Existing buildings, in some cities, must be retrofitted with automatic sprinkler systems.

Ordinances requiring automatic sprinkler systems are spreading throughout the U.S. like the wildfires they are designed to stop.

More and more states and cities are passing statutes that call for retrofitting existing high-rise buildings with automatic sprinkler systems, a task that costs - on a nationwide average - about $1.75 per square foot, according to Firedyne Engineering of Oak Brook, IL, a fire protection engineering and code consulting firm. In some areas of the country, such as those susceptible to earthquakes, costs are even higher. Sprinkler retrofits in the San Francisco area, for example, average about $4 per square foot.

Among the states and municipalities that require sprinklers throughout existing buildings are California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Louisville, KY. "These ordinances typically happen right after there is a major catastrophe," says Michael McGreal, Firedyne president. That was the case in Philadelphia, where three firefighters were killed in 1991 while battling a blaze that raged 19 hours at a downtown, 38-story high-rise, One Meridian Plaza. Within the year, the Philadelphia City Council passed an ordinance requiring that all high-rise buildings be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. The ordinance affects 500 buildings. By early 1997, all buildings must comply.

Although the Philadelphia blaze was four years ago, policy makers still cite it as an example to push sprinkler ordinances. Just last year in Tacoma, WA, Fire Chief Dick Moore referenced the Philadelphia blaze when urging the city to mandate retrofit of its high-rise buildings. Costs were estimated at between $200,000 and $400,000 per building for facilities owned by the city of Tacoma and its home district, Pierce County.

Regardless of circumstances surrounding their origins, such ordinances have some facilities professionals wringing their hands. "Opposition comes from [those] who don't want to pay these costs. There are big costs involved, but not when you are talking about fire safety, firefighters, and the people inside the buildings," says McGreal.

Nevertheless, financing a retrofit is no fun for building owners. The issue can be especially trying for owners of buildings outside the class A category, says Glenn Dickson, a vice president at Equitable Life, New York City. Dickson, a former board member of the International Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE), is on the board of directors of NACORE's educational arm, the Institute of Corporate Real Estate, "No lender is going to give financing on a [class] B or less building that would have any significant co-compliance issues," he says.

A building's age can complicate matters further. "Major corporations are leasing space that is more technologically advanced. Most class A space is more compliant. In the older buildings, it's more difficult," says Dickson.

The good news is that the installation of a fire sprinkler system is often followed by a decrease in a facility's fire insurance rates, industry officials say. One other nerve-calming note is that most ordinances give facilities professionals some lead time for compliance. In Massachusetts, for example, a sprinkler retrofit law was passed in 1992; compliance must be achieved by 1998.

Building owners and managers who are making choices about sprinkler installations will have an advantage if they are armed with knowledge, according to a report by Steve Hart, director of the Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board, Cerritos, CA. The report was written with information compiled after the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake in Southern California.

"Contractors and/or their personnel must be competent and current with regard to changing code/standard requirements," Hart writes. "Their design and installation must be revised as new codes/standards are revised and adopted. With few exceptions, the codes and standards, which dictate the design of the sprinkler systems, change in some fashion every three years as new technologies and/or products are developed."

In order to inspect the installation of fire sprinkler systems, facilities professionals must be familiar with various codes and standards. "Keeping pace with these changes and the new technologies associated with a growing industry is an ongoing challenge," Hart notes.

McGreal offers similar advice, noting that fire engineers and consultants should be retained by building owners and managers, if necessary. "They should be prepared. These laws are gaining momentum."

Sprinkler System Inspection and Testing Recommendations

ITEM                         ACTIVITY      FREQUENCY

Gauges                       Inspection    Weekly/Monthly
(dry, preaction
deluge systems)

Control Valves               Inspection    Weekly/Monthly

Alarm Devices                Inspection    Quarterly

Gauges                       Inspection    Monthly
(wet pipe systems)

Hydraulic                    Inspection    Quarterly
Nameplate

Buildings                    Inspection    Annually
                                           (before freezing weather)

Hanger/Seismic               Inspection    Annually
Bracing

Pipe and Fittings            Inspection    Annually

Sprinklers                   Inspection    Annually

Spare Sprinklers             Inspection    Annually

Alarm Devices                Test          Quarterly

Antifreeze Solution          Test          Annually

Gauges                       Test          5 Years

Sprinklers (extra            Test          5 Years
high temperature)

Sprinklers (fast response)   Test          At 20 Years and
                                           Every 10
                                           Thereafter

Sprinklers                   Test          At 50 Years and
                                           Every 10
                                           Thereafter

These recommendations are provided by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), Quincy, MA. NFPA recommends that all testing and
inspections be performed according to NFPA 25 Standard.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tips for Maintaining Sprinkler Systems

The following guidelines, offered by The Northern Illinois Chapter of The National Fire Sprinkler Association. Chicago, are provided to help facilities professionals maintain fire sprinkler systems between testing procedures. The association recommends that building owners and managers use qualified contractors to test sprinkler systems.

* Inspect gauges and control valves weekly. Regular observations will alert maintenance personnel to differences in pressure. Control valves must be checked weekly to be sure they are in the "open" position.

* Paint all exposed piping in sprinkler rooms red. This offers easy recognition as being sprinkler lines. However, the actual sprinkler head must never be painted. Piping in cold areas should be wrapped with heat tape.

* Check for leakage. Visually inspect the system for leaks or abnormalities. With black iron, drips are indicated by orange oxidation on the joint. Added stress can cause leaks and weakened joints, so don't hang anything from any part of a sprinkler system.

* Steer clear of equipment. Don't place items close to a fire sprinkler. Storage items or furniture should be at least 18 inches below fire sprinkler heads. Keep an open space around the pump to allow proper air flow and accessibility for maintenance personnel.

* Cold weather maintenance. Check the antifreeze in a wet pipe system before cold weather sets in. The system should be good down to about -26 degrees F. In a dry pipe system, regularly drain condensation from low points in the piping. The drum drip assembly on a dry pipe should allow for easy draining. Remember, the best way to avoid a sprinkler system freeze-up is to keep the heat on.

* In larger facilities, it is recommended that all exposed sprinkler piping be painted red. This offers easy recognition as being sprinkler lines. However, the actual sprinkler head must never be painted. In smaller facilities with limited piping, this step usually is not necessary.

* Clean sprinkler heads. Facilities with high levels of dust concentration can keep sprinkler systems in top working order by dusting the heads. Use a soft feather duster, never a broom or hard-bristle brush.