Residential Fire Sprinklers .com

Protecting Your Home & Family

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!!!

Home fire sprinklers can be integrated with local water supply systems with ease according to a new study – Integration of Residential Sprinklers with Water Supply Systems (PDF, 842 KB) – released today by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The study, conducted by Newport Partners of Maryland, looked at detailed information for 20 US communities with a residential sprinkler ordinance and concluded that water supply integration requirements have been put into place, and there are no examples of insurmountable problems or issues. Neither design problems nor significant added costs were found in the communities surveyed.

“This is another critical piece of substantiation against the myths that abound about home fire sprinklers,” said Jim Shannon, NFPA president. “It is simply not true that sprinklers cannot be integrated with public water supply or significantly adds to cost. What is true is that home fire sprinklers save lives and should be required in new construction of one- and two-family homes.”

All model safety codes now include such a provision. According to NFPA, the risk of dying in a home fire is cut by about 80 percent when sprinklers are present.

Key findings from the report

While sprinklers are still a fairly recent development in all of these communities (average ordinance age is about 3 years), water supply integration requirements have been put into place, and there are no examples of insurmountable problems or issues. Neither design problems nor significant added costs were found in the communities surveyed. Findings included:

- Nearby communities, such as those in the same state, generally adopt consistent provisions on issues such as water metering requirements; making compliance more uniform and predictable.

- More unusual design requirements, such as dual water service lines or dual water meters, are rare and typically driven by a local issue which would not apply in most other areas

- In more than half of the communities, no cost impact resulted from sprinkler-induced changes to water meter size, the need for additional water meters, or changes to tap size. These communities also did not have higher monthly service fees from the water supplier for homes with sprinklers. (In those communities where one or more of these factors did add cost, the average added cost was about $400.)

- Administrative issues such as concerns about water shut-off and larger, less accurate meters are not viewed as significant issues. In those communities where system inspections are required, communities are adopting a variety of practical strategies.

Overall, water suppliers, building departments and fire service have developed practical approaches to accommodate both home fire sprinklers and the local water supply.

Study Background

In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 U.S. communities with a residential sprinkler ordinance to better understand how sprinklers are integrated with the local water supply systems, including any added costs related to meters or tap fees. Participants included local water providers, building departments and fire service staff. The interview questions were based on a literature review of fire sprinkler/water supply integration issues, and were conducted by phone after first screening a community to make sure it had an ordinance covering all new single-family construction that had been in effect since 1999. This research was conducted in Spring/Summer 2009.

Part four of a five part series focusing on the rapidly growing residential fire sprinkler market and why plumbing contractors are best positioned to capture this opportunity.

To view part three of the series visit “Residential Fire Sprinklers: Plumbing Contractor Competitive Advantage #1“

When the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) arrives, with it will be the highly publicized requirement for all single family homes to have fire sprinkler systems installed in them. Previously we discussed the market and individual growth potential for residential plumbing contractors this new code will create. If we have convinced you, a residential plumbing contractor, that in fact, this opportunity is viable; the question now is, what next? Certainly questions of capital, resources, training and tools all fill the list. But, if you are like me, you are asking, “How do I sell this?” How do I convince my existing homebuilding client that, not only am I capable of providing both services, but it will be less expensive than two separate contractors doing the work?

To start with, let’s admit that most everyone would agree that it should cost less to get everything you need from one source, rather than to get only one thing you need from one source at a time. A quick glance at the popularity and success of big retail such as Wal-Mart or Best Buy will validate that. And while it may seem obvious that bundling services is cheaper than buying them separately, it is harder to distinguish this when the amounts that are being compared are relatively low. For instance, you normally don’t drive to a specialty battery store to buy AA batteries that cost $6.50 when you can get the same brand at the grocery store for approximately the same price or usually within a $1 while you are buying your groceries. The batteries at the battery store may even be less expensive (not likely, but possible) however, when the retail price of batteries is not that much to begin with, who is going to drive all over town to save a dollar. And while costs are always a strong part of decision making, the residual savings that you get by not spending the time to make the extra trip to the battery store will most likely outweigh the cost difference between the two stores supplying the batteries. Not to mention the convenience and stress reduction of having one more item off your “to do” list.

Now equate this example with those contractors vying for the installation of a residential fire sprinkler system. You have the fire protection contractor acting as the specialty store and the plumbing contractor acting as the “all in one” store. If an average tract home is 2500 square feet and the higher end of installed costs for a fire sprinkler system are $1.50 square foot, the installed cost would be $3,750. If the average sales price for this size tract house falls into the mid $200 thousands the fire sprinkler system would represent approximately 2% of the cost. The question is “can a plumbing contractor provide this system for less than a fire protection contractor?” While geographic factors such as unions will skew the numbers somewhat, it would be safe to answer this question with a resounding “yes”. The first and most obvious reason is the combination or overlapping of insurance, tools and resources. It would be very difficult to compete with a workforce that is trained to install toilets and sinks as well as risers and fire sprinklers, especially when many of the tools and materials used are the same. A second factor that would make this option even more definite would be if the fire sprinkler system is a multipurpose or combined type system. Meaning a system of valves and piping that feeds both domestic and fire sprinkler demand all together. The reduction in coordination issues alone would make this a very attractive choice for any home builder.

The third and not so obvious reason would reflect the nature of tract housing itself. Tract housing is all about volume and typical construction. I have termed it RPTV which stands for “Residual Profit on Typical Volume”. This represents profit that is not readily measurable, but is made as the result of “production line” thinking. It could be characterized as savings made from repetitive activities that require very little effort on your part or that of your clients. It can apply to the services you currently provide for your tract home builder, but can also apply to his services as well. The typical nature of this type of construction produces less and less supervision with each home built. I can attest to this first hand. While growing up in the homebuilding industry I experienced the transformation of our family business from tract housing to full custom homes. Without diverting into a dissertation on the differences, suffice it to say, it can be summed up in one word… Volume.

Let’s say the average cost of the plumbing contract for our 2,500 square foot tract home is $15,000 and the fire sprinkler system is $3,750. The total cost for each service without profit is $18,750. If both the plumbing contractor and the fire sprinkler contractor apply a 10% markup, the total price to the client is $20,625. Now, if you are a plumbing contractor providing both services it would be reasonable to expect your price to be at least 2% lower than this as your fixed expenses are now spread over a larger amount of revenue. This would put your sell price at approximately $20,210 which is a savings of roughly $415 to the client per house. Now, consider that your 10% profit per house should actually increase as your crews become more and more proficient with the installation of both systems, along with savings on bulk materials. When you multiply that profit over a couple of hundred homes a year the decision to expand your services to include fire sprinkler systems becomes much easier.

Do not forget, just like everyone else in the construction industry, home builders are looking for ways to do more or get more with the same amount. And if they do agree to pay more money it has to be towards something that they know will help them stand out from their competition. Tract home pricing is very competitive with margins averaging 8% to 10% at best. So other marketing tools are used. Usually these types of things come in the form of “buyer options”. This is where the buyer of the home may want to add certain options to the basic home he is buying such as a refrigerator, washer/dryer or upgraded carpet. The big difference is that these options are not “required” by codes or standards. The fire sprinkler system, on the other hand, is required by code and therefore is a hard cost that the home builder must account for. While he is looking for “bang for the buck” he is equally looking for companies that are going to make his life easier. Meaning, fewer coordination issues, no more sub-contractors than what he is already working with and someone who is managing their work without his supervision. By using an “all in one” plumbing contractor for both services he eliminates one more company he has to go into contract with, he needs only one phone number to deal with issues for either system, and there are fewer invoices to process, which keeps his overhead from increasing.

Trust me when I tell you, home builders put a high price on their time and how it is spent. They don’t want to deal with coordination problems or issues regarding permits or scheduling conflicts. They just want it done, on time, on budget and with attention to the same quality expected in custom home building. Home builders today are looking for every advantage they can find to either lower costs or provide more value for the same price. If domestic plumbing and fire sprinkler services are packaged up by a single source contractor, they will take a long hard look at the single source price. With a competitive price and the reduction of administrative expenses, there is real value to the home builder in getting there plumbing and fire sprinkler systems from the same “store”. Show the home builder how this works for them with the pricing in your own neighborhood and I am confident you will be successful as a single source provider.

In Part 5 of this series, “Residential Fire Sprinklers: Plumbing Contractor Competitive Advantage #3”, Jayson Drake, will discuss why multipurpose systems are the future of residential fire sprinklers, why plumbing contractors are uniquely qualified to install these systems and how this creates a clear competitive advantage.

Steven Scandaliato is a Fire Smarts Faculty member and Principal at SDG, LLC, a fire protection design and consulting company. With over 23 years of fire protection engineering, design and project management experience he holds a Level IV certification from NICET in Fire Sprinkler Layout and serves as a member of the NFPA 13, 101 and 5000 committees.

Fire sprinklers help to reduce the carbon footprint of properties through the entire cycle of construction. They reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fires, reduce the amount of burned or non-recyclable building materials going to landfills, save energy on rebuilding after fire, conserve water, and reduce diesel fuel usage in heavy fire suppression equipment.

The carbon emissions are not solely from the fire itself; they are also from the billions of material needed to rebuild $14.6 BILLION in direct property loss following fires (2007 statistic from the National Fire Protection Association).

As a former volunteer firefighter in northern NJ, I remember a case in a neighboring community where a paint manufacturer’s fire had well over 4 million gallons of water applied to extinguish. There was a gully located approximately 50 feet from the building. The gully fed into a stream about a ¼ mile away and the fish were jumping OUT of the stream onto the bank because of the toxic, irritating material that was mixed in the water runoff from the firefighting operations.

Although codes may not require fire sprinklers in certain size buildings, fire sprinklers must be in all green construction projects to truly reflect this designation. I ask you – how can a green building, including single-family homes, be considered ‘sustainable construction’ if it is positioned to burn someday without the benefit of an automatic fire sprinkler system to suppress smoke and save materials?

Dominick Kasmauskas is the NY Regional Manager for the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and Secretary to the NFSA Green Committee, as well as a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. After 32 years in the fire service as a Captain, NJ State Fire Instructor, and Fire Inspector, Dominick went on to gain experience in legislative matters. He is with the NFSA for over 8 years and is also an NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist and a NY Certified Codes Enforcement Official.

Getting home fire sprinklers added to the 2009 International Residential Code wasn’t easy. Opponents are still fighting to remove that requirement from the code, and NFPA and its allies have readied their arguments for hearings next month.

Code development hearings of the International Code Council set for Oct. 24-31 and Nov. 4-11 at a Hilton hotel in Baltimore will include the latest bout between advocates of residential fire sprinklers and their foes, notably the National Association of Home Builders. Four proposals to remove the requirement for home fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes from the 2009 International Residential Code will be considered at those hearings.

NFPA’s Fire Sprinkler Coalition has prepared seven pages of responses to the proposals, which are featured on pages 96-100 of this document. NFPA’s coalition says the arguments by sprinkler opponents are based on false statements and premises or misleading statements of the benefits sprinklers offer and their potential drawbacks. “The fact is that home fire sprinklers save lives and protect property from destruction by responding quickly and effectively to the presence of a nearby fire. In fact, the risk of dying decreases by about 80 percent when sprinklers are present. Sprinklers also reduce the average property loss by about 71 percent per fire,” according to the coalition.

NFPA urges ICC members to attend the hearings and vote no on the anti-sprinkler proposals.

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.

Part three of a five part series focusing on the rapidly growing residential fire sprinkler market and why plumbing contractors are best positioned to capture this opportunity.

To view part two of the series visit “Plumbing Contractors Needed for Residential Fire Sprinkler Work“

Growing up in the home building business provides a very unique opportunity to learn about micro and macro economics without ever having to pay a single tuition bill. In fact, when taking these courses in college, I found myself arguing with the establishment most of the time, because not one of my instructors had ever experienced grossing $1 million one year and then struggling to stay in business with it for the next five. Mowing lawns to buy basketball shoes and cancelling family vacations, because interest rates changed as fast as the weather does. None of them had experienced living in a thriving community with great growth potential for several years to come and then see it completely stopped by a select group of community activists using a gas moratorium as a way to stop future growth. Now, several years later, ironically, a similar event has taken place, which is going to have one of the most significant impacts on the home building industry since 1.5 gallon toilets were mandated. Of course, I am speaking of the new IRC requirement for all new single and two family dwellings to have fire sprinkler systems installed.

The impact is estimated to be as high as $3 billion a year in potential revenue. Of course, there are those that are for this and those who are not. Nevertheless, it is here and the potential market that is now open to those who install fire sprinklers is also open to the plumbing industry as well. I say this because, contrary to many of the reports and articles written about this subject, the fire sprinkler industry is not large enough to absorb this type of demand. And, even with the pressure our capitalistic economy is currently feeling, demand for designers and installers of these systems is going to be very deliberate. So the question is, do you want to be a part of this market?

Before you answer, allow me to impart some observations that only someone in my position can share. First, I doubt anyone would argue with me about the significant differences there are between commercial and residential construction. Certainly this discussion alone would warrant several pages. However, when narrowed to the introduction of fire sprinklers to the home building process there are specific issues to consider. First, consider the fact that the plumbing industry can be characterized into three major groups. There are the large major mechanical contractors consisting usually of both HVAC and plumbing capabilities. These companies are found predominately on commercial types of projects, which require more than 2-3 man crews with construction schedules that can stretch out for months and many times years. Then there are those companies that concentrate on the residential markets. These would include multifamily as well as single family projects. These companies are usually much smaller than those involved in the commercial markets and tend to have smaller crews. The final group is those companies that have chosen to focus on the service side of the plumbing market. They are typically small to medium sized companies, less than 25 employees, and are structured to accommodate the general public’s plumbing service needs. They are not involved with new construction much, if any at all.

Of these three groups, it is the residential companies that are most prevalent and have the most opportunity to gain from the emerging residential fire sprinkler market. There are several simple reasons for this. First and foremost, they have the most to gain with the least amount of investment required. Let me explain. In residential construction, there are usually only five or six sub-contractors involved. They include the foundation, framing, mechanical, electrical, finish and painting contractors. Of course this will vary for several reasons, but for the purpose of this discussion these would be considered the core group for a home builder to contract with on a regular basis. Since the residential plumbing market is already very competitive the potential profit margins are very tight, especially when you consider the fact that average tract housing plumbing contracts only total $8 to $10k to begin with. So most residential contractors are looking for volume as well as the occasional custom home that comes along. Any chance one has to increase the base cost of their services means that while the actual margins may not increase, the amount of that margin allows opportunities for more rapid growth or internal capital improvements such as tools, trucks or even employee benefits.

Second, as long as I can remember, and my father before me and his father before him, every house that our family built had running water in it. What I mean by this is that plumbers have been on site for decades. Not so for fire sprinklers contractors. Plumbing contractors already have relationships built with current clients. They are familiar with home building trends, contracts and market conditions. The overwhelming majority of all fire sprinkler contractors in this country are commercial contractors. They do not have the years of experience with residential markets. Over the years, some have diversified into the residential markets but one thing is for sure, very few are capable, or for that matter, even want to participate in both markets. The reasons for this are the same reasons there are three groups of plumbing contractors. The bottom line costs are not as high as commercial construction and they have found that trying to accommodate both markets usually involves higher overhead which makes it harder to compete.

The third reason is the nature of the trade itself. It is pipe and water. Who better to adapt to this market than skilled labor that already knows how to work with the majority of the components involved with fire sprinkler systems. I have read several articles and reports from those on both sides of the residential fire sprinkler argument. And in response I say this: As a guy who started on his dad’s framing crew at age 14, going on to become the Vice President of the company and getting my Class A contractor’s license at age 21, only to end up as NICET IV fire sprinkler designer as well as a member of the NFPA committees that put the codes and standards for fire sprinklers into place, this is NOT hard. It will not take years of training and expense to merge the design and installation of fire sprinkler systems into an already successful residential plumbing contracting company.

While residential fire sprinkler systems have been required in select markets and geographic locations since the mid 1980’s, it has really only made its presence known in multi-family projects and even then it is fairly marginal. Today’s residential plumbing contractors have a very clear and distinct advantage coming into the residential fire sprinkler market. It would be prudent for them to consider this advantage as well as the education and training tools that are being made available by Fire Smarts and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC). 2011 when the IRC requirement comes into effect is not far off. And given the current economic conditions in the residential market, demand can only grow. Like my father always said, “people will always need a place to live”. For me, these are words to build a company by.

In Part 4 of this series, “Residential Fire Sprinklers: Plumbing Contractor Competitive Advantage #2”, Steven Scandaliato, SET, will discuss how plumbing contractors that provide both domestic water and fire sprinkler services have a competitive advantage by reducing the general contractor’s administrative burden, while increasing their own profit margin.

Steven Scandaliato is a Fire Smarts Faculty member and Vice President of Business Development of Telgian Corporation. With over 23 years of fire protection engineering, design and project management experience he holds a Level IV certification from NICET in Fire Sprinkler Layout and serves as a member of the NFPA 13, 101 and 5000 committees.

The U.S. Fire Administration has promoted research, development, testing, and demonstrations of residential fire sprinkler systems for more than 30 years. The research regarding residential fire sprinkler systems has indisputably demonstrated the following:

- Residential fire sprinklers can save the lives of building occupants.

- Residential fire sprinklers can save the lives of firefighters called to respond to a home fire.

- Residential fire sprinklers can significantly offset the risk of premature building collapse posed to firefighters by lightweight construction components when they are involved in a fire.

- Residential fire sprinklers can substantially reduce property loss caused by a fire.

The time has come to use this affordable, simple and effective technology to save lives and property where it matters most – in our homes.

In the past year, the National debate about the benefits of residential fire sprinklers passed a major milestone with the adoption of a change to the International Residential Code that will require fire sprinklers in all new construction. This code change survived rigorous scrutiny, during which all interested parties had ample opportunity to comment on the technical merits of the issue. Since then, parties who oppose this life-saving technology have started a vigorous campaign to enact laws at the state level that will prohibit adoption of sprinkler requirements for new homes.

I encourage every member of the fire service to stay abreast of this rapidly changing situation, and to be ready to voice any concerns that you have about proposed legislation to your respective state legislature. The Fire Sprinkler Initiative website has been established to provide a central clearing house for up-to-date information. Log on to the site at http://firesprinklerinitiative.org – stay vigilant and keep the fire service community informed of developments in your area. Only by working together can we save lives.

It is the position of the U.S. Fire Administration that all Americans should be protected from death, injury, and property loss resulting from fire in their residence. All homes should be equipped with both smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, and all families should have and practice an emergency escape plan. The U.S. Fire Administration supports all efforts to reduce the tragic toll of fire losses in this nation, including the recently adopted changes to the International Residential Code that require residential fire sprinklers in all new residential construction.

Glenn A. Gaines
Acting Assistant Administrator
U.S. Fire Administration