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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1981)
The Battalion Serving the Texas A&M University community Vol. 74 No. 93 Monday, February 9, 1981 USPS 045 360 10 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611 The Weather Yesterday Today High 60 High 62 Low 52 Low 48 Rain .... none Chance of rain . . . . . . 20% in wliei) he l, -ime of the of six t Fire codes: danger in noncompliance? 'st player,j Bri wiintyforl* ui ■ able retumi 1 n&iuy 'St-match andaged ie 24 vas “before! ie said, ins all the 1. ■yean ig By DENISE RICHTER Battalion Reporter Because it is not required to conform to andard fire and building codes, Texas &M University has the potential for hav- a bigger fire than it has ever had, Station Fire Marshal Harry L. lavis says. Asa state agency, the University is not squired to follow any specific building or codes. However, University Safety and lollegi :h ing Touch" EN Fresh- p.m. Iditor’s note: This is the first of a two-part ies on Texas A&M’s compliance with ilding codes and the potential hazards of ires in campus buildings. “We’re not in full com pliance, but we do comply with the code as much as we feel like it is neces sary. ” [ealth Officer R. H. Stiteler, said the Uni- ersity uses the Standard Building Code id the Life Safety Code as guidelines. “We re not in full compliance,” Stiteler lid, “but we do comply with the code as luch as we feel like it is necessary.” The University may not be 100 percent compliance with standard codes, but it s adequate protection, Stiteler said, exas A&M comphes with the codes as luch as possible given funds available. Open stairwells, partial sprinklers Davis cited two cases where Texas A&M is not complied with the Standard Build- ig Code required by the City of College tation. The first case was the open stairwells in ie Soil and Crop Sciences and Entomolo- Building. The SBC requires that a build ing’s stairwells be closed, Davis said. The building was filled with smoke in a July 12, 1979, fire that caused $118,000 damage. If the building’s stairwells had been closed, smoke damage would have been limited to the floor involved, Davis said. College Station’s fire and building codes also do not allow any building to have a partial sprinkler system. Yet, following a 1977 fire in a storage area of the Memorial Student Center’s basement, that caused $203,500 damage, the University put a sprinkler system only in the MSC storage area and in other campus storage areas. Additional safety hazards In addition to building code violations, Davis cited specific fire and safety hazards that exist on the campus. For instance, he said that while the main doors in G. Rollie White Coliseum are open during basketball games, the fire exits are chained shut. He said that the state fire marshal’s office has been informed of this violation but has done nothing about it. Also, Davis said Texas A&M exercises no chemical control. “If they had controls on that stuff, if every chemistry lab was not stockpiling chemicals, if they had one place where all hazardous chemicals were stored, then things would be fine,” Davis said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the way it happens. I’ve seen chemicals stored in 55- gallon barrel when there’s no way it could all be used,” he said. “I’ve seen bottles over there with highly explosive contents but nobody knew what it was because it wasn’t labeled.” City-University cooperation Stiteler said Texas A&M’s Office of Safe ty and Health works closely with the Col lege Station Fire Department. voj: iSrd hostage’ is on her way home United Press International American free-lance journalist Cynthia Iwyer— America’s “53rd hostage’ — left ax today aboard an Iran Air flight bound ir London, officials at Tehran’s Mehrabad irport said. The only flight out of Tehran today was an Air Flight 735, bound for London after ops in Istanbul and Vienna. But the stops a route to London were not immediately fflfirmed. The departure of the Amherst, N.Y., 'Oman came one day after an Iranian re- olutionary court found her guilty of spying ut commuted her sentence to the nine lonths she already spent in jail and ordered her expelled. Dwyer was freed today and handed over to Swiss diplomats and then placed on the freedom flight, which left after a 30-minute delay. There was no firm indication where the Amherst, N.Y., mother of three would be flown. Her husband, John Dwyer, be lieved his 49-year-old wife would be flying into New York City. A spokesman for the Revolutionary Court that tried Mrs. Dwyer told UPI by telephone that the tribunal found her guilty of spying for the United States but com muted her sentence to the nine months she spent in jail. “The verdict of the Revolutionary Court has been a nine month imprisonment sent ence, taking into account the days she already has served,” the spokesman said. “The court has ordered her expulsion from Iran.” In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Anita Stockman said she understood Mrs. Dwyer was in “good health” and due to leave Iran almost “im mediately.” Iran’s Pars news agency Sunday said Mrs. Dwyer “was found guilty on charges of establishing contact with counter revolutionary agents in order to mediate between them and other American agents.’ Mrs. Dwyer was arrested outside the U.S. Embassy May 5 10 days after the aborted U.S. raid to free the Americans. Her friends and family said she went to Tehran, armed with only a press card issued by the local sheriff ^office, to write stories that she said would tell the real version of events in Iran. Her release will leave only one other American in custody in Tehran custody Afghanbom Zia Nassry, who was was also arrested last May. In a surprise move on the day of Mrs. Dwyer’s trial, Iran released Iranian-born American Mohi Sobhani, 44, and allowed him to return to his wife in Tehran. reviewing economic surgery WASHINGTON — Concentrating on is plan to avert an “economic calamity,” resident Reagan today moves into a cru- ial week reviewing his tax-and budget- iitting options before publicly unveiling is austerity program. The president scheduled a lunch with reasury Secretary Donald Regan and udget director David Stockman, the two )en in charge of the administration’s eco- omic policy. The meeting precedes one with Rep. iobert McClory, R-Ill., and a conference nth state legislators and county executives iter in the day. The local officials were to be given some inside information on what to expect when Reagan unveils the depth of his new econo mic program to a joint session of Congress Feb. 18. In a televised address last week, the president spoke of the need for major eco nomic surgery, contending the United States faced an “economic calamity” and was in the worst financial mess since the Great Depression. The timing of Reagan’s two speeches — the one Thursday and the one to Congress next week—was selected because the cur rent congressional recess for Washington’s Birthday falls in between. The administration hoped members of Congress would return to Washington with positive soundings from their constituents, providing them with leeway to make the hard choices Reagan’s proposals will force. With the president not yet in office three weeks, Lyn Nofziger, one of Reagan’s top political consultants, told California Re publicans in Sacramento Sunday the presi dent will seek re-election in 1984. During the past few days, Reagan sent out memos to the heads of approximately 100 non-Cabinet agencies, telling them to promptly contact the Office of Manage ment and Budget with their objections to proposed cuts when they see them. The officials, whose agencies have budgets of about $70 billion, will get 48 hours to respond. On Saturday, the day after his 70th birth day, Reagan signed a bill raising the nation al debt ceiling $50 billion to $985 billion. But Reagan was careful in accepting his first legislative victory. “I was sorry that the inherited policies made this necessary but at least we can now proceed to pay the bills, write the checks and go forward to change these outdated policies,” Reagan said through press sec retary Jim Brady. dBright’s selection no surprise $1 IIDNIC-" m.-iaK a.m. ■ A ^ By JANE G. BRUST Battalion Staff The election of H. R. “Bum” Bright to ie chairmanship of the Texas A&M Uni- lersity System Board of Regents Friday *as no surprise. When Clyde Wells of Granbury, 64, tonounced Wednesday that he would not leek a seventh term as chairman, Bright, me of three regents appointed by Gov. Bill Clements in January, was the most likely Hndidate to succeed him. [ Wells served six consecutive two-year erms during the last 12 of his 20 years on pie Board. His current term as a regent ppires in 1985. Between committee meetings Thurs- W, Bright said he did not know if he would w interested in the job. I After his election by the Board on Fri- Ry, however, Bright, 60, admitted Cle ments had favored his election to the posi tion, “The Governor told me recently, ‘It rould be my pleasure if you were chair man,Bright said. “It was assumed that I Nuld be chairman if I was appointed. “I’m pleased to be elected, but I don’t W that I necessarily wanted it.” Bright said Clements had been urging w to accept a regent slot for two years, Wit was only after events of last year that Plight decided to accept an appointment. “The Governor told me recently, Tt would be my pleasure if you were chairman. 'It was assumed that I would be chairman if I was appointed. I'm pleased to be elected, but I don t say tha 11 necessarily wanted it. ” Former students and the governor were angered when the regents fired Dr. Jarvis Miller as University president in July. Bright — who said when he was very young his parents said he looked “like a little railroad bum” —- attributed his elec tion to his “good looks.” Bright is a senior partner of Bright & Company, an oil and gas producing firm. He also serves as chairman of the board for East Texas Motor Freight. The Dallas oilman was nominated by Joe C. Richardson of Amarillo. The nomination was seconded by William A. McKenzie of Dallas. Richardson and McKenzie also be gan their first six-year terms with Friday’s Board meeting. All three men are graduates of Texas A&M. Their appointments were approved by a Senate subcommittee Wednesday. John Blocker of Houston succeeds H.C. Bell of Austin as vice chairman of the Board. Blocker has served four years on the Board. None of the nine regents would specu late Thursday who Wells’ successor might be, but Richardson did say he would like to see Bright get the position. “He has so much influence,” Richardson said, “he can get the governor out of the shower. His contacts are endless.” As Wells handed the gavel to his succes sor, he pointed out that Bright has contacts in Austin and Washington, D.C. Bright has known Clements since 1934, and he said, “I’ve known George Bush a long time.” Regent Norman Moser of DeKalb lauded Bright’s election: “He came along at the right time. His contacts are endless.” Wells complimented and congratulated Bright before the Board, and Bright im mediately proposed that a plaque be made in recognition of Wells’ service as chairman of the Board. That motion passed unani mously, and Wells received a standing ova tion from all present in the Board room. “Mr. Wells was both humble and magni ficent in his introduction of Mr. Bright,” Chancellor Frank W.R. Hubert said, “and Bright’s recognition of Wells was out standing. “Bright will continue to give inspired leadership to the Board and to the System. ” One of Bright’s first moves as chairman was to appoint a committee of the Board to continue the search for a Texas A&M presi dent. The committee members are: Wells, Hubert, Blocker and Bright. Bright said he told the committee mem bers of their appointments prior to his announcement of their names Friday. Heidrickand Struggles, Inc., of Dallas, an executive search management firm, will interview the 20 candidates recommended by the presidential search committee in January. That firm will then recommend three to five names to the Board’s committee. The four-member committee will recommend one name to the Board for final approval. Bright said he will call the first meeting of his committee “sometime in the next 30 days.” He said a new University president should be named by the fall semester “at the latest.” “We confer with them and put their ideas into our planning to see what best fits our needs,” he said. “We have put sprink lers in hazardous areas like our storage and chemical storage areas. We have local pro tection instead of broad protection. ” Texas A&M’s fire alarm system is divided into three sections: fire alarm equipment, alarm activation and evacuation proce dures. The fire alarm equipment consists of ceiling- or duct-mounted smoke or heat detectors, manual pull stations at the exits. “The person in charge ... can’t even tell you what is stored inside that lab. That’s what scares some of our firemen when they have a call for a chemistry building fire. They’re hesi tant about going in ... it could blow up in their faces at any time. horn and light units throughout to give warning of an emergency and a fire alarm panel or panels which will show the loca tion of the emergency. In addition, a $100,000 “Hawkeye” re porting system was installed in 1979. This system, used in 86 campus buildings, was installed in conjunction with the existing fire alarm equipment. Under the Hawkeye system, each build ing is given a four-digit code number. When a building’s alarm sounds, its parti cular code is transmitted to the University emergency operator and the University Police and the fire’s location can be pin pointed. “If we wait on someone to report a fire on j smoke, then we’ve lost some time, ” Stiteler said. “This gives a fire code quickly so a | response can be made earlier. ’ Thirteen campus buildings are desig nated as immediate notification areas be cause of their contents or value. When the alarm sounds in these buildings, the Col lege Station Fire Department is immedi ately notified. These buildings are the Biological Scien ces Building, the Chemistry Building, Har rington Tower, the Heep Building, Hel- denfels Hall, the MSC (basement storage area, Board of Regents quarters and guest rooms), the O&M Building, the Plant Sci- ] ences Building, the Reed McDonald Build- ' ing, Rudder Theater, Rudder Tower, the Soil and Crop Sciences and Entomology Building and the Veterinary Medicine Complex. Building fire alarm systems may be acti vated using the manual pull stations or automatically by the detectors. Once acti vated, the horns and lights will operate and the appropriate building ventilation sys tems will shut down to prevent the spread of smoke to other areas of the building. Smoke detectors can be activated by smoke particles (including cigarette ;moke), paint vapors, welding, cutting and woodworking operations, steam, hairspray or tampering with the equipment. Heat detectors are activated by temper- I atures in excess of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. 11 Compliance cost astronomical J The Texas A&M campus has more than I 400 buildings, some built over 50 years ago. I The cost of putting complete fire protection 1 in each building would be “astronomical” 1 and there is no way the University could ' fund it, Stiteler said. Staff Photo by Greg Gammoin Aggies do it backwards !J! Unseasonably warm weather and lots of sunshine brought droves of ur ' students outdoors Sunday afternoon. David Haynie, sophomore Building Construction major took advantage of the day to practice some skate- the boarding tricks before more cold weather hits the area.