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DeKALB – An alarm might not be the only device set off by house fires if the state’s top fire official gets his wish.
Illinois State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis soon will ask a General Assembly committee to mandate sprinkler systems in new homes. The potential mandate introduces a debate weighing safety measures against additional costs to residents that some municipalities may soon address.
DeKalb City Manager Mark Biernacki said officials have discussed updating the fire code and expects public conversations to start this year. Because DeKalb is a “home rule” municipality, the potential mandate likely would be a city decision.
Biernacki said the city has followed the International Residential Code developed by the International Code Council in the past. The code was updated in 2009 to include residential sprinklers for new homes.
Mandating residential sprinkler systems would be an added cost to home buyers, and maintenance and inspection would be a recurring cost, which is why Biernacki said it would be important to also discuss the issues with Sycamore and Cortland.
Biernacki said the three municipalities should avoid creating competitive disadvantages in the housing market.
“We’ll certainly explore it and have a good healthy discussion about it and see how it ends up with the council,” he said.
Residential sprinklers are similar to their industrial counterparts. The heat of a fire melts a bulb that holds back water from the system. Home sprinklers are more recessed into the ceiling, and the activation of one does not set off the others.
Only California and Maryland have a statewide law requiring residential sprinklers in new homes. Pennsylvania enacted a mandate effective in January 2011, but repealed it four months later.
Sycamore Fire Chief Mark Kessler said the idea in theory is great, but there are pros and cons with every decision. While it would add a level of safety, he said it is a discussion and decision that should be left with local, elected officials.
“We just don’t know enough about it right now to have an opinion,” he said.
David Patzelt knows enough to have an opinion, and he is not in favor.
Illinois State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis soon will ask a General Assembly committee to mandate sprinkler systems in new homes. The potential mandate introduces a debate weighing safety measures against additional costs to residents that some municipalities may soon address.
DeKalb City Manager Mark Biernacki said officials have discussed updating the fire code and expects public conversations to start this year. Because DeKalb is a “home rule” municipality, the potential mandate likely would be a city decision.
Biernacki said the city has followed the International Residential Code developed by the International Code Council in the past. The code was updated in 2009 to include residential sprinklers for new homes.
Mandating residential sprinkler systems would be an added cost to home buyers, and maintenance and inspection would be a recurring cost, which is why Biernacki said it would be important to also discuss the issues with Sycamore and Cortland.
Biernacki said the three municipalities should avoid creating competitive disadvantages in the housing market.
“We’ll certainly explore it and have a good healthy discussion about it and see how it ends up with the council,” he said.
Residential sprinklers are similar to their industrial counterparts. The heat of a fire melts a bulb that holds back water from the system. Home sprinklers are more recessed into the ceiling, and the activation of one does not set off the others.
Only California and Maryland have a statewide law requiring residential sprinklers in new homes. Pennsylvania enacted a mandate effective in January 2011, but repealed it four months later.
Sycamore Fire Chief Mark Kessler said the idea in theory is great, but there are pros and cons with every decision. While it would add a level of safety, he said it is a discussion and decision that should be left with local, elected officials.
“We just don’t know enough about it right now to have an opinion,” he said.
David Patzelt knows enough to have an opinion, and he is not in favor.
Fire sprinkler leads are located either on the roof or high up on the walls of a room. They act as attaches for the water in the piping, the piping attaches all the leads to the drinking water.
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