Ron Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation joined the chorus of those pointing out the irony of what is happening right now in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania -- people dying in home fires while at the same time the House voting to remove the provision to require fire sprinklers in new homes. The provision, which would went into effect January 1, 2011, follows all model codes in requiring home fire sprinklers in new one and two family homes but is now being threatened by HB 377, a bill that will come before the Senate in the next couple of weeks.
Writing in the Centre Daily in State College PA, Siarnicki compares the fire in Perry County where seven children dies in a home fire with a fire in a home in Montgomery County, MD that occurred the same day. In the Maryland home, a fire that began in the laundry room was contained by a residential sprinkler. No one was hurt and there was very little damage.
NFPA also weighed in this week in Pennsylvania with an ad that echoes Ron's sentiments.
Millions of Americans have installed smoke alarms in their homes in the past few decades, but a smoke alarm can only alert the occupants to a fire in the house ... it cannot contain or extinguish a fire. Residential sprinkler systems can!
Posted by: Mary at Medical Alert Reviews | 04/07/2011 at 05:55 PM
While I do not agree with the legislature's move on the requirement for sprinklers in new homes (aside from obvious safety issue there were lots of new opportunities for jobs with added cost in a dipping price market!) - I do not believe that the article in the Centre Daily was appropriate. The house that became a funeral pyre for seven children would not have been subject to the legislation and the timing made NFFF and NFPA look pretty mercenary in this area.
Posted by: David Blontz | 04/13/2011 at 04:55 PM
Thanks David. The point both NFPA and NFFF were making was that by not requiring sprinklers in new homes, we are allowing homes to be built that are less safe for generations to come. we can not impact the tragedies like the one mentioned in homes that were not required to have sprinklers but by changing requirements, we can make homes safer for other families.
Posted by: Lorraine Carli | 04/13/2011 at 06:46 PM
Just a guess (based on my 30 years in the business), but homeowner's insurance rates would probably fall by 7%-15%. A total loss is a huge hit to the insurer and eliminating or reducing that risk will make a big difference in rates.
Posted by: Ed @ Keystone East Rates | 07/30/2011 at 12:26 PM