WSILtv.com in southern Illinois ran an article about the illinois State Fire Marshal advocating the use of residential sprinklers.
ILLINOIS — The state fire marshal believes sprinklers in more houses will save lives and wants the fire code to require them in all new homes. Some groups are opposing the plan, saying it will do more harm than good.
“Most of the buildings today that are being built are a lot bigger,” said Du Quoin Fire Chief Bob Shaw. “They have big open spaces.”
Shaw is one of many people and organizations supporting the state fire marshal’s plan. He believes the projected $3,000 price of sprinklers would be offset by savings on insurance.
“I think people are afraid of them,” said Shaw. “You know like they were with smoke detectors before we put them in.”
Shaw feels the sprinklers will prevent injuries and deaths. Many new houses are also being built farther from town and with lighter materials. Sprinklers buy firefighters time to put out the flames.
Dozens of communities in Illinois already have sprinkler codes.
“Who would stay in a high rise that didn’t have them?” said Shaw. Who would stay in a hotel that didn’t have them?”
Those against the state fire marshal’s plan, however, feel the last thing Illinois needs is higher prices for home building.
“Illinois is in 50th place for new home construction, said Edd Knight with E.A. Knight Construction. “We’re the bottom of the list.”
Knight has been fighting the proposal for years and doesn’t believe the price of sprinklers pays off.
“I mean a negligible amount,” said Knight.
New houses already have smoke detectors, and Knight says they’re a very effective tool at saving lives.
“It’s not unusual at all for us to go into a home and spend more time and money repairing the water damage than what the actual fire caused,” said Knight.
A bi-partisan committee, The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, is taking public comments on the plan until August 12th. They will then decide whether to include it in the new fire code. That decision could happen in September or October.
The complete article can be found HERE.
