Panel Backs Sprinklers in New Buildings : Burbank Council Asked to Enact Rules for Apartments, Homes

A city advisory board has recommended that the Burbank City Council require sprinkler systems in all new apartment buildings and single-family homes, and toughen requirements for sprinklers in new commercial developments.

Thursday’s 3-2 decision by the Burbank Building and Fire Code Appeals Board came as a pleasant surprise to city fire officials, who had asked only that sprinklers be required in new apartment buildings of more than five units and in single-family homes that are difficult for firefighters to reach.

But board members said the importance of protecting lives caused them to go beyond that request and require sprinkler systems in all new construction of multi- and single-family residences.

The fire code now calls for sprinklers in all apartment buildings of more than 15 units or more than three stories.

“I felt strongly about the issues of safety, fire and loss of life,” board member Philip Saleen said Friday. “If it saves one human life, how do you put a cost on that?”

$4,000 Added Cost

Saleen said the added construction cost to a 2,500-square-foot, single-family home would be about $4,000.

The board also approved the Fire Department’s request for sprinklers in all new commercial developments of more than 1,500 square feet, far below the existing 10,000-square-foot threshold. Existing commercial sites that expand to 5,000 square feet or more would have to install sprinkler systems, but retrofitting would not otherwise be required.

Board member Gary Canfield said he voted against the proposal because he believes that the decision was made too quickly and that small businesses would bear the brunt of additional costs.

“I thought it was a very quick decision on the part of the chairman without proper study,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s up to local government to mandate residents to have sprinklers in their homes.”

Fire officials said the cost of installing sprinklers in a new home would range from 90 cents to $2 per square foot, depending on the size of the home and whether it was part of a tract development or custom-built. Installation costs for apartment buildings would be about $2 per square foot, officials said.

‘Afford Additional Costs’

“Apartment buildings are always built by speculators, and they can afford the additional costs,” board chairman Sidney Giddens said. He also said the advantage of sprinklers is that they go off immediately, helping to prevent fires from spreading out of control.

Mayor Robert Bowne expressed surprise that the board went beyond the recommendations of the fire chief, and said he would have to study the issue before taking a position.

“Certainly it would add to the cost of anything affected,” he said. “And there may be a legitimate reason for that; it may be appropriate. We need to look at what other cities are doing in this area.”

The City Council will consider the recommendation in about a month, officials said.

The cities of Agoura Hills and San Clemente require sprinklers in all residential construction, and the Glendale City Council is considering a similar proposal.