Sprinklers proposed for Edison schools

By KATHY CHANG

Staff Writer

A lthough a sprinkler system may not have stopped the fire that ravaged James Monroe Elementary School, it certainly might have helped, according to Edison Fire Chief Brian Latham.

He said fire sprinklers could have controlled the fire, but in many circumstances, fire sprinklers have failed to contain fires.

It is definitely better to have them than not, he said.

James Monroe Elementary School, which was built in 1963, did not have a sprinkler system in place nor was it required to.

The fire at the school on Sharp Road began around 8 p.m. March 22, and firefighters fought the blaze through the night.

A facilities management supervisor at the elementary school Jerome C. Higgins, 48, of East Brunswick was charged on March 24 with a disorderly persons offense for allegedly smoking inside the school and then tossing the lit cigarette into a trash bin, igniting the blaze that ultimately consumed the school.

Board of Education President Gene Maeroff said the question of sprinklers will be examined.

No schools were required to install sprinklers until 1977, he said, adding that the Edison School District has not built a new school since 1972.

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Sprinklers proposed for Edison schools