Thanks to the efforts of the fire service, the Residential Sprinkler Code (RB64) Proposal for 1 & 2 family homes passed yesterday at ICC final code hearings in Minneapolis. The fire service members in attendance along with building officials and the sprinkler coalition were able to override a committee decision to Disapprove. By a 2/3 majority vote off the floor was so moved as to modify the committee's decision so as to install sprinklers in new one and two-family (R3) homes. This herculean act is the single most important life safety code proposal that has passed and will be effective in reducing death and injuries for generations to come in our country's most deadly living environment, the home. Having said this, the sprinkler issue will be battled at the local level for years to come. In the meantime, they will continue to construct these houses with no protection.

The sprinkler code approval was one of many building, fire, and other code actions in which the fire service plays an important role. Although the passage of RB64 will impact our society, the importance of the fire service's full participation is much needed at this final code hearing and with each subsequent code cycle. Soon after the RB64 vote, we missed another code proposal measure to reduce firefighter death and injury by supporting the fire-rating protection for lightweight construction (RB68) which came to the floor. We had 500 voters leave right after the sprinkler vote and the vote on (RB68) was 703 voted for the proposal with 380 missing the 2/3 voting margin by 58 votes. Many of the fire service members spoken to later in the evening said they had no idea about the impact of RB 68.

All the life safety code efforts accomplished this past week must be continually monitored by the fire service if we are to achieve the greater public good and improve upon fireground safety.

Here are some other ICC Final Code Winners & Losers (click to enlarge chart):



F= FIRE CODE
E = MEANS OF EGRESS CODE
G = BUILDING CODE

AM = ACCEPTED AS MODIFIED
AS = ACCEPTED AS SUBMITTED
D = DISAPPROVE

FS54 & 55* (D) disapproved the ICC committee action to remove the elevator enclosure from the building code that was previously APPROVED as an enclosed elevator lobby above the 1st floor in 2007.

Go to the http://www.iccsafe.org/ Web site. On the main page, click on Final Action Hearing Results to review all the final code updates.

Be safe out there,
Jack Murphy
Sean DeCrane
From the "Taming the Fire Environment" Radio Podcast Show

Labels: Current Events

posted by Peter Prochilo
9/22/2008 03:10:00 PM

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