Transit Authority President Larry Reuter apologized yesterday for saying it would take up to five years to restore A and C subway service and vowed to fast-track repairs on the crippled Eighth Avenue line.
Reuter said 158 of 200 such rooms in the system have been upgraded to include a fire-detection system. The room at Chambers Street had not been upgraded.
Reuter said the TA is looking to install a sprinkler-type system inside relay rooms that "sends off a mist and stops a fire."
Well, isn't that nice. The only problem is that prevention of future mishaps isn't high on the priority list. No matter what ultimately caused the fire that destroyed a relay room, there is no program in place to install fire suppression equipment in any of the other relay rooms. Heck, fire detection equipment isn't even installed in all relay rooms! As we have come to learn, the system is based on equipment designs that are antiques and only two companies produce the parts. It can take months for those companies to produce the necessary quantities of replacements. The first step should be to identify critical components through the system and implement a safety and protection system. The second should be to modernize and update the relay systems, which are critical components for subway operations.
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