Transcript Maryland residential fire sprinkler program

Residential Fire Sprinklers
“The Maryland Experience”
An Initiative of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office and the
Maryland State Firemen’s Association
The Maryland Experience
Residential Fire Sprinklers
Two story dwelling with automatic fire
sprinkler protection. Damage estimates
$20,000. Family not displaced after fire.
Without Fire Sprinklers
With Fire Sprinklers
Two story wood frame dwelling without
automatic fire sprinklers. Damage
estimates $300,000. Family was
displaced for several months due to
repairs.
Residential Fire Sprinklers
in Maryland
 June 6, 1984 – The Office of the
State Fire Marshal under the
leadership of State Fire Marshal
Rocco Gabriele sponsored a
seminar titled, “Maryland Project
Zero.”
Residential Fire Sprinklers in Maryland
 1987 - Prince George’s County adopts
phased-in residential fire sprinkler
requirements for all residential
occupancies
 1990 - Statewide Requirements Multi-
Family Homes, Hotels, Motels and
Dormitories
 1992 - Statewide Requirements
Townhouses
 1992 - Prince George’s County One and
Two family dwellings
Prince George’s County, Maryland
Single-Family Fire Sprinklers
Requirements January 1, 1992
•Over 120 fire deaths since 1992 in residential
occupancies
•Today over 60,000 sprinklered homes
•Over 400 fires in sprinklered homes
•0 fire deaths in sprinklered homes
Residential Fire Sprinklers
in Maryland
 2003 – Interest in Residential Fire Sprinklers
Grows in Local Jurisdictions (Towns and
Cities)
 2005 - MSFA Residential Sprinkler Committee
Established
 2008 – ICC Final Action Hearings for the IRC
2009 Edition
 2009 – ICC Publishes IRC 2009 Edition with
Fire Sprinkler Requirements for Townhouses
and One and Two Family Dwellings
Maryland Building Performance
Standards – January 2010
 The Maryland Building Performance Standards and the Model
Performance Code are administered the DHCD - Maryland Codes
Administration. DHCD adopted by reference the 2009 edition of the
International Residential Code
 The 2009 edition of the International Residential Code required all
new single family dwellings to be protected with automatic fire
sprinklers effective January 1, 2011
 Local jurisdictions must adopt MBPS, however, they may amend the
MPBS
Residential Fire Sprinklers
in Maryland
 2010 – Maryland Building Performance
Standards and Model Performance Code
Adopts IRC 2009 Edition with Fire Sprinkler
Requirements
 2010 – Maryland Attorney General’s Opinion
permits local jurisdictions to weaken
Maryland Building Performance Standards
 2011 – Legislation Proposed to Allow Local
Jurisdictions to Amend Fire Sprinkler
Requirements Out of the Model Performance
Code
Maryland Building Performance
Standards – January 2012
 The Maryland Building Performance Standards and the Model
Performance Code are administered the DHCD - Maryland Codes
Administration. DHCD adopted by reference the 2012 edition of the
International Residential Code
 The 2012 edition of the International Residential Code required all
new single family dwellings to be protected with automatic fire
sprinklers
 Local jurisdictions must adopt MBPS, however, they may amend the
MPBS
2012 Legislation
House Bill 366 & Senate Bill 602
Public Safety – Building Performance Standards – Fire and
Life Safety
A local jurisdiction may adopt amendments to the
Standards if the local amendments do not:
(2) Weaken energy conservation and efficiency provisions
contained in the Standards; or
(3) Weaken fire or life safety provisions contained in the
Standards.
2012 Legislation
House Bill 366 & Senate Bill 602
Public Safety – Building Performance Standards – Fire
and Life Safety
A local jurisdiction may adopt amendments to the
Standards if the local amendments do not:
(2) Weaken energy conservation and efficiency provisions
contained in the Standards; or
(3) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this
subsection, weaken the automatic fire sprinkler systems
provisions for townhouses and one-and-two-family
dwellings contained in the Standards.
Bill Signing Ceremony
May 2, 2012
Demonstrate the Need for
Residential Fire Sprinklers
Residential Fire Timeline
Beautiful – Allows Rapid Fire Spread
Benefits of Residential Fire
Sprinklers
•Saves occupants lives
•Saves firefighters lives
•Help retain Volunteer Fire Service
•Reduce fire suppression budgets
•Help keep taxes down
Benefits of Residential Fire Sprinklers
 Compensate for current lightweight building
construction and open plan residential designs
 Mitigate rapid flashover potential and toxicity of
plastics & synthetics used in today’s homes and
furnishings
 Less water required for fire control and less smoke
generation (envirofriendly)
 Insurance discount 8 - 13%
Costs for NFPA 13D Sprinkler System
(new construction in Maryland)
•Average $1.40 per square foot cost in new
construction based upon February 2012 survey
when served by public water
•Cost may be 2 – 3 X to retrofit existing homes
•Permits/inspections additional (OSFM charges
$75.00 for plan review & inspection)
•Variations in price due to cathedral ceilings,
concealed sprinklers, number of homes to be
sprinklered, size of the home, etc.
The Town of Frostburg, Maryland
Mandates Fire Sprinklers
May 17, 2012
• Frostburg’s Mayor and City Council voted
5 – 0 in favor of the residential fire sprinkler
mandate.
Incentive Program
• $1,000 reduction for water connection fee.
• 80% Reduction in property tax for first 3
years.
• Combined savings pays for all or most of
the residential fire sprinklers installation.
The Maryland Experience
William E. Barnard, CFPS
State Fire Marshal
Department of State Police
Office of the State Fire Marshal
1201 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208-3899
410-653-8980
800-525-3124
[email protected]