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Blackout problem solved

The Grambling State University facilities department recently made upgrades to a major switch on campus.

In an effort to respond to last month’s three-to-four hour power failures officials in the facilities department spent time making electrical repairs. A major switch that controls all electricity on campus went out,” senior associate vice president for campus operation Leone Sanders said. “Entergy came in and repaired that switch.”

University officials along with a team of electricians worked together to restore power.

“We were able to coordinate a plan along with help from Energy and a private contractor,” repairman Lawrence Page explained. “There will be close monitoring of the system and rapid response to any more problems.”

Workers from the facilities department said that turning off the power campus wide was necessary to make the repairs.

“When it was raining one of the circuits was arching,” Page said. “We had to kill the power to eliminate the problem.”

Sanders said that while making the first set of repairs that crew a need for additional maintenance.

“We knew one switch was defective and we determined that another was bad also, so we replaced two,” Sanders said.

“You really don’t have any way of predetermining something like this.”

Over the years many electrical renovations have also been made to the dorms. Page explained that a lot of the older dorms were built without generators systems.

“Some buildings, like the high rise dorms and Douglas hall have generators. The older low rise dorms do not,” Page said. “We hope to get generators in all of the dorms. Wheatley, Pinchback, and Jones were built with generators.”

Facilities will also be checking into claims made by students reporting exit signs that also lost power.

“We will explore the possibility of non-functioning exit signs. We will try to take some surveys because they may need to be on a separate system,” Page explained.

Sanders said the facilities department along with president Judson are exploring the possibilities for future improvements.

“The long range of Judson’s plan will involve having the lines buried underground. That would help prevent damage to the lines from adverse environmental problems,” Sanders said. “This will hopefully be done when we are in a better financial situation.”