All high-rises should be sprinklered
George D. Miller
President and CEO
National Fire Protection Association
Quincy, Massachusetts
I was particularly interested in some of the comments made in “High-Rise Residential Fire, Tampa, Florida,” by Emilio F. Salabarria and Leslie P. Ennis, in the August 1999 issue. What struck me in particular was the cover photo caption on page 3, which states: “… Many such buildings are unsprinklered and lacking in other critical fire protection design components. Such code issues must be addressed in the United States.”
We [at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)] cannot agree more. Since 1992, NFPA 1, Fire Prevention Code(TM), has required that all high-rise buildings, whether new or existing, be equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system. In most cases, NFPA 101, Life Safety Code®, also requires an existing high-rise apartment building to have an approved supervised automatic sprinkler system installed. Both NFPA 1 and 101 define a high-rise building as “a building more than 75ft (23m) in height. Building height shall be measured from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the floor of the highest occupiable story.” NFPA 101 also requires that existing elevators with a travel distance of more than 25 feet be equipped with Fire Fighters` Service Requirements of ASME/ANSI A 17.3, Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators.
NFPA 1 and 101 ensure greater safety from fire for high-rise buildings–an essential consideration not only for occupants but for firefighters as well. Fortunately for Tampa residents, the state of Florida has adopted NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 effective in 2001. NFPA 1 is adopted in 12 states and NFPA 101 in 35 states.
Thank you for addressing the value of automatic fire sprinkler protection requirements in high-rise buildings in Fire Engineering.
