Not to be flippant, or otherwise disrespectful of attempts to keep 
buildings safe, this is not going to aid in keeping the cost of 
education down not to mention the difficulty of planning IT work. I 
do much of my work on weekends and sometimes in the evening. (Not to 
mention every summer the staff decide they want to put the computers 
in a new location) :)
My school is comprised of two parts, the original building and the 
addition. The original building is the oldest continually used 
schoolhouse in the state and the addition is well over 20 years old. 
Okay, this is a problem in itself.
But, we can't even get electricians in to run new electrical 
circuits. I have been waiting over a month for additional power 
connections for lap top storage/power.
So, please, please keep folks informed. I shudder every time the Fire 
Marshall walks in the building as it is.
Rick



At 03:42 PM 7/25/2008, you wrote:
>
>IT specifically...
>
>FYI..
>
>This came across my desk recently from a Tech Director.. Are folks in IT
>branch of schools aware of this possible ruling?
>
>This message text was relayed by IT personnel in Southwest Vermont....
>
> >From state level, I'll try to get more detailed information on the
>possibilities of it coming to fruition....
>
>"I have been involved with discussions regarding the upcoming adoption
>of the new 2008 Electrical Code and have some concerns about Section 800
>which deals with Communications Systems and how they are regulated by
>code.  Prior codes have disregarded these types of systems as they do
>not generally involve any substantial amount of electrical power to
>operate them but over the years there has been more interconnections and
>there is a move to put Section 800 back into effect.  What this means is
>that IT staff will not be able to run cables, make any connections to
>building systems, work on communication issues, etc, etc.   WITHOUT  A
>LICENSED ELECTRICIAN PRESENT.    That's going to be costly!       The
>public comment period for the adoption of the code is open at this time
>and you can forward any concerns to the state website ---
>vtfiresafety.org          You can also call or contact Richard Schlieder
>who is the Chief Electrical Inspector for the state.    802-885-8970  or
>the Berlin Office.   It might be wise to speak with other IT Directors
>around the state and see if they know about this and if so, how they
>will deal with it.    Perhaps if enough schools come forward and argue
>against the inclusion of Section 800 the state will hold off until the
>next round  of adoptions which may be out about 2 to 3 years.   This
>would allow time to at least look at implications and costs that schools
>will incur."
>
>
>
>
>Peter Drescher
>Education Technology Coordinator
>Vermont Department of Education
>120 State St.
>Montpelier, VT  05620-2501
>802.828.5149 (ph)
>802.828.6563 (fax)
>[log in to unmask]

Tech Support
Townshend School District
PO Box 226
Townshend, VT 05353-0226
802-365-7506
Fax 802-365-7955
www.townshend.windham.vt.us