Liz Burke, WPRO News
As the 10thanniversary of the Station Nightclub fire approaches, Congressman Jim Langevin has announced a new fire safety bill.
“We have to make sure that it doesn’t possibly ever happen again and one of the best ways we can do this is to make sure that we top fire safety laws and top fire sprinkler laws. We also need to make it affordable for business to be able to install fire sprinkler systems,” says Langevin.
Langevin says the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act would allow small and medium sized property owners to fully deduct the cost of installing sprinkler systems up to $500,000 and would cover most high fire risk properties, such as off campus housing, night clubs, and assisted living facilities.
According to a news release, the National Fire Protection Association conducted a study in June 2007 and concluded that in buildings with sprinklers, the death rate per fire can be reduced by 57% and the property damage decreased by up to 68%.
“So it’s a win, win all the way around and ultimately this is about protecting lives,” says Langevin.
Current building codes for newly constructed properties require sprinklers in many of the most vulnerable occupancies like student housing, high rise commercial buildings, entertainment complexes and high rise residential facilities. But, Langevin says there are thousands of structures that were built before sprinklers were required, putting those who occupy them at a higher and unnecessary risk.
