67 schools flunk fire inspections

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

Nearly one-quarter of the state's public schools failed their fire inspections this year, with 67 campuses having at least one violation of county fire codes.

Half of the schools in the Maui District failed the fire inspections, while Honolulu District schools had the highest rate of schools passing — 88 percent.

Statewide, 76 schools passed their inspections. But the number of safety violations has increased sharply since last year. In the 2000-2001 school year, inspectors found 63 violations statewide, while this year they found 234 violations.

A Department of Education report on fire inspections attributed the increase to a change in the way fire officials report violations.

The Honolulu Fire Department and the Hawai'i County Fire Department this year did not allow schools to correct minor violations within a few days of the inspection as they have in the past.

"They called it as they were," said Al Suga, DOE assistant superintendent.

The Maui and Kaua'i fire departments continued to allow schools to fix problems within an agreed-upon time.

Honoka'a High and Intermediate had the most violations of all schools, with 17.

The DOE does not know how many schools have come into compliance with the fire codes since the inspections were done earlier in the school year, Suga said.

The most common violations included hazardous materials storage, electrical problems, blocked exits, fire alarm systems and problems with fire protection appliances.

Suga said that while many violations of the fire code are easily addressed by improving campus housekeeping, some schools are having problems with repeated violations.

"The inspections are done once a year," he said. "We need to unofficially on our own make sure that these schools have come back into compliance. As schools get older and older they're more likely to be exposed to these kind of problems, especially electrical."

Konawaena High on the Big Island had 14 fire code violations ranging from problems with fuel storage to fire protection appliances and problems with the fire alarm.

But Principal James Dumaguin said most of the problems were addressed this spring after the inspection visit from fire officials. "This year it was just housekeeping mainly that teachers had let slide," Dumaguin said. "It was things like having boxes stacked too close to the ceiling and making sure that there was a 3-foot clearance by the fire hoses."

Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.