Concrete Home Building Council - 03/15/2007 (Plain Text Version)CHBC Chairman View Graphical Version | Subscribe
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Editor... In this issue: Defeating Mandatory Fire SprinklersNAHB is preparing for its toughest battle yet in opposing mandatory fire sprinkler requirements in the International Residential Code (IRC) and ultimately every jurisdiction that adopts it. While NAHB and member HBA’s have been very successful over the years in consistently and soundly defeating code proposals to mandate fire sprinklers in single family homes, pushes for mandates continue to intensify. The strongest attempt ever made to mandate sprinklers in the IRC for all single family construction is currently underway. The next decisive battle will be this May at the International Code Council’s (ICC) Final Action Hearings in Rochester, NY. NAHB cannot defeat this attempt without the support of its full membership. Fire and building code officials from across the country who are ICC voting members will be attending the hearings where their votes will decide the matter. To sway the vote against builders and homebuyers, sprinkler advocates are attempting to recruit large numbers of fire officials to attend, directing them to vote in favor of mandatory requirements regardless of any concern raised. To counter this, NAHB is encouraging its local Home Builder Associations and individual members to contact their building code officials to communicate builders’ concerns with mandatory requirements, emphasizing the importance of their attendance at the ICC Final Action Hearings to vote against proposals to mandate sprinklers in the IRC. NAHB is also encouraging local Home Builder Associations and individual members to contact their elected officials to lobby for their support in opposing mandatory requirements. Elected officials can help ensure building code and fire officials fully consider the concerns raised by builders and in ensuring they get to the hearings to vote against mandatory requirements. Either by working through your elected officials or directly with your building officials, it is critical to get designated ICC governmental voting members who oppose mandatory requirements for single family sprinklers to attend and vote at the Final Action Hearings. To assist you with this effort, NAHB Codes and Standards staff has compiled an action kit providing resources and additional background for lobbying your elected and building officials, identifying code officials in your jurisdiction who are voting members of ICC, and also in identifying others who may be eligible to secure ICC voting approval. The information is available on: www.nahb.org/sprinklers (you must be logged into the NAHB Web site to access this page). This is the strongest attempt yet by sprinkler advocates to have sprinkler mandates put into the body of the IRC. Be sure home builder’s concerns and your jurisdictions are represented at the hearings by speaking with your elected officials and local building departments today! For More Information If you have any questions or are looking for more information, email Brian Sause in Codes & Standards, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8444.
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