Nonprofit Urges Huntley: Reconsider Making Sprinklers Mandatory in Homes
Issue of sprinklers in single-family residences resurfaces after a fatal fire last week.
0 Comments
Huntley Fire Protection District firefighters gave an example of what a flashover fire is during a training session Friday at the Ruth Training Center in Huntley.
Within minutes, flames overtook the inside of a small trailer mocked up to look like someone’s living room.
A second trailer nearby was set ablaze but this fire was out within seconds thanks to an indoor sprinkler system. The sprinklers prevented a flashover from occurring and causing damage to property or lives.
It was a flashover that firefighters fought in Friday's residential fire, which killed a 73-year-old man from Sun City Huntley.
A sprinkler would have helped save the man, a spokesman with the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board said.
Last week’s fire is a tragic reminder of the important role that fire sprinklers play in protecting lives and preventing such tragedies, said Tom Lia, the board’s executive director.
There are homes in Huntley equipped with residential fire sprinklers, thanks to a 2005 ordinance village officials passed. The ordinance, however, was rescinded in 2007, Lia said. Homes built since 2007 are not required to have residential sprinklers.
“The fire represents what could happen in some of the new homes that have been built since the ordinance was removed, and it shows the need for reinstatement of the ordinance,” Lia said.
Residential Sprinklers an Issue
Friday’s fire is a representation of the bigger picture, Lia said.
Lia works with the advisory board, a nonprofit organization based in Orland Park, to promote legislation and raise public awareness for enacting residential sprinkler ordinances.
Seventy-four fire districts or departments in Illinois require residential fire sprinklers, including Huntley Fire Protection District, Lia said. The district’s area includes Huntley, a portion of Algonquin and Lake in the Hills. The fire district has had a residential fire sprinkler ordinance in place since July 2004, he said.
“We support residential sprinklers, we feel it’s an effective way to save lives and property but each community needs to decide what kind of fire codes to have,” Huntley Fire Protection District Chief James Saletta said. “Most communities do not have a fire sprinkler ordinance.”
Huntley continues to require that developers install residential sprinkler systems in townhomes and has one of the strongest ordinances around, Village Manager Dave Johnson said.
“We still have the strictest requirements around,” Johnson said. “We require it in all townhomes which is not the case in many communities. We’ve had that for a long time.”
Huntley passed an ordinance in 2005 that required residential sprinklers in all townhomes and single-family homes, Johnson said. In 2007, the ordinance changed to exclude single-family homes, he said.
There were upward of 1,000 homes built in that two-year period with residential sprinklers, he said. While Huntley officials changed the 2005 ordinance, it did require developers offer residential sprinklers as an option for prospective homeowners, he said.
“It was a decision the board at that time looked at as an option as oppose to being mandatory,” Johnson said. “I think there was concern being expressed about the cost. The original estimates weren’t as costly as it ended up being.”
There also were concerns about malfunctioning sprinklers, he said. “I think that was where it was determined the purchaser of the home can make that decision.”
Builders must submit a sales rider prior to a building permit issuance to make sure buyers are offered the opportunity to purchase fire sprinklers in new single-family homes, Johnson said.
He said residential fire sprinklers are required in townhomes — it is not optional for builders or homeowners.
Revisiting the Issue
While the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board is encouraging Huntley to revisit its 2005 ordinance due to last week’s fire, there are no plans to do so.
Johnson said he is meeting with the chief soon, and it is something the village needs to evaluate. The staff may forward the issue to the board.
Meanwhile, Huntley firefighters continue to spread the message of fire safety through public education and fire safety checks, Saletta said.
No comments:
Post a Comment