Worcester council votes to file proposal adopting state sprinkler law after hours-long debate

The Worcester City Council voted on Sept. 9 to file a manager communication that had asked the city to opt in to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 148, Section 26I, which addresses mandatory automatic fire sprinklers in substantially rehabilitated residential buildings of four or more units.

The filing follows more than two hours of public comment, committee reports and council discussion that featured firefighters, neighborhood residents and city officials debating whether the state statute would fill “gaps” in local enforcement or simply duplicate existing building-code protections.

Supporters, including residents who said they had been displaced by recent multifamily fires, told the council that requiring sprinklers during significant renovations would protect occupants and firefighters. Martha Sefa, who identified herself as a Ward 7 resident, said: “A safe home is so important, and everyone deserves to have one. I urge each councilor and the mayor to do what’s right.” Other callers and residents expressed similar urgency.

The city’s fire chief, Martin Dyer, told the council that he supports sprinkler installation where appropriate but urged clarity about how the state law and current building code intersect. “If everything is working properly between the code department and the fire department, there should not be gaps that exist,” Dyer said. He also told the council he “substantially agree[d]” with a letter from the state fire marshal endorsing the measure, while cautioning about legal standards that govern when a municipality can require sprinklers during renovations.

City Manager Eric Mann reiterated his office’s position backing the fire chief’s recommendation and said the administration stands by the assessment that current state building codes already require sprinklers in many qualifying cases. “If the building code is applied the way it should be, then this 26I would not come into play,” Mann said.

Council members were split. Several members urged adoption as a straightforward, protective tool for older housing stock that can be vulnerable during major renovations. Other councilors said the state and local building codes already set the substantive requirements and warned of unintended consequences — for example, that some owners might delay or forgo legitimate rehabilitations because of cost, or that stricter requirements could push work underground and away from permitting.

After debate the council voted to file the manager’s communication and related committee materials. Filing the item places the manager’s report and the committee’s recommendation in the council record rather than adopting the state statute locally.

What happens next: Filing the item does not adopt Chapter 148, Section 26I in Worcester. Members who supported a local opt-in said they would continue to press the issue and urged ongoing coordination among the fire department, the building commissioner and the city manager to ensure enforcement of applicable codes. The fire chief said he will continue to brief the council on any technical or legal gaps that might affect life-safety outcomes.

Votes and formal actions recorded on the sprinkler item are part of the council’s published minutes and the city clerk’s record; the council’s final procedural action on Sept. 9 was to file the manager’s communication and related materials.