Amy Higgins 

As of Jan. 1, 2011, a Pennsylvania law requires newly constructed one- and two-family homes to be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. Supporters of the new law say more lives will be saved if a fire occurs in a home outfitted with sprinkler systems. But opponents say that installing sprinkler systems is expensive and that consumers should be given a choice in the matter.

Supporters: Sprinklers save lives

Roughly 80 percent of fire deaths occur in homes, according to the National Fire Protection Association, but the chances of dying in a home fire are cut in half if the home has sprinklers.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, in 2009 there were:

  • 377,000 residential fires.
  • 2,590 civilian fire deaths.
  • 13,050 civilian fire injuries.
  • $7.8 billion in property damage caused by fires.

In a newer home, you have about one to two minutes to escape, Tim Knisely, co-chair of the Pennsylvania Residential Fire Sprinkler Coalition, said in a WPSU radio interview. Newer homes are built with lightweight construction material that Knisely said he's seen collapse in five minutes, unlike much older homes, which he's seen remain standing after they've been "gutted out."

Not only are the occupants in a home fire at risk, but the lives of the firefighters rescuing the occupants are in jeopardy as well.

"The new construction features that are used in especially new homes allow the fires to burn much faster, and the fire service doesn't have much of a chance to save the property, let alone save somebody trapped inside," Knisely said.

Opponents: Law robs consumers of choice

Some who object to Pennsylvania's new mandate say its terms are unfair to home sellers and builders, and they are trying to have the law amended.

Louis Biacchi, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Builders Association, told WPSU that having a sprinkler system installed in a home should be a matter of consumer choice, given the cost of installation and maintenance.

"Candidly, the cost versus benefit is such that we don't believe, given the choice, that consumers would opt to purchase (sprinkler systems)," he told WPSU.

Biacchi emphasized that homes in Pennsylvania are safe and well-built, and when they're equipped with hard-wired smoke detectors, occupants stand a great chance of survival.

Do the costs outweigh the benefits?

Houses equipped with smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system experienced 100 percent fewer civilian deaths, 57 percent fewer civilian injuries and 32 percent less in direct property losses and indirect fire-related costs than houses equipped only with smoke alarms, according to a 2007 National Institute of Standards and Technology study.

However, sprinkler systems can be costly. The cost of installing a fire sprinkler system is not limited to equipment and labor costs. It also includes permit, tap and inspection fees, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The Fire Protection Research Foundation found that in 2008, the cost of sprinkler systems to the homebuilder, in dollars per sprinkler-covered square foot, ranged from 38 cents to $3.66, making the average cost $1.61 per square foot.

Some insurance companies, including GEICO and Liberty Mutual, offer home insurance discounts to policyholders whose homes are equipped with fire sprinkler systems. The National Association of Home Builders found that the maximum discount offered by an insurance provider was 16 percent. Insurance companies usually offer discounts for other safety features like deadbolt locks, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and burglar alarms. But there's usually a cap on combined discounts for all safety devices -- about 20 percent, according to the National Association of Home Builders.