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The following is an interesting collection of experiences across the country with local & state home sprinkler ordinances & legislation. This series of remarks is from the NAHB Lobbyists group. Paul,
From: Paul
Cauduro [mailto:Paul.Cauduro @dallasbuilders.com] Last night the Dallas area city of University Park voted for fire sprinkler mandates beginning August 1. Here is how the news is posted on their website today......
City Council
approves fire sprinkler ordinance. Additional information and background: Three residents have been killed in residential fires in University Park since 2000. None of those homes were equipped with sprinklers. From January 2000 to November 2007, there were 97 building fires in University Park. Seventy-seven percent of those occurred in one-and two-family dwellings.
In 2007,
University Park issued 147 single-family construction permits. More than 200 communities in the U.S. have similar residential sprinkler laws. The City of Scottsdale, Arizona, a community of more than 230,000, began requiring sprinklers in the mid-1980’s and hasn’t suffered a fire death in a sprinkler-equipped home since then. Addison Texas, which has an abundance of commercial structures, requires sprinklers in buildings larger than 500 square feet. Since 1992, when Addison’s ordinance took effect, sprinklers have substantially reduced the damage suffered in eight residential fires. With all of the great info provided to them you'd think I can get at least one vote in our favor. But I must admit I was not there to witness this action as I had to attend another City Council meeting to try and ward off a laundry list of green building mandates. Paul
Cauduro
From: jray [mailto:pchomebuilders
@bellsouth.net] Speaking from the viewpoint of a home owner, I do not want fire sprinklers in my house. My smoke detectors go off if a pan of grease starts to get hot—without any smoke. If sprinklers do the same, my furniture (including expensive antiques and electronics) and carpet will be ruined. If I have a grease fire and sprinklers go off, instead of putting out the fire it will spread. I would rather be required to have fire extinguishers than fire sprinklers. Judy
Ray
-----Original Message----- Congratulations!! And thank you for the commentary on the points made during the debate, very insightful and poignant. Steven
Orlowski
From: Brooke
Bulow [mailto:brooke @hbaaustin.com] All, we had a good win on the fire sprinkler issue. Below are an update/points from Harry Savio you may want to use. Brooke We have been fighting on a city by city, district by district battle by sprinkler system suppliers and fire department personnel wanting to mandate fire sprinkler systems in single family residential construction. I am always looking for good anecdotes or information that might be useful. We began with NAHB research which was invaluable and a great asset to anyone beginning to make presentations on the issue. There were two approaches that seem to have more resonance and that I wanted to pass along for anyone who might have an interest. When speaking to the City of Rollingwood, I was asked from the dais, “What is the difference between you guys fighting this and the auto industry fighting seatbelts when they were first introduced?” The answer and my use of the argument since seem to resonate, “Seatbelts save thousand of lives per year[1] for a very modest cost. I remember owning a 1955 Chevrolet Coup. That was a great, classic car. But, I the law later required that to pass my inspections, I had to retrofit and install seat belts. Comparing seat belts to fire sprinklers gives you a good sense of proportionality. I didn’t mind going back to install seat belts because I sensed the relative value. Do you believe in sprinkler systems so much that you are willing to mandate a retrofit in all existing homes?” The second line of argument that seemed to hold value was the sense that they were mandating something buyers didn’t want. We provided story after story of folks who did not want the systems, who opted for another location rather than having to install them and builders who would gladly do what ever a customer wanted but had never been asked for residential sprinklers. The NAHB polling information was especially helpful in backing up what we provided in anecdotes. This led to a negotiated settlement in at least one jurisdiction: “We agree to a mandatory requirement that fire sprinkler systems be offered as an option to the home buyer. At the time the building permit is obtained the owner will submit a waiver (if the owner opts out) to refuse the systems. There is no administration of costs and if the home is a spec it will be accepted or waived by the builder. The District will provide the promotional material to be provided to potential buyers.” The final results for us have been very, very good. Using the NAHB research alone, the City of Cedar Park decided not to proceed with mandatory sprinklers. We have been able to get the City of Rollingwood to back off long enough to research our input. We thought we had already lost the case when the Emergency Services District #3 posted a public hearing that they were going to mandate the standards. On January 28, the board voted unanimously to adopt the “mandatory option” standard. [1] According to National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 7,500 in 2001 alone compared with 2,500 killed in all home fires. Brooke
Bulow
About the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin
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North Country Home Builders and Remodelers Association is a locally controlled non-profit association to help local builders and related businesses maintain high standards for quality construction, form productive networks to obtain supplies and links between businesses, to develop and maintain a strong and sustainable housing business environment, to uphold professional and ethical standards, to provide a practical and collective voice for legislation and regulation considerations, and to provide the public with high quality affordable housing. Affiliated with:
Contact Executive Officer Debi Warner at 603-444-1512 for any questions about this website, the association, meetings, or membership. © 2007 Debi Warner, all content and graphics, for North Country Home Builders and Remodelers Association |
