|
The Sprinkler vote that was defeated last
year (see below article) will be up for vote
again this year. The ICHBA will be
sending representatives to attend and vote
against it once again!
=========================================
RC Proposals Defeated
Word back from the ICC Final Action Hearings
in Rochester states that the case for
keeping sprinklers as a voluntary option in
new homes was strong and successful. This is
a significant win for housing affordability
and consumer choice in home safety
decisions. With this decision, fire
sprinklers will remain in the appendix of
the IRC, where local jurisdictions can still
adopt them if they so choose, and certainly
home buyers will always have the option of
choosing to have fire sprinklers installed
in their new homes, as is appropriate.
While the battle to maintain fire sprinklers
as optional rather than mandated equipment
in new homes can be expected to continue in
subsequent code development cycles, that
does not diminish the great accomplishment
that of all who traveled to Rochester to
express their concerns about mandates to
building code officials so that they could
understand the many questions and potential
problems surrounding this issue. Ultimately,
their input convinced voting code officials
to make the most appropriate and balanced
decision on fire sprinklers. Many thanks go
out to those who took the time out of their
busy schedules through out the past few
months to stand up for affordable housing.
|
RESOURCES &
ASSISTANCE FOR YOU
Sample home
sprinkler talking points and background information and
assistance with contact information on building
officials is available on
www.nabh.org/sprinklers NAHB’s Codes & Standards
staff are also ready and available to assist you in
identifying code officials in your area and to help you
prepare to contact them regarding sprinkler mandates and
other code concerns. Contact staff directly on:
Call: 800.368.5242, ext 8444, E-mail: bsause@nahb.com
TALKING POINTS
•Because
of changes in residential construction technology,
improved building code requirements - especially for
electrical and smoke alarm systems, as well as consumer
behavior and the concerted efforts of fire fighters,
home builders and other safety advocates, the number of
fatal fires has dropped dramatically in the last 20
years. This trend continues and the decline is even
more impressive given the significant population
growth and growth in housing stock our nation continues
to see.
•Even more
dramatic is the drop in actual fire death rate per
million persons (FDMP) from house fires. In fact, from
1979-2003, the rate dropped by more than 58%, based on
data from the Centers for Disease Control. That trend
will continue as more new housing stock is constructed
and especially as maintenance of smoke alarms by home
occupants is improved. Furthermore, the fire safety
features currently required by building codes will
adequately protect the home throughout its life
without the need for fire sprinklers.
•US Fire
Administration and National Fire Protection Association
data continue to affirm that the vast majority of home
fire fatalities occur when there are no operational
smoke alarms.
•Thanks to
widespread installation of residential smoke alarm
systems in recent years, Americans are safer than
they’ve ever been. Based on a 2006 US fire
Administration study on the presence of working smoke
alarms in residential fires, from 2001-2004, 88% of the
fatal fires in single-family homes occurred where there
were no working smoke alarms. In fact, according to the
same study, of the residential fire deaths from
2001-2004, only 3.7% were reported as occurring in homes
with working smoke alarms, an even more startling
figure. The problem is not homes without sprinklers,
the problem is homes without working smoke alarms..
•Home fire
sprinklers are a significant expense. Mandates have an
unreasonable impact on housing affordability and have
not been demonstrated to be a practical, cost effective
assured means for reducing fire fatalities
Smoke Alarms Work, Consumers Feel Safe
Without Sprinklers & Demand is Not There
|
