Report says GSU stadium has failing sprinkler system; fire marshal says it’s safe

He said he has “absolutely no concern” and safety is not being compromised.

Approximately 60 areas of the stadium, including service elevators, have no sprinklers at all, according to the August report. More than 50 sprinklers were also in varying stages of corrosion and need replacement.

As for the recommendations, Garriss said that "even in the code itself it says those should be remedied versus they shall be."

GSU officials said they knew the 20-year-old system needed work when the stadium, then Turner Field, was purchased in January in a $30 million deal.

The school was still able to land an occupancy certificate from Garriss’ office after working with a Fire Watch service that allows a panel alert system to alert officials when there is a fire in the stadium, Channel 2 reported.

“If there is a fire situation in the stadium anywhere,” GSU associate vice president for facilities management Ramesh Vakamudi said, “the alarm should show up which area of the stadium. If it’s a real (emergency), they will notify people to evacuate the area while we’re trying to deal with the fire.”

The Panthers’ football team opened its season Aug. 31 in the facility against Tennessee State. The next scheduled home game is Oct. 21 against Troy.

The annual Corky Kell Classic on Aug. 18-19 featured seven high school football games played in the stadium.

Minor renovations on the sprinkler system have begun, but it’s not clear when they will be completed, Channel 2 reported. Work on the more serious issues is still in the planning stages.

— Staff writer Lauren Foreman contributed to this article.

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