State warned about potentially faulty fire sprinklers

The Omega company that manufactured the sprinkler heads has agreed to replace faulty heads for free.

But Eric Raecke told a joint budget subcommittee hearing Tuesday the company is only giving the state $5 apiece to cover costs of installing replacement sprinklers.

The old sprinklers are part of a nationwide recall ordered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They have to be replaced because tests showed they could fail to operate in a fire.

Raecke said about half of state buildings have now been examined and the largest concentration of problem sprinkler heads is at Lovelock Prison, which has 1,600 of the suspect sprinklers in 11 buildings.

He added the state Library and Archives building has 300 and Southern Desert Correctional Center another 315

Legislators agreed to leave $256,000 in Raecke's budget to begin replacing the sprinkler heads. But Ways and Means Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, agreed the $5 apiece for installation may not be enough. He asked Raecke to consider legal action if that didn't cover the cost.

archive