Newhouse floods, labs damages
Computer labs in Newhouse I and II flooded after a sprinkler head malfunctioned Saturday afternoon. The flooding reached three computer labs in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications complex, but building damage was minimal.
Two keyboards were damaged by the water that flooded the walkway, Room 205 computer lab, the military lab and the scanning bay in Newhouse I and II, said Amy Falkner, associate dean of Newhouse. The Room 205 lab and the scanning bay were dried and will be ready for class Monday, while Falkner said it will be another day or so until the military lab is ready for use.
Because the water passed through the ventilation system, it is possible there is damage in the system, Falkner said. The IT department will continue to assess the damage done, she said.
A valve feeding the Newhouse sprinkler system cracked Saturday, tripping the sprinkler in the walkway, which in turn caused the fire alarm to go off, Falkner said. Water from the sprinkler trickled down to the labs through an air vent in the walkway, she said.
Water stayed at floor level and was about a half inch deep. While it was initially thought that the carpet may have incurred unsalvageable damage, it was dried Sunday and found to be in good condition, Falkner said. The monetary value of all damage incurred will not be known until all investigations are done, Falkner said.
Newhouse Dean Lorraine Branham said she helped the Syracuse Fire Department cover computers and printers before further damage could be done.
Branham was alerted to the damage when the fire alarm went off at around 1:50 p.m. She was in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III for faculty and staff diversity training at the time.
‘We just figured someone pulled the alarm as a joke,’ Branham said. ‘Then I came to Newhouse I to get my dog, who I figured would be upset at the alarm, and I noticed the flooding.’
‘We’re not in bad shape,’ Falkner said. ‘We were fortunate that people we needed were already in the building and that other people we needed got there quickly.’
The fire department and Newhouse staff will continue to investigate the cause of the cracked valve, Falkner said.
The fire department and Department of Public Safety could not be reached for comment.
Published on January 31, 2010 at 12:00 pm
