District Works to Reduce Distracting False Alarms

KILLEEN, Texas-When 33,000-student Killeen Independent School District began experiencing a spate of disruptive false fire alarms, it hired Construction Services and Facility Planning to evaluate alarm suppliers. Its criteria included reliability, low operating costs and a vendor selling non-proprietary equipment.

By ordering non-proprietary equipment, the district reasoned that if it were not satisfied with the vendor’s inspections and repairs, it could be able to contract with other companies for those services.

CSFP eventually recommended Silent Knight, part of the Honeywell Life Safety Group. The district hired the local Silent Knight affiliate, J.J. Moore of JM Electronic Engineering in Round Rock, Texas, to begin installing new alarm systems in 18 of its 48 schools. Since the district covers several cities, the installer had to contend with four different fire marshals and their different codes and requirements.

The turnkey installations each took 20 days to complete, and Moore was able to finish the job in 12 months.