Code Adoption Update

By NYSAFC Executive Director Jerry DeLuca

On May 15, 2015, the New York State Code Council held a meeting to address the adoption of the 2015 IRC. The last item on the agenda was to address the sprinkler issue.

As presented, the 2015 IRC contains a requirement for sprinklers as part of the code. Builders and Realtors have been fighting to remove sprinklers from the code. There was a motion on the floor from the Department of State to remove any reference to residential sprinklers other than to keep in place the requirement of residential sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings. This currently requires sprinklers on the third floor of single family wood frame structures and townhouses more than two stories in height.

Joe Sauerwein, the fire service rep on the council, made a statement indicating that the elimination of the sprinkler requirement was not the way the state should proceed and that there should at least be some discussion about possible compromises. After his comments, several others raised questions about the elimination of sprinklers.

Following this discourse, it was clear that there were enough questions about the issues and that the votes were not there to pass the motion to eliminate residential sprinklers. It also was clear that there were not enough votes to keep them in the code.

At that time, there was deliberation concerning potential areas of compromise. It seems that the potential for a compromise similar to the proposal below will be seriously reviewed:

Require sprinklers in attached townhouses more than one story constructed under the IRC, allowing dwelling unit separation to be reduced from two hours to one-hour rated construction.
Require two-family homes more than one story to have sprinklers.
Require sprinklers in homes over 4,000 square feet.

While NYSAFC, our fire service partners, state building officials, and our colleagues with the Build Safe NY Alliance are still in favor of the requirement for sprinkler installation in new one- and two-family homes, we may have to look at a compromise as a first step.

Click here for more information on the New York sprinkler initiative.