A proposed ordinance that would require fire sprinkler systems
in all new and significantly remodeled homes in San Benito County
got a preliminary nod of approval Tuesday from the Board of
Supervisors.
A proposed ordinance that would require fire sprinkler systems in all new and significantly remodeled homes in San Benito County got a preliminary nod of approval Tuesday from the Board of Supervisors.
It will be a few weeks yet before the ordinance comes back before supervisors for formal consideration. When it does, the ordinance ought to be adopted.
For new home builders and for homeowners undertaking a major remodel, the up-front costs of installing an indoor sprinkler system are not insignificant. Such systems typically add between $3,000 and $5,000 to construction costs.
But the payoff for this investment will be two-fold: The home will be safer and the homeowner will save on fire insurance. Over time – say, the term of a 30-year mortgage – the homeowner would likely recoup the initial cost. The owner of a $500,000 home with a fire sprinkler system would pay about 20 percent less per year in homeowner premiums than the owner of a similar home without a sprinkler system.
Of course, improved safety is the biggest benefit of a residential fire sprinkler system. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 78 percent of structure fires involve residential properties and 82 percent of fire deaths occur in homes. Together with a smoke alarm, a residential fire sprinkler system can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than 80 percent, according to the association.
Having a sprinkler system in your home is “like having a firefighter on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says San Benito County Fire Marshal Jim Dellamonica, one of the prime advocates for the proposed county ordinance.
San Juan Bautista already has a similar fire sprinkler ordinance in place. If the county adopts the proposed ordinance, Dellamonica predicts, the City of Hollister will follow suit. For all the reasons that such an ordinance makes sense for the county, it would also be a good thing for residents of the city.
But there’s another reason that the ordinance is especially appropriate for the county. Many homes in the unincorporated area are found in remote settings. That means fire stations are more distant and emergency response takes longer. Sprinklers help control home fires in their early stages, reducing property loss by as much as two-thirds and saving lives.
Supervisors can help make San Benito County a safer place by adopting the sprinkler ordinance.
