More than 9 out of 10 fire deaths occur in the residential setting, where spinkler heads don't exist. Perhaps the argument that insurance companies should consider is that they pay more in death benefits than they do from water damage by a spinkler head. And we wonder why the United States has the highest number of fire deaths annually of all industrialized nations in the world. Sleep tight...

Developers rules, Fire Chiefs drool. Don't expect Boone and Logsdon to do anything to hurt their base.

"I'm NOT John Munford"

It's too bad we have to be short sighted and listen to builders groups, whom tend to look only at profits and marketability rather then life safety. We could be a fairly progressive community and enact such standards, this proposal didn't even affect all structures. I'm aware of some communities around the country that have required ANYTHING built, to have them - No exception.

What was posted as proposed requirements, requiring installed systems, was as follows:

"The sprinkler system requirement would be triggered for new residential structures that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Larger than 3,000 square feet.

• Taller than two stories or greater than 25 feet tall, measured from grade to a windowsill of a bedroom and bonus rooms.

• Homes built five feet or closer to a property line or within five feet of a significant building such as a building owned by another commercial establishment, to include accessory buildings used for home based businesses etc.

• Homes or buildings having fire apparatus access or hose reach of 200 feet or more to the building entrance.

• Multifamily buildings, including apartments, townhomes, nursing or assisted living homes, row houses and condominiums.

A sprinkler system would also be required for any building with 5,000 square feet or more per floor, any building where there’s seating for more than 100 people and/or where live entertainment is planned or allowed, and all bars and nightclubs.

At a previous meeting, several council members said they were concerned about how much sprinkler systems would add to the cost of a new home.

According to a memo from Fire Marshal John Dailey, the requirement would lower the risks for residents and workers along with firefighters responding to fires."

An excerpt from IAFC On Scene, the publication of the International Association of Fire Chiefs just last week, February 1st issue, had a brief story titled – Sprinkler Corner: Debunking the Myths - It is extremely rare for sprinklers to operate accidentally. In a typical home, water damage will be considerably less from unwanted sprinkler discharges than from other plumbing mishaps.

Cigar smoke and burned toast can’t cause a sprinkler to operate. Only the high temperature that results from a fire will activate the sprinkler.

Not all the sprinklers activate at once. This scenario may be common in movies and TV shows, but it just isn’t true for residential fire-sprinkler systems. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire activates. Ninety percent of the time, one sprinkler contains the fire.

Again, it’s too bad recommendations by life safety professionals can’t be heeded and acted upon. Houses can be replaced, and by the way they’re built nowadays it seems that’s what your supposed to do, lives can’t!