By Paul Dove,
This is an interesting question that I asked myself before the addition of the sprinkler requirements in the last remaining model code to accept them for one and two family homes and townhouses.
During the period in time where the International Building Code and International Residential Code (IBC/IRC) committee’s were reviewing code change proposals for this addition and subsequently during the committee’s refusal to accept numerous proposals to include them; I was approached by one of our fire suppression personnel who learned that a new Habitat Home was being planned in our jurisdiction.
The firefighter informed me of the project and presented me with information on a physical limitation one of the family’s children had. He asked if I thought we could get sprinklers donated. This is what started the research process into the feasibility of the project.
The greatest road block to my surprise was the historic stance the National organization had was to not recommend Residential Fire Sprinklers (RFS) for their projects but they would leave it up to regional groups and local affiliates to decide. They question that kept coming up was why?
It seemed that the greatest concern was [click to continue…]
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