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Word back from the ICC Final Action Hearings in Rochester states that the case for keeping sprinklers as a voluntary option in new homes was strong and successful. This is a significant win for housing affordability and consumer choice in home safety decisions. With this decision, fire sprinklers will remain in the appendix of the IRC, where local jurisdictions can still adopt them if they so choose, and certainly home buyers will always have the option of choosing to have fire sprinklers installed in their new homes, as is appropriate.
While the battle to maintain fire sprinklers as optional rather than mandated equipment in new homes can be expected to continue in subsequent code development cycles, that does not diminish the great accomplishment that of all who traveled to Rochester to express their concerns about mandates to building code officials so that they could understand the many questions and potential problems surrounding this issue. Ultimately, their input convinced voting code officials to make the most appropriate and balanced decision on fire sprinklers. Many thanks go out to those who took the time out of their busy schedules through out the past few months to stand up for affordable housing.
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