Sprinkler Debate Activated Again in Colorado

Jan. 28--A debate over sprinkler system regulations that's been heating up in El Paso County is poised to spread like wildfire throughout the state next month as lawmakers consider a bill to ban local governments from requiring such systems in new homes.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, is not directly tied to what's happening in El Paso County, but it pits the same key groups -- the building industry and firefighting experts -- against each other in a debate over the cost of adding sprinklers to new single-family homes versus the lives and property the sprinklers can save.

The bill also has the potential to spark a case of heartburn in people who see the issue as one of local control.

"I spent years on city council myself, so I get the local control issue," says Grantham, whose bill was co-sponsored by several other Republican senators, including Keith King and Bill Cadman of El Paso County. "Local control is something we know we'll hear concerns voiced on. But there's a wider issue of uniformity of such codes, and what we're seeing is a hodgepodge of codes."

The issue has been on the minds of El Paso County commissioners for at least a month, when county fire officials came to them for approval of the 2009 International Fire Code, plus amendments that address local needs. A requirement to include sprinkler systems in all new buildings bigger than 6,000 square feet is part of the mix, but it's also been in place since commissioners adopted an earlier version of the code about six years ago.

At a meeting earlier this month, county fire officials urged commissioners to continue the sprinkler system requirement because there are fewer stations, less equipment and manpower, and many areas without hydrants in unincorporated parts of the county. Builders, however, argued that the requirement is dampening their business.

Commissioners requested that both sides meet to hammer out their differences before taking action. With the bill in the Senate, however, commissioners are considering a plan B: suspending the sprinkler system requirement still in place from six years ago until the bill's fate is decided. Commissioner Darryl Glenn told a Springs-area builder Thursday that he would put the proposal on the agenda.

In previous meetings, commissioners have appeared reluctant to extend the sprinkler system requirement, with Peggy Littleton saying she hasn't seen evidence that there's a compelling need for sprinklers in homes. But whether they'd support a statewide law preventing local governments from approving or banning sprinklers is another matter.

"I do have reservations, in a state as large and diverse as ours: one-size-fits-all rarely works," said El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey. "What is right for a mountain resort community with large homes nestled in the trees may not be the same as a similar home on the prairie."

Grantham said he introduced the bill after attending a series of "business roundtables" across Colorado, in which homebuilders said they were concerned about the cost of adding sprinkler systems. Similar bills have passed in other states.

"It's just one more thing putting contractors out of business and sending subcontractors looking for other jobs," said Grantham, who notes that there's nothing in the bill to keep buyers from adding sprinkler systems to new homes. "We don't need these unnecessary mandates on our builders."

The Colorado Municipal League plans to work against the bill, said Megan Storrie, the organization's legislative and policy advocate. "It should be an issue of local concern," she said.

David Lowrey, Boulder fire marshal and president of the Fire Marshal's Association of Colorado, also said his group would oppose the bill.

"It's a horrible idea," he said. "There are so many organizations that support this and know how good residential sprinklers are and how amazingly well they work. Yes, there's a cost associated with it, but the fact is, once it's required in homes, the cost will come down because of demand."

That's what happened in Scottsdale, Ariz., which has had sprinkler system requirements for all single-family residences built since 1986, said Jim Ford, the city's deputy fire chief and fire marshal. Sprinkler-system costs went down, and homebuilding grew, despite warnings from builders.

"We were told by builders that if you do this, there's so much area and land in the valley that no one will build in Scottsdale," Ford said. "We doubled in size. It hasn't slowed us down."

And he said sprinklers have saved lives.

"We have about 13 people who are alive today because of sprinkler systems that for sure would have been fatalities."

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