Firefighter Safety in Question
Michigan’s code review committee is slatted to take on two major proposals which will change the safety of new homes built in Michigan. The Code Review Committee tasked with reviewing the 2009 IRC to create the Michigan Residential Code 2009 edition is busy working on many proposed code changes. The code review committee has scheduled an important meeting on July 22, 2009. The meeting which is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am will take place at the Michigan Library and Historic Center in Lansing and will hear testimony in response to multiple proposals which have been submitted to remove the residential sprinkler requirements found in the 2009 International Residential Code.
Advocates of residential sprinklers as well as opponents will be present to provide testimony to the review committee.
How can you help?
There are multiple ways to help and provide feedback to the committee and the Bureau of Construction Codes
- Communicate with your local elected leaders, building official, and community advocates on the benefits of residential sprinklers. Provide them with the facts on costs and the benefits your community will receive if the future housing stock was provided with a residential sprinkler system.
- MFIS is encouraging all members to attend the July 22, 2009 meeting and provide testimony on residential sprinklers. Additional informaiton can be received by emailing MFIS (help@mfis.org) who can also provide information to assist on July 22, 2009.
- It is our understanding that letters can be transmitted via email (matsumotos@michigan.gov) by July 17, 2009 and treated as testimony for the proposed code changes. The letters will be transmitted to the code review committee.
- Your elected leaders, fire department, building officials and community can send letters or resolution to the Construction Code Commission, the Code Review Committee or the Director of Construction Codes (Mr. Irvin Poke).
Mailing Address
Bureau of Construction Codes
Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth
Post Office Box 30254
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Attention Director Irvin Poke,
With the current status of Michigan’s Economy there is no better time to ensure sprinklers are installed in all new homes. Code Officials came together and voted this important code change into the International Code, lets make sure Michigan does not take it out.
With or without the code language its time to become an advocate and ensure your department is Built for Life.
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I plan to attend this session. Once again we will pursue what is already in NFPA Construction and Fire Codes. I look forward to seeing many friends there. Thank you.
In PA we were successful in defeating (thus far) the proposed omission of the residential sprinkler portion of the IRC, at least before the Advisory Council.
Wanted to note for your purposes that the Fire Service testified, not the sprinkler industry, to avoid accusations of conflict of interest. We stood by to offer technical support for any rebuttal or “surprises”.
One of the homebuilders testified that he was also a fire chief in a rural area, and if your house caught fire, you could have over 500 gallons of water in your house waiting for them to show up. Members of the Advisory Panel nodded this was “water damage”. One of the fire service reps then re-visited this on rebuttal, pointing out that if the alternative to having water flowing for 20 minutes was watching your house burn down, maybe it was the better alternative. You could see light bulbs above many Panel member’s heads that DUH didn’t think that thru last time. And you could also shut the valve….
Safety of firefighters in burning lightweight construction was key selling point.
Best of luck with it!