Chautauqua Institution is asking the state Supreme Court to award $450,000 for damages after a February sprinkler malfunction damaged the institution’s amphitheater.

On Tuesday, attorney Daniel W. Coffey of Albany filed a suit on behalf of Chautauqua Institution against Allied Fire Protection Systems Inc., FSC Systems LLC and Amherst Alarm LLC. The lawsuit states a sprinkler head improperly discharged water for an extended period of time on February 25, 2025. The lawsuit states Chautauqua had contracted with LPCiminelli Construction Corp. for construction work in the amphitheater, with the contractor then hiring Allied Fire Protection as a subcontractor to design and install a fire suppression system in the amphitheater.

The fire suppression system was and is a dry sprinkler system, according to the complaint. Chautauqua and FSC Systems then entered into a contract for FSC Systems for testing, inspection, maintenance and monitoring the fire alarm system at the amphitheater at least one a year, with FSC Systems then entering into a contract with Amherst Alarm to monitor the fire alarm system signals coming from the amphitheater.

“When defendant Allied Fire Protection installed the sprinkler system, the pitch of the pipes was installed incorrectly,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit states pipe freezing issues prompted Allied Fire Protection to return to the amphitheater several times to install low point drains in an attempt to remedy issues the institution’s lawyer says was caused by the improper pitch of pipes in the sprinkler system. Allied returned to Chautauqua Institution twice a month during cold weather periods to open the low point drains in an attempt to drain any water from the dry sprinkler system, though Allie didn’t fix the improper pitch in the pipes. Institution officials allege the installation of the low pint drains didn’t remedy the issues resulting from the incorrectly pitched pipes because trapped water didn’t have a path to any of the installed low point drains. After a week of freezing temperatures leading up to February 25, 2025, warming temperatures led to a sprinkler head located above the main stage in the amphitheater to burst.

The institution also alleges the sprinkler system and fire pump were not installed, maintained or inspected in compliance with industry standards.

The lawsuit alleges negligence against Allied Fire Protection, breach of contract against Allied Fire Protection, negligence against FSC Systems and Amherst Alarm, breach of contract against FSC Systems and Amherst Alarm.

“Water was able to flow for a period of multiple hours without intervention on or about February 25, 2025, because the fire alarm system at (the amphitheater) did not properly retransmit fire alarm system signals in accordance with required codes and standards,” Coffey wrote in his complaint. “Upon information and belief, defendant FSC and defendant Amherst Alarm improperly decided and/or improperly authorized a decision to have alarm signals be transmitted to plaintiff instead of to the county fire department. Such decision or authorization was improper in that it was not authorized under accepted industry standards such as, but not limited to, NFPA 72.”