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Council removes sprinkler requirement for new one- and two‑family homes after debate
Summary
After public comment and a council debate that included safety and housing supply concerns, the City Council passed an ordinance removing the International Residential Code requirement for automatic fire sprinkler systems in one- and two-family houses.
The Rock Island City Council voted to remove the International Residential Code requirement that new one- and two-family homes include automatic fire sprinkler systems.
During public comment, Dan Reardon of the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board urged caution and explained why sprinklers were included in codes, saying they spread less fire and buying time for occupants and firefighters. “Removal of sprinklers in that code ends up... making that building less safe,” Reardon said; he estimated the cost of a residential sprinkler system at about 3% of construction cost and described it as a largely one-time expense.
Council members debated economic impacts and safety. A motion to postpone the ordinance to the Sept. 8 meeting failed. After further discussion the council voted to pass the ordinance (final roll call in the record: Parker — No; Pulis — Aye (reluctantly); Healy — Aye; Evans — Aye; Hertz — Aye; Barnes — Aye; Swanson — Aye). The motion carried.
Ending: The ordinance was adopted on second reading at this meeting; the transcript does not record an effective date or additional implementing provisions in the excerpt provided. Council members requested additional data and staff responses in the wider discussion but voted to remove the sprinkler requirement.
