MagniFlood Sheds Light on NYC Schools
NEW YORK — After several years of vandalism and increasing crime levels, the New York City School Construction Authority embarked on a more than 16-year contract with MagniFlood Inc., of Long Island, to improve school security lighting and increase campus safety.
With more than 1,200 schools in mostly urban — and some suburban — campuses in the city, the school system struggled with vandalized equipment, incidents of theft and drug deals on school property since the early 1980s.
Perimeter lighting on school campuses was irregular, creating dark spots for potential vandals to hide in and making it difficult for security officers to maintain a secure environment.
In 1991, the authority, established by the state Legislature to oversee construction of new buildings and other capital projects for New York City schools, decided a systemwide upgrade of security lighting was necessary to replace fixtures that had grown derelict from vandalism and neglect.
Many of the exterior lights at school campuses were installed too low, allowing vandals to get to the fixtures and break them. Conversely, perimeter lights that hung over the edge of school buildings stuck out too far for custodians to reach and maintain.
“It was a problem from the time they put the lighting up,” says Ken Greene, owner and engineer at Magniflood. “The schools would put up a lighting fixture with a glass lens on a wall, and within a very short time in places like the Bronx and Brooklyn, the lenses and lamps would be broken.”
With school buildings ranging in height from two to eight stories, the authority realized that it would need a standardized lighting system that would streamline maintenance, while dissuading potential vandals.
“We needed a way to project light around the buildings and reduce vandalism to the equipment.” Greene says. “However, most schools are located in residential neighborhoods, so we had to use lighting that was not going to light up people’s bedrooms.”
The agency developed lighting specifications that required both low-level and roof-mounted fixtures to be vandal-resistant, standardized for ease of maintenance, easily accessible to facilities staff, and distribute light evenly around a school without impacting the surrounding neighborhood.
To accommodate the school system’s needs, the company developed a combination of roof-mounted floodlights and low-level wall fixtures that could provide focused, even lighting and withstand heavy abuse.
Mounted on pivoting brackets, the MagniLite floodlights project a narrow beam of light straight down from the roof, creating an average of one foot-candle of evenly distributed light that extends 20 feet from the school building. A beam reflector ensures a horizontally wide and vertically narrow beam pattern.
The pivoting design allows for safer maintenance, reducing the amount of broken fixtures and eliminating the need for facility operators to attempt risky repairs.
“The parapet-mounted bracket hangs over the edge of the building with the lighting fixture on it,” Greene says. “When you need to change a lamp or perform other maintenance, the bracket will pivot inward so you can safely perform maintenance on a ledged roof.”
Since the roof lights are designed to illuminate a specific area, it was also important that the fixtures be returned to their exact position after maintenance and repairs. A 1/2-inch stainless steel pin that fits into a predrilled hole ensures the bracket will be returned to its preset position.
To provide uniform light at a lower level, the company installed its Pavilion Wall Pack fixtures around school buildings. The wall-pack provides even light distribution and is vandal-resistant. Made of galvanized stainless steel, the fixtures feature heavy-duty casting and a 3/8-inch thick polycarbonate lens. A 3/4-inch knockout prevents electrical wiring from being exposed.
The authority also developed criteria for entryways and exits at all school buildings, requiring that entry/exit points have a minimum of five foot-candles of light.
“The authority wanted to ensure that entrances and exits have more light than the perimeters,” Greene says. “They are considered decision-making areas, where you are either entering or exiting the building. Also, they wanted emergency exit areas to be clearly defined and stand out more than other areas.”
To date, the security lighting company has installed more than 11,000 brackets and wall units at New York City schools. SCA officials report that vandalism has been dramatically reduced since the project started.
“Vandalism and breakage is so far reduced that the authority is thinking of going to all low-level lighting again,” Greene says.
In addition to improving safety at schools, the new lighting fixtures have also standardized equipment for facilities operators. Ballasts, brackets and lamps are all interchangeable among the more than 1,200 schools, making it easier to perform timely repairs. Fixtures are also clearly labeled with 2-inch high letters that tell maintenance personnel the wattage and lamp type.
Each school has automated lighting control through a combination of a time clock and a photo control system that keeps exterior lights off during the day and turns them on at night.
New York City School Construction Authority
Wall-pack fixtures provide even light distribution around school buildings and are vandal-resistant.