Officials seek options if Lincoln alarm system not ready

WASHINGTON — Washington school board officials say Lincoln Upper Elementary’s fire alarm installation may be delayed, despite other construction in the building staying mostly on track.

Superintendent Willie Stone said the district was waiting on parts to arrive. If that doesn’t happen before the school year starts, the school has alternatives lined up.

“We feel that we’ll have a fire alarm system up and running that was as good as last year, but it won’t be as good as when we get all the parts here,” he said. “We’re pretty sure we can do that, but if we can’t the fire marshal can choose to let us have fire watch, which is somebody just walking around the building all day, making sure everything’s OK.”

While the building has previously sounded iconic loud beeps for its alarms, Stone said the new system would change that once installed.

“We’re waiting on a lot of the audio, stuff where it actually talks,” he said. “It still beeps, but in our buildings we’re trying to get ones that talk plainly. Especially at our elementary school age, it can really scare kids, and we’re trying to change away from that.”