Installation in 23 High-Rises : Fire Sprinklers Could Cost County $85 Million

Installing fire sprinklers in 23 Los Angeles County-owned, high-rise buildings could cost as much as $85 million, according to a report released Friday.

The report, ordered by county supervisors after the May 4 high-rise fire at the downtown First Interstate Bank building, said the costs would be lower if the county’s hospitals were not included.

“There is currently no legal mandate to provide fire sprinklers in hospital high-rise buildings because of the availability of well-trained staff on site 24 hours a day,” Chief Administrative Officer Richard Dixon said in his report.

Dixon estimated that it would cost between $61.5 million to $85.3 million to install sprinkler systems in all 23 county buildings. Excluding hospitals, the costs would range from $45.9 million to $58.5 million, he said.

Dixon also reported that the county faces spending an estimated $19 million on various other fire safety measures required as of last January, such as fire exit signs and fire warning systems in the 23 high-rise buildings.

Installation of sprinklers could satisfy some of the new requirements, thus reducing the safety measure costs from $19 million to $13.5 million, Dixon said.

Dixon said county officials were reviewing a number of ways to pay for the sprinklers and will recommend a “suitable financing strategy” to the supervisors “in the near future.”

Officials will also develop a plan to phase in sprinkler installation, he said.

On Tuesday, after another high-rise fire at the downtown Union Bank building, the Board of Supervisors directed county officials to begin steps that could lead to the drafting of an ordinance requiring sprinklers in all public and private buildings in the county’s unincorporated areas.