New $2M Hawaii State Capitol Fire Alarm System Plagued by False Alarms
Installed in January, the new fire alarm was supposed to alleviate nuisance alarms that were common with the Capitol’s legacy system.
A fire alarm system installed at the State Capitol building in Honolulu, above, in January continues to be plagued by false alarms.
HONOLULU – Lawmakers here are voicing concerns about a new $2 million State Capitol fire alarm system that has continued to experience false alarms since it went into service less than three months ago. The legacy system it replaced was also plagued with nuisance alarms, according to a news report.
C & C Electrical Contractor installed the new system last year and activated it in January after it passed initial tests, NBC-affiliated KHNL-TV reported. However, there have already been a handful of false alarms, such as one that interrupted work at the State Capitol just before 9 a.m. Tuesday (March 17).
“Please cease operations and leave the building utilizing the nearest exit or fire exit stairway. Do not use elevators. Repeat, do not use elevators,” announced an automated male voice from speakers throughout the capitol after an alert sound.
RELATED: Fire Alarms in Jeopardy After Phone Company Abruptly Closes
Ironically, the State Capitol management committee was discussing the new fire alarm system and security upgrades when it was interrupted by Tuesday morning’s false alarm, which caused some people to evacuate, KHNL reported.
“Attention in the building, attention in the building. That was a false alarm. That was a false alarm,” the announcement said a few minutes later.
As the strobe-light alert continued flashing, lawmakers said they’re worried that chronic false alarms in the old system appear to be continuing with the new one.
RELATED: False Alarms Plagued 11-Story Senior Living Facility Before Deadly Fire
“It looks like we have the same problem. The question is has it been fixed or did we get a lemon installed,” said State Sen. Will Espero, chair of the State Senate public safety committee.
Officials from the state Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) said they don’t know what’s causing the problems. But they said the contractor is on the hook for the warranty and has to pay for any repairs.
State House Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Kuroda said it’s a frustrating situation.
“And we don’t know the causes of this alarm. It might be somebody accidentally pulled it. We don’t know but we’re going to have the vendor and DAGS provide a report on anything that activates the alarms,” Kuroda told the committee.
Another false alarm went off at the State Capitol Saturday morning around 8 a.m., Kuroda said.
State Rep. Scott Saiki, the State House majority leader, said, “This is an example of how government just needs to improve. I’m not exactly sure why the system has malfunctioned only months after it’s been installed.”
Saiki worried people will ignore the new fire alarm, just as they ignored the old one.
“Because the fire alarm was constantly malfunctioning almost every week, people stopped taking it seriously and just ignored it, so it really had no effect at that point,” Saiki said.
State lawmakers have asked for a report from the contractor and DAGS about what’s causing the false alarms in the new system and what’s being done to correct them, KHLN reported.
Officials said that at least the false alarms in the new system do not appear to be as frequent as in the old system, where the alarm incorrectly sounded weekly.
KHLN reported messages left for C & C Electrical Contractor were not returned as of Tuesday afternoon.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
