It has been a bad few weeks here in the Carolinas when it comes to fires. Beach House fire Ocean Isle Beach, NC, house destroyed, 7 occupants perish Lumber Mill in Spartanburg, SC burned to the ground, (2nd time) Furniture Store in Asheville, NC burned to the ground Apartment fire in Mauldin,SC (south of Greenville) damages 7 apartments Elderly man found dead in house fire, Spartanburg, SC Trash fire grows out of control and destroys mobile home, Inman, SC
And one that is still kind of unbelievable and unexplainable: Man Catches fire while burning trash and dies: Spartanburg, SC The link: http://www.wyff4.com/news/14534600/detail.html?taf=gs One thing that hasn't been brought to light is that unprotected buildings like the lumber mill and furniture warehouse took an enormous amount of water to contain and extinguish the fire. Sprinklers probably would have controlled the fire before they grew out of control and used much less water overall, especially important in a time and place where water supplies are drying up. Craig L. Prahl, CET Fire Protection Group Mechanical Department CH2MHILL Lockwood Greene 1500 International Drive PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491 Direct - 864.599.4102 Fax - 864.599.8439 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.lg.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Todd Williams - FPDC Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Some potential good news This is from the Charleston Regional Business Journal: The state may offer tax credits to businesses that install sprinklers By Scott Miller , Staff Writer Responding to the Sofa Super Store blaze that killed nine Charleston firefighters in June, S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell said he intends to introduce legislation in the upcoming session to encourage businesses and possibly home developers to boost fire safety, but the state business community said it wouldn't back any legislated requirements. Specifics of the legislation, such as the value of the credits, the eligibility requirements or the cost to the state, haven't been hammered out. "We think it's a commendable idea, but we would like to see more of the specifics," said Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford. Harrell, R-Charleston, was unavailable for comment Thursday morning. Fire-related deaths are lowered by 57 % when sprinklers are present, and property damage is lessened by at least 34 %, despite water damage, according to figures from the National Fire Protection Association. But the incentives would need to be pretty hefty to entice businesses to invest in sprinkler systems, particularly if they had to retrofit older buildings. Installing sprinklers during construction costs $1 to $1.50 per square foot or more, while retrofitting sprinklers in existing buildings cost about 50% more, according to the National Fire Sprinkler Association. In a much higher estimate, the Home Builders Association of South Carolina said fire sprinklers could add about $6 per square foot to the cost of constructing new homes. Because of the cost, the business community will not support a state mandate, said Jay Ragley, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. For businesses to invest in sprinkler systems, the legislation likely would need to include mandatory discounts from insurers, reductions in local water fees and an accelerated depreciation level, he said. "Small businesses operate on very small margins, and a lot of small businesses just don't have the money to do this, especially to retrofit an older building," Ragley said. If approved, South Carolina would be the first state to offer tax credits for sprinkler installation. Some cities and states, however, have enacted ordinances and statutes requiring sprinklers in nursing homes, high rises, university dormitories and residences, according to the National Fire Sprinkler Association. In Illinois, for example, the state requires dorms to install sprinklers by 2013 and offers low-interest loans to help cover the cost. Since 1988, Connecticut has required sprinklers in all hotels and motels with more than four stories. Florida and Virginia have enacted similar legislation, as have several other states and municipalities. Todd G. Williams, PE Fire Protection Design/Consulting Stonington, Connecticut www.fpdc.com 860.535.2080 _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
