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Code change could make fire sprinklers mandatory
http://www.wkbw.com/news/code-change-could-make-fire-sprinklers-mandatory
By: Jason Gruenauer
Feb 10, 2015
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - A proposed change in New York State's building code would make it mandatory for all new homes to have built-in fire sprinkler systems.
The change would be done in the name of safety, but would also add cost to the price of the home. So is it worth it?
Within the thousands of pages of a potential new residential building code for New York is a soon-to-be voted on mandate that all new homes come equipped with a sprinkler system.
"If a customer wants a fire sprinkler system in their house, we are happy to put it into their house. We're opposed to a mandate. No different than we would be opposed to a mandate on granite counter tops, we wouldn't want that to be a mandate either. We are for consumer choice," William Tuyn, the President of the State Builder's Association, said Monday.
Tuyn says the cost of doing this, which can be more than ten thousand dollars, could have a negative impact on the new housing market.
"I expect sales to go down. There will be those people that are very price sensitive that would be unable to make the choice to build," he added.
But from a fire prevention standpoint, choice is not the primary concern.
"Do we have a choice when we go out and buy a car whether we want seat belts or not? Do we have a choice whether we want air bags or not?" Tom Rinaldi of the NYS Association of Fire Districts questioned.
The State Association of Fire Districts represents over 4,500 fire commissioners across the state, and fully supports the mandate.
"Number one to certainly save the lives of the residents that live in these homes. The second thing is to save the lives of our firefighters that respond to fires within these homes," Rinaldi added.
Residential fire sprinklers are mandatory in only two states, California and Maryland, and it appears that consumers here want to keep it that way. A 2014 Siena Poll found that 65 percent of New Yorkers questioned were against the mandate.
The code must be voted on and approved by the NYS Fire Prevention and Building Codes Council, who can then make changes once it's adopted. There was a meeting scheduled to vote this Wednesday, but that meeting has been postponed.
http://www.wkbw.com/news/code-change-could-make-fire-sprinklers-mandatory
By: Jason Gruenauer
Feb 10, 2015
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - A proposed change in New York State's building code would make it mandatory for all new homes to have built-in fire sprinkler systems.
The change would be done in the name of safety, but would also add cost to the price of the home. So is it worth it?
Within the thousands of pages of a potential new residential building code for New York is a soon-to-be voted on mandate that all new homes come equipped with a sprinkler system.
"If a customer wants a fire sprinkler system in their house, we are happy to put it into their house. We're opposed to a mandate. No different than we would be opposed to a mandate on granite counter tops, we wouldn't want that to be a mandate either. We are for consumer choice," William Tuyn, the President of the State Builder's Association, said Monday.
Tuyn says the cost of doing this, which can be more than ten thousand dollars, could have a negative impact on the new housing market.
"I expect sales to go down. There will be those people that are very price sensitive that would be unable to make the choice to build," he added.
But from a fire prevention standpoint, choice is not the primary concern.
"Do we have a choice when we go out and buy a car whether we want seat belts or not? Do we have a choice whether we want air bags or not?" Tom Rinaldi of the NYS Association of Fire Districts questioned.
The State Association of Fire Districts represents over 4,500 fire commissioners across the state, and fully supports the mandate.
"Number one to certainly save the lives of the residents that live in these homes. The second thing is to save the lives of our firefighters that respond to fires within these homes," Rinaldi added.
Residential fire sprinklers are mandatory in only two states, California and Maryland, and it appears that consumers here want to keep it that way. A 2014 Siena Poll found that 65 percent of New Yorkers questioned were against the mandate.
The code must be voted on and approved by the NYS Fire Prevention and Building Codes Council, who can then make changes once it's adopted. There was a meeting scheduled to vote this Wednesday, but that meeting has been postponed.