Look what the fire marshals are trying to jam down the throats of home builders (and home buyers). How about - Every new home must have a sprinkler system!
Home builder Tom Stephani summed it up with Illinois is a "nanny state that wants to protect everybody from everything."
Sure, put in a sprinkler system. Every homeowner would like one. Just don't charge for it. And make sure it's maintenance-free and that there is no monthly fee at the Fire Department for monitoring it. Well, that's not going to happen.
You can read this morning's article in the Northwest Herald right here. Hurry, though, because the paper will archive it in seven days and then expect you to pay for reading it. However, you may be able to access archived articles through your public library. Call your library to ask how.
Rep. Mike Tryon jumped out right in front of the argument, telling the Northwest Herald that he strongly opposes requiring sprinklers for new home construction. Thanks, Mike!!! I'm sure the emphasis should be on the word "requiring".
Sen. Pamela Althoff apparently hasn't taken a position yet, so call her now. Rep. Jack Franks wasn't mentioned in the article. Call him, too. And don't just tell them where you stand on the issue. Ask where they stand (or when you can find out where they stand).
The National Fire Protection Assn. estimates that the cost for a sprinkler system adds "only" $1.61 per square foot of sprinkler coverage. So, for a 2,000 sq. ft. home, that's "only" $3,220.00 more. OK, want sod or a sprinkler system? Or the family room finished? However, Stephani estimates the actual cost is double that. Are you willing to pay $6,440, plus maintenance?
If you are willing to, go for it. Order it as an option. But don't let legislators or local pols jam it down your throats.
Just look at the incomplete information presented. "Out oif 377,000 residential fires reported in 2009" ... OK, out of how many houses? And how many of those were "new" houses? And, there were 2,590 civilian deaths ... For that, the fire marshals and pols want to force every new homeowner to install a sprinkler system? What about in all the existing houses?
And more incomplete comparisons... "The odds of dying in a house fire are reduced by 82 percent in a house with both sprinkler and smoke detectors." OK, what's the percentage for houses with smoke detectors (only)? And then the incremental additional percentage for houses with smoke detectors and sprinklers?
It's like seatbelts and airbags. Seatbelts prevent many injuries and deaths. Airbags increase the safety factor "a little". A Crystal Lake paramedic told me several years ago that he knows paramedics and firefighters who have disconnected their cars' airbags, because the risk of injury from the airbag is greater than the increased safety factor!!!
How many fires have been started by a cat's knocking over a candle or a smoker falling asleep in bed? You can't stop "stupid".
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
1 comment:
False alarms sure would cause a huge amount of damages. My buddy puts them in and didn't put one in his own new home. That tells me something. This is newish tech for the residential sector and needs to be made fullproof before it becomes law.
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