Southwick Fire Chief Richard Anderson, foreground, checks his watch after a fire inspector activates a pull box alarm at Woodland Elementary School, Monday. Contractors have installed a talking alarm system that will verbally inform everyone of the emergency. Checking the system in the master control room. left, is Southwick Fire Inspector Ralph Vecchio and Mark Parent, foreman of Schmidt Electric. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – Students at Woodland Elementary School will be alerted to emergencies in a friendlier fashion this year.
Southwick Fire Chief Richard Anderson said the department has been working with the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional school district and Schmidt Electric to install a talking alarm system at Woodland.
Anderson said Powder Mill Middle School and the high school are also getting the new system during renovations of the buildings.
“As they upgrade the systems, they get the new technology,” Anderson said.
The talking alarm will give a verbal alert in case of an emergency instead of the typical loud noise most buildings are equipped with.
“It’s a softer alert,” Anderson said.
The voice will give directions for students and staff to exit the buildings. In addition to inspecting the new system, fire department volunteers are working to make sure all the exits and exit signs in all the schools are in proper working order before the start of school.
Anderson said because there is no full time firefighting and inspection staff in the SFD, volunteers have been performing the work.
“It does strain and stress the system here,” he said of using volunteers. “We have been there daily – sometimes more than once a day – throughout the summer construction.”
The SFD works closely with town Building Inspector Denis Gaido to make sure all buildings are secure and safe. He said working while school is in session will be a challenge.
“The school project is like trying to tune up a car while driving down the street,” said Anderson. “There is a lot of work that has to be done while students are in school.”
Anderson said the SFD and Gaido share one main concern – “the safety of children.”
“We are not concerned about contractors and subcontractors, we just want the children to be safe,” he said.
School starts in the district this Wednesday, Aug. 28.
