How safe is very safe? How far is far? The one true implied item is that fire fatalities are drastically different state to state, or region to region. Compare GA to MN.
bv ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ryan Hinson" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:44:05 AM Subject: Home sprinkler mandate in MN FYI Here is a chain email letter being sent out by the builder's association in MN regarding the eminent vote on the home sprinkler mandate. There are a lot of lies in there. How do these people sleep at night? Take Action: Contact the 10 Conference Committee members by calling or clicking on their linked email addresses above. You can use the example email below or compose your own message. Example Email: Subj: Vote No on Mandatory Indoor Sprinkler System for MN Homes Dear , I'm a Minnesotan who works in the homebuilding industry. I strongly support the provision in the Omnibus Jobs and Economic Development Finance bill which prohibits a mandate for home sprinkler systems in our state's building code. Newly built homes in Minnesota are a national model for fire safety where fire deaths have virtually disappeared. There are other important factors I'd ask you to consider: * The housing industry plays a critical role in the state's ongoing economic recovery. * Coming out of the recession, consumers are very price-sensitive. * The cost of meeting the home sprinkler mandate is approximately $2.00 per square foot, and twice that for homes with well water. For a 4,500 square foot (unfinished) home, this adds $9,000 -$18,000 to the cost of purchase. * Once installed, a sprinkler system requires more rigorous testing and maintenance than an equally-effective hard-wired smoke alarm system, further increasing costs for homeowners. * The potential impact of a false positive is also significant - while a false alarm for a smoke detector awakens the family, with a sprinkler system the house is flooded. If new home safety was a significant concern in Minnesota today, we would join the groups who are interested in this mandate. However, based on any independent data, Minnesota is a very safe state for new and remodeled homes. Asking families to pay thousands more dollars for their home in an effort to mitigate a negligible risk is contrary to the policy and purpose of the current building code, which states: "The construction of buildings should be permitted at the least possible cost consistent with recognized standards of health and safety." Please support the Senate language on this issue, we look forward to a building code free of a home indoor sprinkler system mandate. Sincerely, Your Name, Company Name End example Let the lightning bolts begin... Ryan L. Hinson, PE*, SET Senior Fire Protection Engineer, Aviation & Federal Group, P&I GP Liaison Burns & McDonnell Minneapolis-St. Paul Office 8201 Norman Center Drive, Suite 300 Bloomington, MN 55437 Direct: 952-656-3662 Mobile: 320-250-5404 Fax: 952-229-2923 www.burnsmcd.com<BLOCKED::www.burnsmcd.com> *Registered in MN Proud to be #18 of FORTUNE'S 100 Best Companies to Work For _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org
