East Pierce Fire and Rescue is promoting a pair of initiatives that could make sprinkler systems a lot more common.
Two separate issues expected to come before the city council this month contain provisions to require sprinklers on smaller commercial and multi-family buildings and, for the first time, residential construction.
“We believe the installation of fire sprinkler systems is one of the best ways to protect both lives and property,” said John McDonald, deputy chief of operations for East Pierce Fire and Rescue.
McDonald has been making the rounds this week, making presentations in front of the Bonney Lake Public Safety Committee and Community Development Committee to present the new plans.
Every three years, a new international fire code is brought before the city councils and this year’s update contains a provision to lower the square-footage requirement on commercial buildings that require sprinklers.
In the current code the size trigger for multi-family residential units and commercial buildings to need sprinklers is 8,000 square feet. Under the new regulations, sprinklers would be required for all buildings that are 5,000 square feet or larger.
McDonald said research shows a fire can double in size every minute making sprinklers, which activate automatically, the best hope for saving a building.
“In a building that’s sprinkled, 90 percent of the fires are contained by two sprinklers or less,” he said.
The city of Sumner in 2008 passed a similar ordinance.
The bigger change being requested is the addition of residential sprinklers to the fire code. McDonald said that while sprinklers in commercial buildings are good for protecting property, residential sprinklers are “life-saving systems.”
“The vast majority of people who are killed in fires every year die in homes,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is attack and reduce fire deaths where they’re occurring.”
East Pierce is recommending that all homes of at least 5,000 square feet be sprinkled. McDonald said the size was selected because the fire department worried about adding additional cost to smaller homes, generally considered to be more affordable housing. He also said 5,000-square-feet was chosen because it corresponded with the commercial size.
Members of the Public Safety Committee expressed concern that making the minimum size for residential sprinklers 5,000-square-feet would not protect that many homes.
“That’s a pretty sizable house,” committee chairman Mark Hamilton said.
Councilman Dan Decker agreed and suggested that 3,500-square-feet might be more prudent, something with which Hamilton agreed.
McDonald said he also agreed that 5,000-square-feet was a big number and would support a reduction.
One of the primary concerns about sprinkler systems is the additional cost to builders and homeowners, but McDonald said the average cost of adding sprinklers is $1.61 per square foot.
“You could spend more to upgrade your carpets,” McDonald said.
McDonald also said the cost of sprinkler systems drop when they are required because of competition and experience would drive down costs.
The Bonney Lake City Council was expected to address both measures during Tuesday’s council workshop.
