ANYONE FIGURE TELECOMM TOWERS COULD CATCH ON FIRE ON SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES?

By Juan Montoya
The board of trustee of the Brownsville Independent School District at their last meeting Dec. 10 authorized the administration to negotiate with telecommunications vendors who have expressed interest to place communication towers on district properties.
There was no mention of what specific properties these vendors had in mind, but if their companies' plans are to cover the city for cell-phone transmissions, most schools are probably included in their plans.
We remember way back when as cell-phone and microwave transmission towers were just coming on line that city commissioner Harry McNair was able to ram through the erection of these unsightly towers on properties within the city. It wasn't long before irate neighbors woke up to find an unsightly gray metal structures obstructing the horizon.
But, alas, it was too late. With McNair's in-laws sitting on the zoning commission, he easily won out and his allies on the city commission stood him min good stead. Before you knew it, the city was dotted with these monstrosities and McNair pocketed a hefty commission.
Now, as the BISD trustees and administration are getting ready to consider allowing these towers to set up shops in local schools, wouldn't it be a good idea to consider the safety of the children, faculty and staff in these facilities.
For example, just Monday, a welder's torch sparked a fire to a cell phone tower in Brownsville and although Fire Chief Lenny Perez said no one was injured and there was no major damage, power did go out in the neighborhood and emergency crews had to be on standby as a result.
The local daily reported that Brownsville police cordoned off the area around the tower near East Polk, East Taylor and East 26th streets shortly after 11 a.m.
Sparks from the welding ignited insulation on the wires, Perez said.
There weren’t any visible flames around noon, but smoke could be seen periodically escaping from the body of the tower as residents watched.
Brownsville Public Utilities Board spokesman Ryan Greenfeld said workers cut power to the high-voltage antenna so the fire department could control the fire.
Some residents lost power but it was restored by 1 p.m., Greenfeld said.
The Internet is filled with instances where workers repairing or installing the towers have ignited fires that have endangered the safety and lives of people around therm.

This last August 7, in Philadelphia, welders were working 70 feet in the air on a cell phone tower in Bensalem, Bucks County. Penn., when sparks set off an intense fire ten feet above them. They tried to put it out, but ended up having to race down to get help.
"They rappelled quickly. . .and called 911," said Fred Harran, Public Safety Director for the township.
The fire spread quickly and left the tower, which stands nearly 10 stories high, leaning over precariously. Authorities were afraid gravity would win out and it would come crashing down on top of the township's Public Works Building. But there are also homes and an apartment complex nearby. Anyone who could see the tower burning, could also see it bending and swaying from the heat.
“If the tower was to come down instruments on top of the towers could have become projectiles, exploded on crash and shrapnel may have injured kids playing at the playground.
June 21, 2013 A communications tower which caught fire in Bensalem, Pennsylvania and had to be brought down by demolition crews. The safe resolution came more than 10 hours after welders installing steps on the structure about 80 feet off the ground accidentally touched off a fire in some insulation.

Flames and thick black smoke surrounded the cell phone tower, shutting down traffic in the area.
"It was real scary, because flames were just going up for a good 45 minutes," said resident Merolene Robinson.
"There was a lot of hot plastic falling, burning, and I didn't know if it was catching anything on fire," said resident Jim Nelson.
Bensalem Township Public Safety Director Fred Harran said the welders initially tried to put the fire out themselves using fire extinguishers. But the flames quickly spread over their heads and they were forced to rappel down.
Firefighters responded to the scene, and officials set up a 300-foot safety perimeter around the tower, because of fears that the tower might collapse.
Those are just a few of the instances where accidents have occurred in theses towers. A search of the Internet will reveal scores of such occurrences. Can the vendors guarantee that something similar won't happen at our schools?