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Tampa Convention Center Ordered To Fix Fire Alarm System

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 11, 2009

TAMPA - The city's fire marshal office has given Tampa Convention Center officials 30 days to fix faulty equipment on the a 60,000-square foot facility's fire alarm system.

The order follows an inspection of the facility on Monday, when fire officials found nearly a dozen problems with the system that have gone unresolved for more than a month.

In January, a test of the system by Advanced Engineered Systems found warning strobe lights were not functioning, elevators had no emergency phone jacks and there were no evacuation speakers in meeting rooms. One smoke detector was hanging from its wires.

But the company, which was hired by the convention center, never informed the fire marshal's office about the inspection, which is required by state law, and as of this week the faulty equipment had not been repaired.

City officials claim there is no safety risk from the faulty equipment and say deficiencies such as those found during the inspection are normal for a fire alarm system of its size.

From the outset, the convention center's alarm system – which was installed about two years ago under an emergency purchase order – has been plagued by problems.

The first contractor, Airwaves Inc., went bankrupt halfway through the project after billing the city some $300,000. Shortly after, the project was taken over by Advance Building Control Systems, which finished the work in 2007 at a cost of more than $600,000.

Tampa fire marshals inspected the new fire alarm system in November 2007 and found numerous deficiencies, including smoke detectors that weren't installed on the ceilings.

Those problems were resolved before a follow-up fire inspection in September.

ABC Systems representatives have declined to comment on the problems.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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