Pf May Ease Sprinkler Rules

Fewer fire sprinklers may be required in commercial buildings in Post Falls following complaints from developers that they’re too expensive.

The Post Falls Fire Protection District favors allowing some commercial buildings to avoid installing automatic sprinkler systems, which cost around $2 per square foot or more, said Dan Ryan, division chief of the Post Falls district.

Instead, those commercial buildings could feature a four-hour wall - a wall that would deter fires from spreading for up to four hours.

“We’ve had a lot of developers that aren’t happy with the ordinance the way it is now,” Ryan said. “This is just a way to meet them halfway.”

However, sprinklers are safer than walls, he said.

“A sprinkler system is a fireman on the spot,” Ryan said.

A four-hour wall would still be adequate fire protection because it basically shrinks the size of the building, he added.

City Councilman Clay Larkin, who was a state-certified fire inspector for nine years, said a four-hour wall would be safe.

“I have no concerns,” he said.

Over the long-run, sprinkler systems save money by lowering insurance rates, Ryan said.

Other cities in the area have less stringent codes on sprinklers, and developers notice that, said Mayor Gus Johnson.

Planning and Building Director Gary Young recommended that the city more closely follow the recommendations of the Uniform Fire Code, a code developed by firefighters and used throughout the western United States.

The Uniform Fire Code recommends automatic sprinkler systems in numerous situations, including buildings designed for large gatherings, most factories, and most stores and shops where the floor area exceeds 12,000 square feet on one floor or 24,000 square feet overall.

Whether the insurance rating of the Post Falls Fire Protection District would change by the adoption of a less stringent ordinance was unclear, Ryan said.

The insurance rating affects how much people living within the district pay for their insurance. In districts that earn high grades for how effectively they can fight fires, insurance rates are lower.

The Post Falls Fire Protection District recently earned a better rating. Larkin noted a $68 drop in his rates upon notifying his insurance company of the improved rating, he said.