Wheaton officials consider requiring sprinkler systems in new homes

Article updated: 2/28/2014 9:46 AM

Wheaton officials are weighing the pros and cons of requiring sprinkler systems in new single-family homes as part of an update to the citys building code.

The city currently enforces codes from the 2003 International Code Council edition. It is looking to update its codes to the 2012 edition.

During a planning session this week, Assistant City Manager Michael Dzugan said the city receives a grade from the Insurance Service Organization based on the effectiveness of adopted codes. That grade is used by insurance agencies to determine rates for private property owners.

The city will receive a less favorable grade if we dont move to a more current building code requirement, so thats a major reason why were looking to upgrade, he said.

One controversial item in the 2012 International Code Council edition is the requirement to install fire sprinkler systems in all new houses. The city council has the option, however, to modify or delete the requirement before adopting the 2012 codes.

A report presented to the council about sprinkler systems indicated the risk of death by fire decreases by 82 percent when smoke alarms and sprinklers are installed, compared to 50 percent with just smoke alarms.

Councilman Todd Scalzo pointed to that statistic during the meeting and said he sees the benefits of requiring a sprinkler system in new homes. He also noted survey results presented in the report show a clear lack of public support nationwide for residential sprinkler systems.

Right now, Im undecided. I think there really are good arguments on both sides and Id like to get a little more public comment and then see where were at in a month, he said.

Fire Chief William Schultz said it might make sense to require sprinkler systems based off square footage. Staff said that method has been adopted by some nearby towns.

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Wheaton officials consider requiring sprinkler systems in new homes