Residential Fire Sprinklers .com

Protecting Your Home & Family

Webinar presentation will educate plumbing contractors on the NFPA 13D standard for the installation of sprinkler systems in one and two family homes.

A new webinar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC) to educate plumbing contractors across the nation on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D standard that covers the installation of sprinkler systems in one and two family homes. The webinar is part of the online training offered by the PHCC.

The “Introduction to NFPA 13D Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems for One and Two Family Homes” webinar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS, on February 10, 2010 at 3:00pm EST. Mr. Leavitt will educate participants about the NFPA code development process and the requirements for designing and installing fire sprinklers in single and two family homes. Participants will learn how this standard is organized and will be introduced to the requirements for materials and components, design criterion, and installation practices for residential fire sprinkler systems.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “There is a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Skip Pfeffer, PHCC’s President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register for this webinar visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/112342186 . This webinar is another residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunity that is being offered by the PHCC in partnership with Fire Smarts.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

The State of California has adopted building code changes that will require all new one- and two-family homes and townhouses built in the state starting January 1, 2011, to be equipped with life-saving fire sprinkler systems.

The California State Building Standards Commission voted yesterday unanimously by a margin of 10-0 in favor of adopting the 2010 California Residential Code, which includes the 2009 International Residential Code as established by the International Code Council in September 2008. With this action, California becomes the third state to formally adopt the code. As the most populous state in the U.S., this is a huge victory for proponents of life safety. The new code requirement becomes effective January 1, 2011.

“This is another step forward in our efforts to eradicate the home fire death problem. By requiring home fire sprinklers in new homes, California adds an important safeguard for the people in the state,” said Jim Shannon, NFPA President. “We are hopeful their action will lead to more states doing the same in order to save lives from fire.”

The residential sprinkler requirement was voted into the 2009 IRC Code by building code officials from all over the U.S., gaining more than two-thirds of the vote. This demonstrated that officials very clearly see the need to require sprinkler technology as a life-saving measure.

It took a lot of hard work and dedication for this to become a reality. The CAL Fire-Office of the State Fire Marshal took an early lead position, by bringing stakeholders to the table to study the feasibility of adopting this code. The Residential Fire Sprinkler Task Force issued Phase I and Phase II of their final report in June and July of 2009, respectively.

NFPA Regional Manager Ray Bizal actively participated in the task force. “The California homebuilders did not oppose the adoption of the requirement,” said Bizal. The California Building Industry Association also participated. Everyone on the ground worked cooperatively towards the goal. Their model is to be emulated.

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

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is seeking written public comments relating to the cost and effectiveness of sprinkler equipment in one-family and two-family dwellings in areas where residential sprinklers are in use.

In conjunction with its administrative role implementing Governor Phil Bredesen’s Future Clean Energy Act of 2009 and at the direction of the General Assembly, the Department is conducting an analysis regarding the cost and effectiveness of sprinkler equipment in one-family and two-family dwellings in areas where residential sprinklers are in use and will report the results of such analysis to the General Assembly on or before May 1, 2010.

In accordance with Chapter 529 of the Public Acts of 2009, the Department is specifically requesting written input from any interested parties.

It is requested that all written materials be provided to the Department by December 31, 2009. Materials may be sent by e-mail, addressed to Assistant Fire Commissioner Jim.Pillow@tn.gov or by mail addressed to:

Jim Pillow
Assistant Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
ATTN: Residential Sprinkler Analysis
500 James Robertson Parkway, 3 rd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243.

By Tonya Bina – Sky-Hi Daily News

Grand County Commissioners adopted the 2009 International Building Codes with something new by way of a sprinkler-system mandate.

Starting 2013 in Grand County, sprinkler systems will be required in townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes of new construction as part of the updated codes.

But commissioners opted to exclude single-family detached residential housing from the sprinkler-system section of the code, citing cost, in spite of the local firefighting community’s plea to keep it included.

East Grand Fire Chief Todd Holzwarth argued that mandating sprinkler systems in all structures could create trade-offs in needed infrastructure during development. If sprinkler systems were guaranteed, he said, fire districts might reduce storage requirements and be more forgiving with accesses, street widths and switchbacks. And, with sprinkler-system mandates for single-family residences now in the IBC, their cost eventually may go down, he said.

Sprinkler systems also promote the conservation of water, according to East Grand Firefighter Dennis Soles. Without sprinklers in homes, fire districts may use about “ten times” more water to put out a house fire, which would create “ten times the water pollution and air pollution,” he said.

Holzwarth estimated there have been four fatalities from fires in single-family homes in Grand County from 1979 to 2009.

Mandating sprinkler systems may be premature, according to insurance agent Kirk Arnold of Granby.

Fire districts now have the opportunity to educate homeowners about sprinkler systems, he said, and any homeowner can install them on their own without a law. According to his research, insurance companies are offering home insurance discounts from 1.5 percent to about 7 percent for sprinkler systems in homes.

To read the full article click here.

In today’s meeting of the International Code Council (ICC) in Baltimore, Maryland, proposals made to eliminate the requirement for residential fire sprinklers in the International Residential Code (IRC) were defeated. These requirements were included in the 2009 IRC, to become effective January 1, 2011. Proposals to modify the 2012 International Residential Code included RB 54, which would have removed the mandatory requirement and made it an optional provision, RB 56, which would delete sprinkler requirements for townhomes and one- and two-family occupancies and move P2904 back to the appendix, making the requirement optional; and RB 57, which would have completely removed the sprinkler requirements from these residential occupancies.

The final action on these issues will be voted upon at the May 2010 meeting of ICC, at which only building officials and code enforcers can vote. However, today’s vote was an important win for residential fire safety because it will force homebuilders and their allies to get two-thirds vote to over-ride these sprinkler requirements at the May ICC meeting, which is considered unlikely.

From Ronny J. Coleman, President of the IRC Fire Sprinkler Coalition

Words cannot describe how great if feels to have won the sprinkler vote again in Baltimore. Even better, to our surprise, we won the committee vote by a margin of 7 to 4. EVERY member of the IRC Committee not representing NAHB voted in favor of sprinklers!

Thanks to EVERYONE who took part in and supported this historic event!!!

By LISA LAVIA RYAN – DesMoinesRegister.com

It’s far too early to determine where the city of Johnston will land regarding proposed rules governing sprinkler requirements in residences, Johnston’s fire chief told the City Council last week.

International Residential Code sprinkler requirements announced recently mandate installing residential fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes effective Jan. 1, 2011.

Some entities, including the state fire marshal and the Iowa Building Code Commissioner, are recommending that implementation of that law be delayed two years. If that happens, Johnston and other cities will have to determine how their communities will respond to the news, Jim Krohse said.

Krohse is part of an ad-hoc committee of fire chiefs of local communities. The group has been discussing the issue and will continue to update local councils on the sprinkler rules, he said.

“Every one of us is waiting to see where the state goes to determine where we go from here,” Krohse said. “A number of entities think an extension would be appropriate, but it’s too soon to predict where this will go. I imagine it will have a fairly significant statewide impact.”

Currently, the city of Johnston requires that fire sprinklers be installed in any one- or two-family home or townhome larger than 8,000 square feet. Apartment and condominium buildings are exempt from that requirement.

Because Johnston already has sprinkler regulations in place, any impact on residents – no matter when the mandate takes effect – won’t be as large as it is likely to be in cities with no sprinkler laws on the books, Krohse said

“The only real change will be that all residential dwellings, not just those exceeding 8,000 square feet, will have to install sprinklers,” Krohse said.

To read the full article click here.

By Kathleen Sprouse – KBIA

The city of Kirkville plans to require all new homes beginning in 2012 to have fire sprinklers. The city council approved the new code this week requiring sprinklers in duplexes and single family houses. Kirksville’s codes and planning director, Brad Selby says many apartment complexes are already required to have fire sprinklers so adding houses is not surprising.

“Eighty percent of all fires, structure fires are in residential structures. And, this would prevent that, this is a way of saving lives, I think this is a good thing.”

The measure was approved four to one. Council member Aaron Rodgerson was the one no vote. He used to build homes in Kansas City and says he does not think people should be forced to install sprinklers especially because of the already high costs in building a new home.

“If someone came to me and said, you know, I’m going to build a home and I could build it without the sprinkler system, it is going to cost a couple thousand dollars more with sprinkler system.” I would probably, personally not put a sprinkler system in.”

To read the full article click here.

By Eric Lindberg – The Daily Sound

Fire sprinklers will become an integral part of construction in Santa Barbara after city leaders unanimously agreed to require new homes and commercial buildings to install sprinkler systems, a mandate that also applies to major remodels or additions.

After the concept took several laps through the approval process — particularly to answer concerns from the community about the increased cost of a sprinkler installation — the city council deemed the proposal had been thoroughly vetted and made sense from a safety standpoint.

“Although we lose more homes to wildfires, we lose more people to home fires,” Councilmember Das Williams said.

The new code requirement, which will be officially adopted next week as a procedural matter, mandates sprinklers in all new buildings regardless of square footage, although small utility buildings are exempt.

Residential remodels or additions involving 75 percent of the total square footage would also trigger the sprinkler requirement, as would commercial renovations or additions larger than 50 percent of the floor area.

The issue of cost cropped up during the hearing when several community members questioned the need to impose more expensive requirements on construction projects in Santa Barbara, an area already struggling in the arena of affordable housing.

“There is no question that this ordinance would add to the cost of construction in Santa Barbara, perhaps by as much as $7,500 per unit,” said Lanny Ebenstein, president of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association.

City officials, however, noted that insurance carriers typically offer discounts on fire policies in the range of 2 to 20 percent if sprinkler systems are installed.

“It’s obvious this is an increase in construction costs, but there’s also a gain in reduced insurance costs,” Williams said, adding that the concept had been thoroughly reviewed during stakeholder meetings. “This was not considered onerous by our local Realtors,” he said.

Fire Marshal Joe Poire touted the lifesaving benefits of fire sprinklers, telling city leaders that homeowners are 82 percent less likely to be killed in a house fire if they have functioning sprinklers and smoke detectors.

He also addressed comments from a few public speakers asking for the city to consider an ordinance requiring residents in high-fire hazard areas to build exterior fire protection systems, such as rooftop sprinklers, rather than interior sprinkler systems.

“You are much more likely to be killed by a fire in your home than a Tea Fire or Jesusita fire,” Poire said.

The fire marshal noted concerns about sufficient water flow to single-family homes that had fire sprinklers installed. Questions had been raised during public meetings about whether the standard 5/8-inch water meter would provide enough pressure to supply a sprinkler system.

“Unfortunately, we can’t answer that in every single instance,” Poire said, explaining that it depends on a number of factors, such as the height of the building and how much distance the water pipe covers. However, he added, “I can’t remember the last time it failed to meet the water flow requirement.”

Should a 5/8-inch meter be deemed insufficient for a specific home, he said the homeowner could install an onsite water supply and pumps, connect to a larger meter, or build a dedicated fireline.

Upgrading to a larger meter or trenching for a new fireline would include one-time costs between $2,000 and $9,200, city officials said.

Councilmember Dale Francisco said he had been initially opposed to the proposed requirement, but decided to offer his support after hearing from fire officials in prior meetings and noting the amount of public input that had taken place.

However, he warned that it is growing increasingly difficult to gauge the value of incrementally improving safety through building code requirements at the cost of making construction more expensive.

“We are reaching a point of diminishing returns,” Francisco said.

Mayor Marty Blum likened the fire sprinkler requirement to mandating that automobiles include seatbelts, recalling her father saying years ago that he didn’t want seatbelts in his car simply because he didn’t want them.

“I think this is the same kind of thing in some ways, because it’s a safety issue,” she said.

To read the full article click here.