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Dumping The Water Sprinkler Burden

Reblogger Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Property Manager with Gibson Management Group, Ltd.

 

I suspect the use of BATTERY OPERATED smoke detectors with the batteries changed 2X annually will save EVEN MORE lives.  When a fire does break out, the fire department CUTS the power to the building which will STOP the operation of a hard-wired smoke alarm.

 

Original content by Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est RS301772

A new law would require all new homes built in PA to have water sprinkler systems installed. Supposedly this new, expensive mandate will save lives but the National Incident Reporting System confirms that the use of hard-wired smoke detectors alone will prevent over 99% of all fire deaths.

I just sent email to Representative Mike Peifer and Senator Lisa Baker, asking them to PLEASE schedule HB 1196 and HB 60 for a concurrence vote on Monday, November 15th.

HB 1196 extends the 2006 UCC and removes the sprinkler mandate on all new construction starting in January, 2011. Installing sprinklers is an extremely expensive and unnecessary method of preventing fire deaths and one that Pennsylvanians don't want. It will add from $5,000 to up to $10,000 to the cost of building a home. This is a decision that should be left up to the homeowner. I can see requiring this in townhouses/condos, duplexes, and multi family homes, but not for single family residential homes.

The Housing Trust Fund (HB 60) gives Pennsylvania the opportunity to take advantage of federal stimulus funds to find solutions to affordable housing issues without additional taxes.

Using Housing Trust Funds will help rebuild the state's economy by putting properties back on the tax rolls and increasing property values, which in turn will help stabilize communities.

Please contact your legislative representatives and urge them VOTE YES to HB 1196 and HB 60 and help keep housing affordable in Pennsylvania.

PA GENERAL ASSEMBLY: CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR PA REPRESENTATIVES.

 

Karen Rice Lake Wallenpaupack Real Estate Blog Northeast PA

Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovative marketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.

 

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Wallace S. Gibson is a Certified Property Manager with over 50 years of property management experience and expertise.  She maintains a specialized property management business in Central Virginia serving Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna and Louisa counties  

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View our available Charlottesville, Albemarle and Lake Monticello rental homes online with photos and floor plans

"...to be a Virginian, either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from the Almighty God...." Anonymous

 

Comments(7)

Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

But if nobody is home, nobody hears a detector.  It's really best to have a monitored system.

Nov 12, 2010 10:39 PM
John McCarthy
North Hampton, NH
Realtor - Seacoast NH

Wallace,

I'm on the fence on this one. I don't want to see residential builders unduly burdened by sprinkler cost, but I lost sosmeone very dear to me in a fire that could have been prevented by a sprinkler. Five to ten thousand dollars somehow seems small to me now.

Nov 12, 2010 10:52 PM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

Jay * hard-wired does not mean it is monitoroed, it just means there are no batteries and the electric supply will be CUT when the fire department arrives.

A monitored system can be installed AFTER MARKET by the owner/occupant at their discretion and should NOT be mandated by the government.

The initial installation is expensive and the ANNUAL inspections and permits are ALSO an unnecessary burden

 

Nov 12, 2010 11:18 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

By monitored I mean exactly what you said - an after-market system the home owner selects, and pays for - no mandates, no gubment control!  You know me!

Nov 12, 2010 11:30 PM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

Thank you for the reblog.  This really aggravates me. I'm sick and tired of the government forcing things on us, especially things that are a great financial burden.

*If nobody is home then a life will not be lost...* right?  The fact is the mandate isn't about protecting personal property but supposedly about "saving lives." If nobody is home when a fire breaks out then nobody will lose their life.

If there is a sprinkler system in place, sure it will put the fire out but your property is still going to suffer significant damage, if not from the fire, then the water.

This should be UP TO THE HOMEOWNER.  I can see giving a tax break incentive to someone installing one of these. Or a break on their insurance, or any number of *incentives.*  But not forcing it on people.  I hate big government!

Nov 12, 2010 11:48 PM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

Jay * I agree * I spent an hour on Wed with plumber inspecting a backflow device BECAUSE the property owner had a 3rd bedroom put in and since the townhouse was now 4 levels, there is this additional burden PLUS now a kit to drain INTO the basement drain that already has an HVAC condensite line AND htwrthtr drain line - They are going to need a BIGGER DRAIN.

This is should be between the homeowner AND their insurance company for discounts and potential property damage!

2 years ago a tenant DIED in Charlottesville because the silly landlord removed ALL of the batteries in the smoke alarms in his 8 row of townhouse apts - tenants (who fried their food) keep calling about the alarms.  THIS is where the legislation needs to focus - landlord should be in PRISON!

 

Nov 12, 2010 11:58 PM
Will Nesbitt
Nesbitt Realty at Condo Alexandria - Alexandria, VA
Nesbitt Realty is a family-run brokerage.

Great reblog. It makes me want to go back and recheck all the properties hmmmm

Nov 13, 2010 12:24 AM