Campus-wide life safety upgrades for an improved learning experience

By Steve Baker, Director, Fire Construction Sales, Johnson Controls, Building Solutions North America

For schools and universities, up-to-date and effective fire suppression technology is absolutely critical to creating a secure and comfortable environment. When students and faculty know their campus is prepared for a fire emergency, they are free to focus on their education.

One 50-year-old community college made fire safety a priority during their systems-wide campus renewal program, leveraging state earmarked funds. With multiple buildings and facilities lacking fire sprinklers, or even the water supply to enable this suppression technology, they wanted to upgrade their systems to protect their students and hopefully even drive enrollment.

Implementing fire suppression improvements from scratch

Due to Johnson Controls extensive experience with large-scale installation projects, the college turned to the company to implement this campus-wide project. Because many buildings lacked the proper infrastructure to host new sprinklers, the Fire Protection team designed the college’s suppression system from scratch, running water supply pathways and pipes throughout the campus. With sprinklers and water supply systems now installed, the college’s buildings are now prepared for a fire emergency.

The project was completed quickly and smoothly. With a single point of contact for all their installation and maintenance needs, such as tying flow switches and temper switches into the fire alarm system, the project remained on schedule. The school was rightfully concerned about the potential disruption the project could cause; but by working in the evenings after classes completed, they were able to complete the project without disrupting students’ schedules.

An upgraded, safer environment for learning

Working with Johnson Controls, the college was able to further protect its students, faculty and staff by implementing critical sprinkler fire protection across its buildings. The campus is now modernized and safer for its visitors, creating an optimal environment for learning. As a direct result of this project, the college saw insurance rates decrease considerably. By upgrading their fire suppression equipment, the college set their campus up for long-term safety and education.

Learn more about how Johnson Controls powers the missions of higher education institutions.