GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $453,000 FOR REPAIRS AT LEAHI HOSPITAL

For Immediate Release:  April 30, 2005

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $453,000 to replace the fire escape stairwell at the Atherton Building on the campus of Leahi Hospital.

Built in the 1940s, the three-story Atherton Building houses the administrative staff of Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) and the clinical research office of the University of Hawai`i’s Medical School.  In the 1970s a metal fire escape stairwell was built and attached to one end of the building.  Due to years of exposure to the elements, the structural frame and steps are currently corroded and rusty, leaving the stairwell badly deteriorated and unsafe.  Replacing the stairway is necessary to comply with safety requirements. 

“It is important to ensure safety equipment at public facilities are maintained to fulfill their function, rather than becoming a safety hazard themselves,” said Governor Lingle.  “The construction of the new fire escape will serve as a life-saving route to safety for students and faculty in the event of a fire.”

The repairs are expected to be completed by the end of June. 

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For more information, contact:
Lenny Klompus  
Senior Advisor – Communications  
Phone:  586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: 586-0043