Support residential sprinklers

First, I would like to say to Dan Shier how sorry I am for his loss. Having sold municipal fire equipment for over 40 years, I’m shocked at the wrong-headed thinking on this subject by the Spokane City Council members. Sprinklers save lives and property. Perhaps not the townhouse next door, but certainly the one on fire would benefit from sprinklers.

If every new construction, or remodel, required fire sprinklers, all the contractors would be on a level playing field, negating the cost concern. (The more units, the lower the individual cost.) Rural houses would really benefit due to the lack of rapid fire response.

The city of San Clemente, California, has had a residential sprinkler ordinance for a very long time. They could provide costs, stats and insurance savings. The costs listed in this article would appear to be for commercial systems, not residential. More research needs to be done before making a final decision. Spokane needs to step into the 21st century.

John Williams

Nine Mile Falls