Fire Department

The International Code Council (ICC), a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, has voted to require fire sprinklers in all new townhouses and single-family dwellings as part of the next edition of the Model Code.

The vote took place yesterday at the ICC Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The proposal to change the International Residential Code to require residential fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family dwellings passed with a strong majority-73 percent-of the governmental members of the ICC present and voting. The vote was 1,282 for the code to 470 against.

The International Residential Code Final Action Hearings for the 2009 IRC document took up two specific proposals that will lead to the protection of new homes in the future with inclusion of residential fire sprinkler systems. The issue was brought to the conference by the IRC Coalition.

The International Residential Code must be adopted at the state level before we see fire sprinklers in homes across Wisconsin. The model code language will put the issue on the table for review and discussion by the state code development counsels.