The Texas legislature moved through a final step and will move SB 1410 for the Governor’s signature. This new law will remove a communities ability to adopt an ordinance on residential sprinklers which is retroactive back to January 1, 2009.
SB1410 amends the plumber licensing act to include multiple changes to address residential sprinklers systems and who installs them. An addition was added which reads: [click to continue…]
{ 4 comments }
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…]
{ 8 comments }
Today residential sprinklers made the national news as Maryi-k Appy with the Home Fire Safety Council demonstrated the power of residential sprinklers. The demonstration was shown live from outside of Chicago in a side by side burn demonstration. The burn included two rooms, side by side, one with sprinklers and one without.
View the demonstration on NBC’s web-page
If you would like to do this demonstrations for your community there are plenty of resources available from the NFSA. These resources include floor plan, requirements, and safety procedures. For more information visit one of the links below
{ 0 comments }
Many of you have emailed us to get specific information on the testimony that was heard during the 
International Code Council final action hearings. Code talk podcast highlights the audio from the testimony on RB-64 which was heard on September 20, 2008. This code change will require sprinklers in one and two family dwellings in the 2009 edition of International Residential Code (no earlier then January 1, 2011).
Additional Resources
- Frequently asked questions about RB 64
- Final Action Hearing, final changes
- Join the discussion on this issues
- Facts on Residential Sprinklers
- NIST Economic Analysis on Residential Sprinklers August 2005
{ 1 comment }
Today the International Code Council continued to vote on proposals at the Final Action Hearings which will
affect the 2009 series of Building Codes. The hearings started on Wednesday and continue through Monday. The series of votes which revolve around the installation of residential sprinklers drew the largest forum of governmental members the ICC has ever seen in its history. Here is the voting as it happens. You can view the web-cast here as well
{ 10 comments }
,Michael: Yes it’s cute but I would write a violation plus its an eyesore to the community.
,Michael O'Brian: Chris, Typically these systems are installed by an approved fire suppression company. First they are approved by the State...
,Chris: I am looking to install a dry chemical system in my auto spray booth. Is this something I can do on my own or do I have to have this done...
,Patrick G. Collier . . . Irish: There’s a myriad of things, very similar to a shopping list that could have been done. One of those things...
,Dave Donka: If you grew up around Chicago the school fire that will always be remembered is The Our Lady of the Angels fire, which broke out...
,FM D. Sang: I have also lived by the rule of reading the section before and after the “code section” of the related topic. Also, I use...
