Lake Valley Fire concerned with repopulation of Sierra House Elementary

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There continue to be harsh words aimed at Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Superintendent Dr. James Tarwater over his handling of the fire, reconstruction and now repopulation of Sierra House Elementary.

In a heated LTUSD board meeting Tuesday, parents, former and current staff, and Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) Chief Tim Alameda were among those who spoke to Tarwater and the board about Monday's reopening of Sierra House Elementary after a November 2018 fire destroyed part of the upper wing and sent smoke through the rest of the school.

Citing a concern of fire and life safety, Alameda said he didn't want children back in the school while construction was still ongoing. "We didn't want kids there," he told South Tahoe Now of his tour of Sierra House on Friday. "It's a construction zone."

Alameda also said he told Tarwater and LTUSD that LVFPD was responsible for the safety of those in the school, not LTUSD and not the Division of the State Architect (DSA).

"On Friday the district was asked by LVFPD to, at a minimum, not occupy the upper pod, even though four classrooms in that pod were completed and planned for occupancy. The district complied and moved those classes on Friday afternoon," said Shannon Chandler, spokesperson for the school district.

She said that on Monday morning, after much more work was done over the weekend by Belfor and LTUSD staff, and after DSA approval to occupy various spaces was obtained, LVFPD asked the district to not occupy at all.

Alameda says DSA did not give approval.

At 6:00 a.m. Monday, September 9, an alarm went off at the school as LVFPD Battalion Chief Brad Zlendick was in the parking lot. Staff at the school had removed a cover over a smoke detector which caused the activation of the alarm, according to Alameda.

After that incident, Alameda said he went back to his office to compose a letter to LTUSD, one in which he would reference California Fire Code 13146.3 (A city, county, or city and county fire department or district providing fire protection services shall inspect every building used as a public or private school within its jurisdiction, for the purpose of enforcing regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 13143, not less than once each year).

"The district walked the site with DSA and LVFD that morning and inspected all of the spaces which were clean, safe, decorated, and welcoming for students. LVFD disagreed and told the district they would put their concerns in writing and deliver a letter to the district that day. The district intended to comply with all recommendations set forth in the letter (as the district affirmed in that morning's discussions) but the district did not receive a letter," said Chandler.

Alameda said he was going to ask for a list of things to be addressed when the second alarm went off at the school and the letter was never sent. It was going to say the school wouldn't pass inspection at that time due to disabled fire alarm system and fire sprinkler system, a lack of fire alarm/sprinkler alarm testing, HVAC and electrical conditions, excessive fire loading, ceiling assembly not maintained, poor fire apparatus access and potential over occupancy of the children. With not being sent, the district could not address his list.

The second alarm Monday went off in the school nurse's room as a plumber was using a grinder to cut a pipe. In that process, dust is created and the friction of the cutting causes smoke. There was no fire, just products of friction, said Alameda.

The alarm was different this time for two reasons:

1) The kids were in their classrooms, and
2) The new alarm is different than before and upgraded to meet standards which include a verbal warning of "fire."

Students were scared as they hadn't had time for fire drills with the new system. They were outside the building for 45 minutes.

"We were very clear that we were not in favor of partial occupancy," said Zlendick.

"It was pretty traumatic for the children," said Alameda. "It was a fire alarm that shouldn't have happened in a school that shouldn't have been opened."

They gave the district until Wednesday to move the Upper Pod students to Al Tahoe and figure out how to feed remaining kids without their being in the Multi-purpose room (MPR).

On Wednesday morning, Alameda took his fire dog Filson to the schools to ease concerns the kids may have had with firemen, fire alarms and the situation. He returned to Sierra House in the afternoon with a former LVFPD board member who is a local contractor to tour the school.

"Discussions with the fire chief resulted in moving all classes out of the lower pod; portable classes to remain on campus, and use of the bathrooms in the main building," said Chandler. "The district does not believe it opened the school too early. Construction runs side-by-side with student occupancy in schools all across California. The district took all precautionary measures recommended under these circumstances."

After that tour, Alameda has added more requests and told LTUSD he wants two staff members in each classroom and one security guard on campus to provide safety for the students.

Fences have been put up per his request to keep kids out of the construction area, something that had been divided by cones with caution tape.

Alameda wants to make sure parents and the community know the school teachers, staff and principal have been amazing through the process.

"I have immense respect and admiration for the staff, the teachers and the principal," said Alameda. "I know they'll take care of these kids."

Parents have always agreed with that statement as well.

Going forward during the next several days as construction is wrapped up, Alameda said he'd like to concentrate on the goal of fire safety. While all of the schools in LTUSD have completed, or are in the process of completing, safety on the outside including shelter in place and "hardening" of schools, it is time to access safety on the inside. He suggested a task force of all local agencies for that job.

At this time LVFPD is thinking ten more days of construction until getting the Lower Pod students back at the school, but nothing will happen before all safety concerns have been addressed, said Alameda. He did say he'll be watching the situation at Sierra House on a daily basis.

"School construction, concurrent with student occupancy, has taken place in this district at Bijou Community School, South Tahoe Middle School, and South Tahoe High School, under the leadership of Dr. Tarwater and oversight of Steve Morales, over the last fifteen years, successfully, and safely," said Chandler.

Zlenick said once the school is completely reopened it is time to concentrate on moving forward with lessons learned. He said dwelling on the past will not help the children or community.