Sprinkler Fire Wall - HB4609

 Sprinkler Fire Wall

HB4609

Sometimes the good guys win, or at least come out even.   Today in Springfield, we did pretty well in the ongoing battles with the State Fire Marshall and the Sprinkler System people.  It was a good maneuver and maybe even better public policy.

State Representative Sara Feigenholtz of Lakeview, officemate with Senate President John Cullerton and a powerhouse in her own right, just might have been laying in wait for those sprinkler lobbyists. She had a shell bill, HB4609, and yesterday she amended it to protect the thousands of landlords, tenants and Association members who keep getting threatened by the Fire Marshall and the Sprinkler System companies.

The bill as amended creates the Task Force on Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Education and Provides requirements for the membership and duties of the Task Force.  This task force will make a report to the General Assembly by July 15, 2015. 

The best part of the bill  provides that the Office of the State Fire Marshal may not adopt rules imposing new statewide mandates or changes to existing or future statewide mandates requiring the installation of fire sprinkler systems in specific types of buildings or other structures.   Any changes must be approved by the General Assembly which has a history of killing these proposals hence the fire wall.  A Fire Prevention Fund will be established to help modernize ambulance and fire truck equipment.  

Seems to have the making of a deal which both sides can claim victory. At this point many of us (owners) would tend to think that the Fire Marshall no longer has us pinned down at the one yard line.