10817423/fire-watch-at-massachusetts-businesses-doused
So, you have two firefighters babysitting 2 buildings that are not unsafe and are up to code to watch for a fire that the patrons or employees can also see.
This is not that unusual. I know, in CCSD, at least last year, if a school or a portable classroom was not connected to the fir alarm system, they would hire a fire watch person from a local security firm to watch for a fire that never came.
What utter stupidity.
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