Residential Fire Sprinklers .com

Protecting Your Home & Family

On Friday, December 11, the New Hampshire State Code Review Board voted in the majority to adopt the International Residential Code 2009 edition, including townhouse automatic fire sprinkler systems and one- and two-family dwellings automatic fire sprinkler systems; effective April 1, 2012. The New Hampshire Home Builders Association Representative, John Starr spoke vehemently against adoption while the New Hampshire Fire Chiefs’ Representatives Chief Corey Landry and Local Fire Marshal Michael Hoisington countered every negative remark in a passionate and professional manner. There was widespread support from the Board of Architects, Board of Engineers, New Hampshire Building Officials Association, Board of Licensing and Regulations of Plumbers, and the New Hampshire Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association.

The public hearing on adoption was originally held on October 23, 2009 with NFSA’s Buddy Dewar, Vice President of Regional Operations, and Tim Travers, New England Regional Manager submitting oral and written testimony; joined by the NFPA, the New Hampshire Fire Marshal, the New Hampshire Fire Chiefs Association, and Road Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 669.

According to Tim Travers, “the adoption is but one step in the process as several pieces of legislation have been filed for 2010 to prohibit the state building code, or any local amendment, from including a mandatory fire sprinkler system. This will severely impact “home rule”, which is sacred in NH and the NH fire service has vowed to prevent its passage.”

The last hurdle from the Independent Regulatory Review Commission came yesterday, as they recommended to Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry that the new International Residential Code be placed in effect 1\1\10 WITH NO RESTRICTIONS OMITTING SPRINKLERS.

A lot of people worked very hard to overcome the roadblocks placed by the NAHB. In general, the Fire Service, organized into the PA Residential Sprinkler Coalition co-chaired by John Waters and Tim Knisely from Upper Merion Twp (King of Prussia) and Centre Region Code (State College) led the fight. The sprinkler industry was primarily held back in a support role behind the scenes. Thanks also should go to Senate Advisory Panel members Aus Marberger and John Kampmeyer, from FPI and Triad Engineering, for the time and effort to attend numerous hearings, sometimes with almost no notice or time to prepare.

I’d personally like to also thank Ray Lonabaugh, NFSA Regional Manager, for not only his efforts directly in the political arena, but for his huge help in facilitating side by side burns to sway public opinion. We’d joined the NFSA to help support their Industry Promotion Fund, not realizing we’d be able to have this funding mechanism kick in and provide funding to realize the vision of some interested fire departments and the PennBOC Annual Convention demo.

There are others too numerous to name in any endeavor of this magnitude, and I certainly wasn’t in the middle of the political battle so I cannot know the amount of input from them- just that the end result- safe housing for Pennsylvanians – was realized.

We hope this passage sets the stage for other states to follow. We can afford safety, these systems can be done economically, and the time has now come for us to work with the builders and code officials to make the process work as we move into the implementation phase.

In my wildest dreams I did not ever think residential sprinklers would be required, its too simple and effective. Future generations may read the occasional fire death story and think wow- that must have been an old house to not have sprinklers in it!

Click the following to view Document 2804 from the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission