Senator Robert Singer (R-Ocean, Monmouth) denounced legislation that was passed today by the Senate Community & Urban Affairs Committee to require new single-family homes to have fire sprinkler systems.
“This expensive mandate is the last thing New Jersey needs, as new reports show the housing market is finally turning around for families and construction employers,” Singer said. “We need to stop this bill dead in its tracks before it threatens our recovery from Superstorm Sandy and the Great Recession. Too many of our middle class families are already saddled with impossible financial burdens.”
The Senate Committee today passed S2273/A1570, which already passed the Assembly with the support of Democrats, and now heads to the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee.
“Government should not decide how families spend their personal income or force them to spend thousands of dollars more for things in their homes,” Singer added. “Plenty of New Jersey families feel safe with the regulations we have already put in place requiring smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Where does it stop? Do you make people pay for their cars to have sensors and cameras; do you make all homeowners buy burglar alarms?” [TLS]
The requirements of Assembly Bill No. 1570 (2R) would not apply to
manufactured homes, single and two-family homes not connected to public water systems, and new homes built as part of a development plan
or a building permit approved on or before the effective date of the bill.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/A2000/1570_E1.PDF
disagree. exisiting homes should not be forced to chage their set up. but there shld be some rules applied for new construction.
There is a lot of good in this idea. How many lives could have been saved if there was not lag i response time to fires (statewide). if it is to heavy of a cost, at least they could have these tnings installed in the kitchen area. or near boilers.
…or not and let the homeowner/homebuyer decide what he would like to have put into his home, you know the house he’s paying for. What a novel idea!
whats the big deal? Just give up one thing in these new homes they are building in lakewood…
Here are some things you can give up and use those funds to pay for the sprinklers:
1. The 8th bedroom
2. The granite countertops
3. The third oven
4. The Study, Playroom or Library
5. The three Bugaboo strollers you have to own
Problem solved, middle class!
Can’t wait to see what people will say when the sprinkler gets triggered by mistake . The water damage .lol the insurance on new homes will sky rocket .
this is only for new construction where there is city water available. The cost to install this is minimal. This is not a commercial fire suppression system you would see in a store, school or dormitory with risers, valves and gauges. I guess Mr. Singer just put a price on your life. Approximately $2500 on new construction. Now with the use of pex instead of copper is easier to install and it runs on the same line that feeds the washer, sinks, toilets and showers so there is no special piping needed. Sprinklers give you extra time to escape a fire by holding to the area were it started. Hopefully those fires where you see the fire blowing out the front window on The Lakewood Scoop will be a thing of the past in new construction and fewer people will be injured or die in a fire. Maybe more people will buy a place with fire suppression in place.
Never had any body die in a structure fire that had an activated sprinkler. As for a system that activated because of an malfunction, the percentages are very low. If you were to ask your insurance company they would much rather pay for water damage as compared to a home with fire and smoke damage. Washington and Trenton rarely have our best interest at heart .They missed the boat on this one. It cuts into the builders profit.
To “Why? Says” –
Apparently, you live in a different Lakewood than I do. Maybe stop noticing the wealthy few and pay more attention to the struggling hundreds (maybe even thousands).
There is no one I know – I repeat NO ONE – that comes close to your description.
A tale of two cities, perhaps.
I agree who wouldn’t want to pay another $20,000 to potentially save their life. To Im burning up I installed a residential system for a legal duplex which is a legal multifamily R2 Nfpa 13r sprinkler system it cost me close to 30k .and to anon it takes allot of smoke to trigger the sprinkler I live in this house for the past 7 years and I never had any bad experience with the sprinkler.
I would love to hear the statistics of how many lives were saved because of sprinklers! Probably not even 1!!!
These systems require maintenance. Most responsible homeowners will maintain them. Good. But the ones that never change batteries in smoke alarms (or remove them) will not, then cry big sloppy tears when there is a fatal fire.
sprinklers save lives
Every time a sprinkler activates for a fire countless lives are saved. Just think of all those that are put in harms way when a call is received for a fire. Every responders job is made much more easier because sprinklers have proven to reduce death and damage due to fire -end of story. Who you going to trust, a firefighter or a Politian to put your family’s best interest first when it come to the subject of fire?
No-one is realistically disputing the effectiveness of these sprinkler systems…the question here is should they be required by government mandate. I believe the answer is no.
why do we now only protect & install sprinklers in multi family housing? why not protect single family housing. sprinklets do save lives.
the monthly fee from NJAWC is very expensive for fire sprinkler service whihc is metered separately from the drinking water. further the water damage from sprinklers will raise the cost of insurance ,
Better to have fire extinguishers on all floors of your home, kitchen and laundry room, and make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working
@multi, NFPA 13D is for 1 and 2 family, 13R is for multi-family low rise. 13D is about $1.60 per sq. ft to install, pex and by a plumber. Still around two thousand, not twenty thousand.