What's the BFD with fire alarms?

The Berkeley Fire Department (BFD) has required that we upgrade the alarm system.

Last fall (2007) the new Fire Marshal advised the greek system and other residential housing places like apartments that we needed to upgrade our systems. Now we need to have fire alarms which are wired into the main alarm control box, so if the detector senses smoke, the main alarm goes off, the whole house is alerted, and FIRE TRUCKS ROLL!

Of course, we all want to avoid a disastrous fire--the BFD wants to save lives and so do we. But come on! Didn't we just put fire sprinklers in a few years ago? Yes, we did. In 2002 new laws were put on the books. The City of Berkeley changed local fire code regulations to provide a higher level of protection for multi room residential facilities as a reaction to disastrous fires in other cities. I recently attended a meeting of the Fraternity Alumni Council where the new gal Fire Marshal (can't recall her name at the moment) presented the new facts. 

$30,000 bucks for the upgraded system!

In order for the Delta Deuteron charge to comply we will need to install 'smoke alarms' in all interior common spaces (public rooms and halls). We already have 'smoke detectors' in the bedrooms. The new smoke alarms must be hard wired to the (new and expensive) alarm control panel, which connects to the sprinkler system and the Berkeley Fire Department. The bedroom smoke detectors do not alarm the whole house. So if someone is smoking in a room the room detector goes off, not the whole house. Our contracted vendor has quoted us a price of just under $30 grand, including the wired alarm units, the new alarm control box, installation, testing, bla, bla, bla. The job is made more expensive because we're trying to hide the wires in the ceilings to preserve the esthetic value of the brand new renovation. Ironically, we just had the ceilings open two years ago. 

Consequences: No Cave Party

This regulation has been law since 2002, but the BFD kindly waited until after we finished our renovations before stepping up to a new level of enforcement. As of 2008, we can not have any large parties until the new alarm system is installed. We can continue to occupy the house for its main purpose: residency. But when you hold a party (50 or more people) that is an assembly. Assemblies require a permit from the FD, no assemblies till the alarm is in. So no Cave Party 'till we spend $30 grand. 

More on this later.

You can see photos of the charge house, including the open ceilings in the main floor, by visiting the house web site at www.caltdx.org