Who is that guy they interviewed for the story? He really seems to know his stuff!
Matt Grisé PE*, LEED AP Sales Engineer Alliance Fire Protection *Licensed in KS & MO 913.888.0647 ph 913.888.0618 f 913.927.0222 cell www. AFPsprink.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of George Church Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 8:46 AM To: [email protected] Subject: fair story on sprinklers The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA December 28, 2010 Sprinkler systems required for new homes starting next year By Tricia Pursell The Daily Item Tue Dec 28, 2010, 01:07 AM EST MIDDLEBURG - While homebuilders may be groaning about a new state mandate requiring fire sprinkler systems be installed in all homes constructed after Jan. 1, a Snyder County sprinkler company is looking to double or triple its workforce to meet expected future demands. "I call it economic stimulus that actually reaches into Snyder County," said George Church, president of Rowe Sprinkler Systems, of Middleburg, which installs systems throughout central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. His company could add 20 employees, he said. Don Rowe, of Penn Fire Protection, Selinsgrove, said he also expects business to increase. A similar mandate, specifically targeting the new construction of townhouses after Jan. 1, 2010, increased their installations within multi-family housing this year, he said. While approximately 80 percent of his business is commercial, Rowe said he is expecting to see at least a 20 percent increase for residential installations as a result of the mandate. The sprinkler systems, Rowe said, typically range from $1.75 to $2.50 per square foot. Though it wasn't a requirement at the time, there have been homeowners who chose to install sprinkler systems for reasons including protecting their families from fire. Homeowners, however, can also save 5 or 10 percent on their insurance policies if sprinkler systems are installed in their homes, according to Jeff Smith, an agent with Nationwide in Lewisburg. But with the systems costing anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 for an average-sized home, the expense may be enough to keep people from building next year. Expert Home Builders in Northumberland are seeing a rush this month of customers who hope to begin the building process before the mandate takes effect. "It's generated a lot of traffic into our office in December," said Dennis Reedy, production manager. Based on that traffic, he said, it is safe to say, "I don't think the general public sees (the mandate) as a plus." The goal of Expert Home Builders is to build 50 homes a year, but the last few years have been rough. "New housing starts are down considerably," Reedy said. "That added cost hasn't entered the picture yet. So it can't get better." "I'm certain it's going to impact it negatively." It's interesting, however, that the fear of the mandate, rather than very low interest rates this year, has pushed more people to build sooner, Reedy said. The cost of a sprinkler system, between $4,000 and $6,000, can be saved in just one year on a 30-year mortgage, he said. Church, of Rowe Sprinkler Systems, said the cost is equal to about a $1 a day on the mortgage, a third of the cost of carpeting, and about one and a half percent of the entire cost of the home. The cost, when put into perspective, shouldn't be the deciding factor, for most, on whether to build a home, he said. For many who are willing to put money into their home for upgrades, installing a sprinkler system may be a similar decision to installing central vac. Except sprinklers save lives when a fire hits. "People don't die in sprinklered houses," Church said. "It just doesn't happen." It's unfortunate, he believes, that the technology has been around for 100 years, yet not enough people have taken advantage of it. "I have sprinklers protecting my building here," Church said of his business. "Why wouldn't I protect my family to the same degree as the paperwork on my desk?" The fire sprinkler requirement, according to David Smith, information specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, which is the mandating agency, "was strongly supported by firefighters and fire chiefs from across the country." When you look at the history of fires at buildings with sprinklers, according to John Grove, deputy chief of the Hummels Wharf Fire Department, "in most of them, fires were kept very small and damage was kept down." While smoke detectors have made a huge difference in savings lives, he said, "Sprinklers are just the next step." Smith, with the Department of Labor, said the extensive regulations of the new mandate require sprinkler coverage in all areas of the dwelling. A smoke detector, Church said, "is a device, when activated, tells you you should have had a sprinkler system, but it's too late." He likens smoke detectors to seat belts, and sprinklers to air bags in a car. Car manufacturers, he said, wouldn't take out either of them in order to save on costs for car manufacturing, anymore than homebuilders should avoid the cost of sprinkler systems. While the cost for the systems may be more for those who get their water from private wells - about $1,500 more - Church said these people are typically living in remote areas, where it may take fire companies up to 20 minutes to arrive after a call for help. In a press release issued Monday by the Pennsylvania Residential Fire Sprinkler Coalition, a 15-year study of home fire sprinklers in Scottsdale Arizona, showed the average loss per sprinklered fire incident to be $2,166 compared to more than $45,000 for unsprinklered homes. The coalition's release spoke out against "misinformation" they say has been distributed recently by the Pennsylvania Builders Association, including their claim that the cost of the systems is $15,000. _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
