By JAMES T. HAMMOND – The State

Almost 1,000 USC students who live in dorms could go another year without fire-dousing sprinklers and other fire protection because of a state building moratorium.

The State Budget and Control Board has halted for three months the start of major construction projects on campuses across the state — including renovations of three residence halls at the University of South Carolina to add fire protection and sprinklers.

Because dorm renovations must be done in the summer when students go home, USC officials said, the moratorium could effectively mean a year-long delay in adding the life-saving protection to the dormitories.

Columbia Fire Chief Bradley Anderson, whose department provides fire service for the USC campus, said sprinklers can make a life-or-death difference in the event of a fire in a residential building.

“I applaud the university for trying to move forward to complete this work,” Anderson said. “They have been working hard at it, and they are aware of how important it is.

“I don’t know the intricacies of their funding process, but anything that can be done to provide students with sprinkler protection, I would encourage. The university has a good handle on what needs to be done.”

Students living in the three residence halls — Preston College, DeSaussure College, and Patterson Hall — could go another year without the new fire safety features.

The three residence halls combined have 920 beds.

“Having every bed with a sprinkler is a priority,” USC spokesman Russ McKinney said. “We’d hate to see our efforts to reach 100 percent delayed.”

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