Mandate fire sprinklers in dorms, and beyond: Letter

Re “Purchase College’s close call,” Sept. 7 editorial:

Calling for college residences across New York state to be updated with modern fire sprinklers is absolutely the right thing to do, and will dramatically improve fire safety across New York’s many colleges and universities. But sprinkler technology should also be made standard in new residential construction.

Fire service groups across New York state, including the state Association of Fire Chiefs, the state Firemen’s Association, and the state Association of Fire Districts have long been staunch advocates of sprinkler technology. These groups, along with others, comprise the Build Safe NY Alliance, which has been petitioning the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council to adopt a modern building code requiring the inclusion of residential sprinkler systems. This will save lives and provide a much-needed update to New York’s building code.

The traditional opposition to widespread adoption of residential sprinkler technology has been concern over the cost, but the numbers don’t lie. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 85 percent of all fire deaths occur at home, and the presence of sprinklers cuts the risk of dying by approximately 80 percent.

The Build Safe NY Alliance joins The Journal News in calling for sprinklers on college campuses, and also urges the NYS Code Council to take similar steps to protect New York residents in their homes. The cost of not acting can be tragic.

Jerry DeLuca