GUEST OPINION: Sprinklers should ad value, not just cost GUEST OPINION: Sprinklers should ad value, not just cost (January 14, 2004)

By Michael Lambert

Concerned about the high cost of housing here in Menlo Park or are you about to start that long planned remodel? It is about to get a bit more expensive if the Menlo Park Fire Protection District has its way.

There is a new proposal coming before the Menlo Park City Council on January 13. The fire district will be asking the council to consider and adopt a new ordinance that would require the installation of sprinklers in new homes and in homes where remodeling or additions are done to more than 75 percent of the existing floor area. This request is unique but not new. A similar proposal was floated by the district about 11 years ago, on the heels of the Oakland Hills fire, but was rejected.

The fire district is asking all the cities within its jurisdiction to enact this ordinance, and presumably they have good reasons. But unfortunately, there has been no dissemination of information or any public outreach by the district. To date, I have not heard of any attempts by the district to publicly inform our community of the merits of this proposal or to quantify added safety and protection of property that might result from this change.

A hint of the fire district's thinking can be found on the district's Website: "Automatic sprinklers' ability to save property often translates to lower insurance premiums for sprinklered properties. Often sprinkler systems can be paid for in as little as five years through savings on insurance premiums alone."

What others think: A Palo Alto Daily News article published late last year provides a hypothetical estimate by a reputable sprinkler contractor suggesting that the addition of a sprinkler system to "an existing 5,000 square foot house could cost $17,000." While surprisingly expensive, if you consider all the work necessary in an existing house, from design, permits and plan check fees through patching, painting and clean-up, and the lack of easy access to confined spaces, this estimate could very well be true.

For the sake of this simple exercise, if I were to translate this cost to my 2,800 square foot home via a simple proration, I would be looking at costs of $9,520.

Then the question: what might the payback period be with respect to reduced insurance premiums? Based upon my $1,078 yearly premium and a 5 percent ($54) credit, revealed by my insurance agent, for the addition of a sprinkler system, it would take 176 years to recoup my $9,520 investment, nowhere near the 5-year payback suggested by the fire district Web site.

What I would conclude from the very low insurance premium credit is that statistically there is also a very small reduction in overall claims for fire damage or injury after fire sprinkler systems are installed. This suggests only a marginal benefit for the addition of sprinkler systems.

I guess the biggest question in my mind is: will the significant added cost for a fire sprinkler system equate to significant added safety and protection of property?

For that answer, I would look to the fire district for some compelling arguments, including statistics and probabilities that would convince me, and our community, the significant value a fire sprinkler system might provide. If not, fire sprinkler systems will just be another expensive component in a home whose sole purpose may be marginal, psychological or simply to meet a bureaucratic requirement. I would encourage the Fire District to take their case to the public, not just to city staff and members of the City Council. After all, it is the public that will be footing the bill, not the city.

It should be noted that the requirements for fire sprinkler systems in any Menlo Park building and for most other communities here in the state are described in the 2001 Uniform Building Code. This document is the cornerstone on life safety issues in the built environment, and an incredible amount of life safety research and history influences every chapter and paragraph.

The Uniform Building Code does not require fire sprinkler systems in single-family dwellings or in garages. In fact, it provides a specific exemption for single-family dwellings and garages. But, if a homeowner feels that a fire sprinkler system is really desired and is willing to pay for it, there is nothing that prevents the installation of a system.

So what will the fire district and the City Council do? I guess we will have to wait and see, but I hope that our council members understand that what they do on any given Tuesday night affects our lives and wallets. They have the responsibility to assure the residents of this city that the programs they endorse provide value, not just added costs.

Architect Michael Lambert lives on San Mateo Drive in Menlo Park.

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