RESTORING ORDER

How modern fire and life safety technology is being woven into the fabric of America’s historic courthouses

- Angelo Verzoni

Last year, visitors to the Edgartown District Court building on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts witnessed a rare sight in today’s modern world—court officers pacing the hallways every 15 minutes to conduct fire watch tours of the 161-year-old building.

The practice, common in the 19th century, was a temporary solution devised by then Edgartown fire chief Peter Shemeth after a courthouse fire drill and inspection revealed several severe safety deficiencies. The issues included an emergency exit door that wouldn’t open, an unreliable smoke detection system installed in the 1980s, a lack of audible and visual fire alarm signals, and faulty emergency lighting, according to the Vineyard Gazette newspaper. Shemeth told the newspaper in February 2017 that officers could either conduct the fire watches or the courthouse would close, and he didn’t want to choose the latter. Eventually, the necessary safety upgrades were made and the watches ceased.

The flaws found in the Edgartown courthouse aren’t an anomaly. Across the country, many courthouses built in the 19th or 20th centuries lack robust fire and life safety protection systems such as fire sprinklers and modern fire alarm systems. Often, upgrades to these systems are folded into larger projects aimed at restoring and preserving the historic buildings, and architects face pressure to maintain a structure’s historic look while also incorporating modern fire and life safety technology.

It’s a challenge that professionals in both the historic preservation and safety communities have been able to conquer by devising alternative design methods like those offered in NFPA codes and standards.