Preliminary estimates show it could cost more than $100,000 to meet the state’s fire alarm standards at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
Director Dan Kays asked school board members to approve a $22,100 fee for engineering. CMG Fire Protection Engineering Inc. of Overland Park will design and recommend a system that meets state requirements.
In October, a visit from the state fire marshal revealed several problems tied to the 1964-era alarm system. The system hasn’t been upgraded much since the building was built, and doesn’t meet current standards.
A CMG representative estimated the project could be about $100,000, based on a typical cost of $3 per square foot in a 33,000 square foot building.
The project could include wireless units, which would avoid some of the need for new conduit and electrical. The bid process will ask for both types.
It’s likely the project will need electrical subcontractors, and Kays believes local electricians will be involved in at least some part of the work.
CMG has already talked to state fire officials on the Bowlus’s behalf, Kays said, in order to determine the scope of the work needed.
BECAUSE the Bowlus is frequently used by students, it must meet newer standards.
The building has pull-style alarms that are not connected to the county’s 911 system and lacks smoke detectors. In the basement, it can be difficult to hear the fire alarm. There are also very limited strobe lights, which alert someone who is hearing impaired.
On the plus side, the Bowlus needs only to improve the alarm system and not the entire fire suppression system, which would be more costly.
THE PROJECT likely will be funded by a combination of grants and trust money, Kays said.
With the engineering fee and the estimated cost of the work, he expects the total to be around $122,000.
He expects the Bowlus could qualify for a USDA Rural Development Grant that could cover up to $42,000.
A recent gift, the Moore Trust, is being used for a parking lot project but he expects there will be about $53,000 left over that could go to the fire alarm system.
Fundraising likely will be needed for the remaining $26,000 or so, “but that isn’t a scary number,” he said. “I think we can find it.”
The board approved his request for $22,100 for the engineering study, but planned to wait to approve the rest.
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