THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Office of Facilities Planning, Room 1060 EBA  Education Building, Albany, NY  12234               

Tel. (518) 474-3906  Fax (518) 486-5918 

WEBSITE: https://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan

                                                                                         November 2009

TO:          District Superintendents

               Superintendents of Schools

                Non-Public School Administrators

FROM:      Carl T. Thurnau, P.E., Director

SUBJECT: Electrically Operated Partition and Roll-down Curtain Maintenance

In August 2001, former Governor Pataki signed into law a measure that required all schools in New York State to install and maintain safety devices on all electrically operated wall partitions and roll-down curtains.  The legislation was designed to prevent serious injuries and accidental deaths.  The legislation was enacted following the tragic deaths of two students in New York Schools.

As a result of the new law, the Department promulgated and implemented Commissioner’s Regulation 155.25, Safety Requirements for Electrically Operated Partitions, which reads in part:

     (d)  Safety requirements and operation guidelines for electrically operated partitions.  The

           board of education, trustees, principal or other person in charge of every

             public or private school or educational institution within the State shall ensure that:

              (4)  Safety features shall not be tampered with, overridden or by-passed.  All

                          equipment must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s

                          instructions, including the manufacturer’s recommended service interval,

                          and records of such maintenance shall be permanently retained at the

                          district or private school.

Please insure that all electrically operated folding partitions and/or roll down curtains in your schools are being maintained per CR 155.25 (d) (4). Please note that maintenance in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions is generally more comprehensive than a simple test to verify system operation.  Individual sensors and other devices must be checked annually to ensure proper operation.

This maintenance need not necessarily be done by the manufacturer but must be completed by a competent tradesman or technician familiar with the devices and the manufacturer’s requirements.

The annual school fire safety report has also been modified to monitor compliance with CR 155.25 (d) (4). Your cooperation in this important partition maintenance requirement is appreciated.  Please contact me if you require any additional information.