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Requiring fire sprinklers will not decrease taxes or fees and has a negligible effect on homeowner's insurance rates. Sprinklers won't affect fire department staffing levels or the number of fire stations a community may need because in most jurisdictions, staff and facilities are also necessary for quick response to EMS calls. Right now, the average time spent on actual house fire calls is about 3 percent nationally. Adding fire sprinklers to new homes will not reduce fire departments' staffing or equipment needs. No matter if there are sprinklers in a home, should a fire be reported, the fire department will send the same number of responders. There is no fiscal advantage or cost benefit to the individual or the community by mandating fire sprinklers. Sprinkler advocates also assert that home owners see discounts on their property insurance when fire sprinklers are installed. However, there is no consistent industry-wide practice. In eight insurance companies surveyed by sprinkler advocates, most discounts ranged from 2 percent to 10 percent a year. Using a conservative installed cost estimate of $1.50 per sq/ft in a 2300 sq/ft home with an annual property insurance premium of $1000, it would take 35 years even for a 10 percent discount to pay for a system that will most likely never be needed. |
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