photo by: Joselyn King

Ohio County Board of Education President David Croft, left, and Business Manager Steve Bieniek talk before Monday’s board meeting.

WHEELING — Wheeling Park High School is about to get a new fire alarm system, and it is going to cost about $700,000.

David Crumm, director of operations for Ohio County School, initially had speculated the system might cost in the $750,000 range based on replacements at other school buildings. He noted the WPHS building encompasses more than 300,000 square feet.

The project has already been bidded out, and the matter was discussed during Monday’s meeting of the Ohio County Board of Education.

“We’re just going through the process of talking to the apparent low bidder and making sure what was asked for was a part of their bid before we bring it to the board,” Crumm said.

Once approved by the board, work can begin, he continued. He hopes it can be started by Christmas break, as this could permit the project to be completed through the spring semester and summer vacation.

Crumm added the new alarm system could be in place by the time the 2026-27 school year begins next fall. He expects it to be a six-to-eight-month project.

Crumm described the current alarm as outdated, and noted it was becoming more and more difficult to find parts for it.

“It will stay in service while the work is being done,” he explained. “We’ll talk with the winning bidder as to whether we will bring the new system on as they complete an area, or if it all has to come on at one time. You do have to do testing (of the new system), and the fire marshal will have to be a part of what is done, as well.”

Crumm told board members six entities submitted bids for the project, and that Simplex was the vendor for the current system. Simplex is now suggesting the system has reached its end of life and needs replacing.

“(Replacement) is really needed,” Crumm said. “It is really outdated and pieced together. We knew this was coming.”

The winning vendor will design the fire alarm system, which will then be submitted to the State Fire Marshal’s Office for approval.

Fire alarm systems in other school facilities that were replaced under the recent bond project all use the Siemens-Desigo software and automation devices. Bid criteria for the WPHS project gave bidders the option of whether or not to use the same software, which permits Crumm to observe fire alarm readings from his office.

“If it’s a vendor that is not Siemens, can we still sync it with the Siemens software to keep them all talking, and you don’t have to utilize two systems to have access to a fire alarm that’s going on?” Board President David Croft asked.

Crumm and Steven Bieniek, business manager, answered that differing systems would be able to work together if necessary.

Other matters before the board involved the presentation of checks.

West Virginia Teacher Of The Year Tiffany Barnes, a special education teacher at Wheeling Middle School, was presented with a check for $1,000 from the Education West Virginia teachers union. Barnes may use the money however she wants, but Dale Lee, co-president of Education West Virginia, noted the organization hopes she uses it in the classroom.

Also, former Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, now external affairs manager at Appalachian Power, presented a donation of $1,000 to Bridge Street Middle School. Principal Jacob Galik said the money would be used to purchase additional locks for the school’s lockers.

Ohio County Schools will convene a safety meeting at 8:15 a.m. Friday at the board office, 2203 National Road, Elm Grove, for the purpose of discussing a policy pertaining to artificial intelligence and photos in the school system. The next regular meeting of the board is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at the board office.