MHI’s proposal for a federal fire sprinkler standard has been tabled again, this time by the Technical Design and Structure Subcommittee of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) at a conference call meeting held on June 27, 2011.
As reported previously by MHARR, the original MHI proposal for a federal standard that would apply in situations where state or local jurisdictions required sprinklers for all single-family homes, or where a sprinkler system was installed voluntarily, was amended in writing by MHI on June 17, 2011 to delete the “where required” portion and to add a statement saying that fire sprinkler systems are “not required” by Subpart C of the federal standards. That change, however, was not long-lived, as MHCC member and former MHI staff member Frank Walter moved early in the call to change the revised proposal back to the original “where required” version, deleting the “not required” language, when a consumer member expressed opposition to the “not required” provision.
MHI did not object to this change, but the entire matter was subsequently tabled when a subcommittee member expressed concern over aspects of the MHI proposal related to the NFPA 13D fire sprinkler standard and the prescriptive sprinkler criteria of the International Residential Code. MHI indicated that it would be prepared to address those concerns at the next subcommittee meeting, however, no date has yet been set for that call.
MHARR, for numerous reasons that have already been explained in detail (see, MHARR Memorandum of June 21, 2011), believes that a federal sprinkler standard, of any kind, poses an unacceptable risk of becoming a costly and unnecessary across-the-board standard, and has asked MHI to reassess and withdraw its proposal in any form. Absent the withdrawal of the MHI proposal, MHARR will continue to emphasize the devastating cost impact that this proposal could have — estimated by MHI to be as much as $6,500.00 and even more for certain older communities — if it is adopted and ultimately becomes mandatory for all homes.
MHARR will keep you apprised on this matter as new developments unfold.# #
Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform
1331 Pennsylvania Ave N.W., Suite 508
Washington, D.C. 20004
Phone: 202/783-4087
Fax: 202/783-4075
Email: mharrdg@aol.com
