Fire hazards which threatened the removal of art studios in Altgeld Hall have been “solved” this semester, but the art department chairman remains concerned about the future status of the studios.

Art Department Chairman Robert Even said the department is “very concerned” art students using studios in Altgeld would be forced to leave in the future. “Fire hazards are not the problem,” he said.

Art students have not been given an alternative place to house their studios, Even said. “The question is ‘where will grad students be this fall and next spring?'” he said.

Repairs to Altgeld might alleviate potential fire hazards in the building, said Conrad Miller, project manager for the physical plant. Repairs will cost $1,500, he said.

A Dec. 4 inspection of NIU artists’ studios by Robert Vest, campus safety officer, and Al Berg, assistant fire chief for fire prevention at the city of DeKalb, revealed several violations of the National Fire Prevention’s Life Safety Code.

The inspection revealed students had placed extension cords throughout the area to connect equipment, such as lights, stereos, hot plates and one small refrigerator.

Some of these items had been plugged in and left running for long periods of time, which over-taxes the electrical system, Miller said. These items now have been removed from Altgeld, he said.

Vest expressed concern that the exposed flammable materials, wide-spread use of extension cords, and clutter of art supplies constituted a potential fire hazard.

Vest said that he, John Harrod, director of the physical plant, and Robert Even, art department chairman, inspected the building Jan. 11 after notifying the art department of the potential hazards. They reported the art students had cleaned the area, Vest said.

Even said 15 art students are using the studio space at Altgeld Hall.

“I think it’s a safe place to work, but it would be desirable to upgrade it,” said Miller.

Implementing a comprehensive fire alarm system would cost NIU an estimated $401,400, Miller said. This type of sophisticated system would include enclosing the stairways, putting smoke doors at the entrance of stairwells, providing several more fire exits, and upgrading the fire alarm in the building.

NIU has not appropriated funding for this type of extensive renovation, Miller said.

Until the administration provides a long-range plan for utilization of space, it is pointless to spend a lot of money remodeling for an expensive fire alarm system, Miller said.

“We need a building statement. When you start putting in stairways and closing doors, if you have to turn around in five years and remodel it to accommodate a gymnasium, it changes the concept of the repairs made,” he said.

Inspections of campus buildings are not conducted on a routine basis, Vest said.

“We respond to reported situations that may cause potential problems. We don’t have any set schedule of inspections,” he said.