Sprinkler malfunction causes a flood in Plaster business building
Treasure Hardwick, News and Feature Editor
Feature photo by Treasure Hardwick
On Sunday, Jan 31 at around 7 p.m., the fire sprinkler system in Plaster, North Greenville University’s business building, activated, causing significant flooding.
The water ran for 45 minutes, affecting the presidential suite, a few executive suites and three downstairs classrooms. The fire sprinkler system activated due to a malfunction in one of the sprinkler heads, and campus security and the maintenance team responded as soon as they were made aware of the issue.
Kyle Walden, vice president for campus enhancement services, explained that after the flood, he and his team worked until 2 a.m. to salvage damage items such as furniture, ceiling tiles and even President Gene Fant’s books.
After the flood, Walden met with contractors who determined the steps and materials necessary to make repairs, but he does not know when the damaged areas in Plaster will be accessible again.
Despite the unfortunate circumstance, Walden praised his team for their quick response to the flood. He explained that as soon as they got the news, they rushed to the flood and worked until they did as much as they could.
“I’m just thankful to have a team that responds when they need to, and who always steps up in the moment,” he said. “As the leader, having someone I can call knowing they’ll respond to the situation is great.”
In addition to administrative offices, the flood also affected NGU students, especially business majors and students who often study in Plaster.
Mary Ramsey, senior criminal justice major, was planning to study in the building the night of the flood. Before she began her work, she sat her backpack down in one of the classrooms and went to the cafeteria to eat dinner.
When she returned, she noticed her bag was sitting on a bench outside the building. Initially, she became annoyed because she thought another student had moved her stuff and claimed the classroom for the evening.
However, when she walked in, she saw water everywhere, a ceiling tile on the ground and one of her textbooks sitting in the midst of the flood.
Campus Security told her to gather her salvageable textbooks and leave the classroom right away. Ramsey explained that the experience was frustrating, but she was thankful that not all of her textbooks were damaged in the flood.
