FREDRICK MISLEH
STAFF WRITER
Nearly two months after it was brought to the attention of the student body, the permits in the following elevators have not been changed: Arts Building, both elevators in Social and Behavioral Sciences Building, Markstein Hall, and D-building of the University Village Apartments. Only the permit in car number 3 of the Parking Structure has been updated.
When I wrote the article for the Feb. 28, 2012, issue of the Cougar Chronicle, I spoke to Regina Frasca, head of CSUSM’s Risk Management Department. Frasca said it was a matter of scheduling the state inspectors. If the state inspectors could not be scheduled in time, a university inspection team would ensure the safety of our elevators, though they lacked the power to issue permits.
But if the permit in PS1 has been updated (formerly expiring on March 17, 2011, the new permit expires Aug. 25, 2012), why didn’t the inspectors check and update the other elevators? The state inspectors were here sometime between Feb. 28 and April 10 (when this was written), yet someone dropped the ball and only one permit was updated. The job was left unfinished.
This is an insult to all students, as our tuition is supposed to cover the costs of bringing in state inspectors to ensure the safety of our elevators. It is also against California law to operate elevators with expired permits (California Code, Title 8, Section 3001 (c): No elevator shall be operated without a valid, current permit…).
If we students are made to pay higher tuition and parking fees each semester, then it is not above our pay grade to expect top-of-the-line services when it comes to the safety of our students. If, as this case demonstrates, the expectations are not met for whatever reason, we have the right to demand our expectations be met.
CSUSM’s administration and Risk Management Department either need to bring back the state inspectors to update the permits or shut down all elevators with expired permits pursuant to California state law.
In the meantime, should you get stuck in an elevator, do not try to climb out. Use the hotline in the elevator to call for help and stay inside the conveyance. This way, no one can get seriously injured or killed.