HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale is considering requiring fire sprinkler systems in new houses, but officials are split on it.
The mandate may be included as part of the village’s updated building code.
“Being from California, these fire suppression systems are the norm,” Trustee Alexis Braden said at Tuesday’s Village Board meeting. “Any tools that aid in the safety of our first responders, in my mind, are pivotal over any building cost that may occur.”
Village President Tom Cauley had a different view.
“I have a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction on putting more costs on people to build their homes,” he said. “I could go either way on this, but I would like to hear from people who are actually in the business of building homes about what they think about the requirement of sprinkler systems.”
Braden disagreed “with all due respect,” saying builders aren’t entering burning buildings and saving people.
Even without a home sprinkler mandate, Cauley said he could count on one hand the residential house fires in Hinsdale since he took the helm in 2009. And he said he didn’t think the village had seen any fire fatalities during that time.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Pindelski made the case for requiring sprinkler systems, saying his interest was the safety of the public and firefighters.
Despite advances in technology over the last 40 years, National Fire Protection Association statistics show the death rate in single-family home fires is 14 percent higher today than it was in 1980, Pindelski said.
The chief also said 87 percent of firefighters who are severely injured or killed in the line of duty were in single-family residential homes.
“Smoke detectors themselves are not enough in our homes,” Pindelski said. “Smoke detectors do not put fires out. They alert us that there is a fire condition. Residential sprinkler systems put fires out and keep fires in check and give homeowners enough time so they may escape.”
Officials agreed to seek feedback from builders on a sprinkler mandate. Trustees are expected to address the issue again next month.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: cheap football tracksuits