We’ve taken the first small step towards protecting our families, friends, neighbors and others in our communities from the epidemic that ravages our country every day: a hostile fire in residential dwellings.  When the International Code Council, at its meeting in Minneapolis on September 22^nd, adopted code changes requiring residential fire sprinkler systems in all one and two-family dwellings—beginning with the code that will take affect in 2011—it was a huge forward movement in the fire safety world.  But it is only the first play in what will have to be a long and sustained “drive” to get the “ball” down the field and across the goal line.  (Heh, it is football season, right?)

The “defenders” who will be working feverishly to stop our “drive” are the same people who have been working against the installation of residential sprinklers for years: the developers, builders, the insurance industry, and yes, even firefighters.  These groups continue to perpetrate the myths and inaccuracies that have furthered their agenda for years; and while that agenda was advanced thousands of Americans have died in residential dwelling fires and tens of thousands have been injured by fires that a residential sprinkler system could have extinguished or controlled until the occupants were safely out of the building.

Their arguments against requiring the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems—which have had very little basis in the past and even less today—have grown tired and worn, but they will use them nonetheless.  Sprinkler systems save lives and sprinkler systems have become very cost effective for homeowners and are becoming less expensive as demand for the systems increases.

What do WE have to do?  We have to lobby our individual local governments to adopt the new code changes in each of our communities.  That’s the way it works in the United States.  Code development organizations, like the International Code Council, develop the building code and have it approved by its membership for publication.  (There are several other code development organizations in the U.S. besides the ICC and local government can select the code they want to follow.)  It is then up to local governments across the country to decide which code they want to follow in their community; the governing body can elect to adopt the code in its entirety as published or it can add amendments of its own to the published code.

That’s where we come in.  Each of us needs to become part of the code adoption process in our communities and require that our local governments adopt the new code requiring the installation of residential sprinkler systems in all new one and two-family dwellings.

The first “play” in this drive was a big “gainer”: let’s keep the momentum going.