Every 90 seconds, a home fire is reported in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association, eight out of 10 fire fatalities occur where we feel safest — in our own homes. Many fires start at night and research shows young children and older adults are the majority of victims in home fires.
- Would installing fire sprinklers save lives?
- Is the added cost a necessary investment for homeowners?
- Should it be mandated by law?
The nation’s leading building code body, the International Code Council (ICC), thinks so. The ICC develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the international codes developed by the ICC. The ICC fire sprinkler mandate stipulates that all new residential homes, both one- and two-family dwellings, must include fire sprinklers starting Jan. 1, 2011.
A heated debate among builders, fire marshals and consumers has ignited in the wake of the ICC mandate. Opinions run the gamut, depending on who you talk to: Fire officials welcome the mandate, while some builders say this is an unnecessary and costly precaution.
“Fire sprinklers save lives,” says Stan Scofield, a fire inspector from Plymouth, Minn. “We have never seen a fatality in a home fire where a working fire sprinkler system was installed. Unfortunately, we see our fair share of tragedies in homes without one installed.”
Critics argue that the cost of building a new home is already high, and that adding the expense of fire sprinklers may turn some homeowners away from the building process. “I am including a fire safety system in a home that we are currently building,” Jim Moras, owner of Highmark Builders of Burnsville, Minn., says. “In this case, we are putting it in based on a request from the homeowner. But I think the industry is balking at having a mandate that demands sprinklers in every new home built, potentially driving up the final house cost.”
But some homeowners liken sprinklers to having their own personal “fire department” on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for protection and peace of mind. A residential fire sprinkler system can contain a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene. Yet, only about two percent of U.S. homes are equipped with fire sprinklers.
“Research makes a compelling argument to mandate fire safety systems in residential building codes,” says Jayson Drake, senior product manager, Plumbing and Fire Safety, for Uponor North America. “And with an industry standard cost of approximately $1.61 per square foot, the investment for homeowners equals that of granite countertops and stainless steel appliances — common upgrades by today’s standard. But this upgrade saves lives.”
Although the cost of installing a fire safety system seems to be a central issue, excluding a system based on a price tag may be a shortsighted decision. According to the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, fires cause more than $6 billion in direct property damage every year in U.S. homes. Much of this damage is caused by firefighters’ hoses, which discharge 200 gallons of water per minute into a burning home.
Conversely, a fire sprinkler sprays 10 to 15 gallons per minute, minimizing overall property damage. And with only the sprinklers closest to the fire activating, 90 percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one or two sprinklers, causing only a fraction of the water damage of a fire department hose. With the ICC mandate in effect, the annual $6 billion property damage figure should decrease significantly over the next decade, according to Drake from Uponor.
Though these savings won’t pay for the initial installation investment, some homeowners and real estate agents are starting to recognize that sprinklers may be a good long-term investment.
Carrot Festival Times Are Changing; Plenty To Do This Weekend Too
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ – The Holtville Carrot Festival enters its second weekend following what everybody said were big crowds for the first weekend.
That’s good. It brings a lot of people to town that normally wouldn’t come here. And it calls attention to our businesses – sort of.
Improvements can always be made as long as the people find the event popular and a good place to go, then you can only look to positives.
There were big crowds, for the Rib Cook-Off which returned to the Carrot Festival this weekend. Even Bob Filner came around again (must be an election year). But, once again, their weren’t enough ribs to go around and lots of booths were closing early because they ran out of supplies. That left plenty of folks standing around with little to do and nothing to eat well before noon. We should all be so lucky to have these problems. But, we liked the old days when Holt Park was full of people who would stop and visit while enjoying country music and a plate of ribs.
These days, you have to fight to get to the ribs, a place to sit and a soda to drink. It’s lost a little of the down-home flavor over the years.
So, once again, the Holtville Athletic club needs to get more equity into the rib distribution, so there are plenty of ribs available and people can get what they pay for.
You can also open it up for a longer time during the day. Rushing to get out of there as early as possible defeats the purpose behind the event to begin with.
Family fun and old friends make a good combination with good food. A little less hurrying will also make for better tasting and better cooked ribs. Stretch the event out for a couple more hours and see how much more manageable it could be.
And last, but not least, return it to Holt Park where it will get maximum exposure for the participants and the Holtville Athletic Club.
This front of the line exposure will get more people here and give the booths more room. There will even be more parking too.
We’re looking forward to next year already and hope the Rib Cook-Off only gets more exposure.
THE SECOND HALF OF THE SATURDAY EVENT had some casualties among the people who showed up to drink beer and get rowdy with country music.
The “music festival” that took the place of the golf tournament left anybody with children looking for a way out of town.
The crowd at Hot Rods & Beer was a little restless if any of the e-mails we received were true.
We also got some eyewitness reports from moms who weren’t keen on taking any children near the place. There were also plenty of “cowboys” who had plenty of liquid courage in them to make anyone cautious. There were plenty of cops around, though. The Sheriff’s Department, we are told, kept a pretty good eye on the whole affair.
This one really needs a lot more thought if it’s going to be held again. We prefer the family atmosphere the Carrot festival used to carry.
MEANWHILE GET OUT AND TAKE IN THE PARADE, the carnival, the arts and crafts show, the auto show, all the food booths you can get to and have a good time in the park.
Lots of local organizations participate and look forward to this Saturday all year. It’s their time to get out and mingle with the people.
Remember the Super Bowl Barbecue sponsored by the Holtville Rotary Club on Sunday too.
Families are invited each day and they’re welcome too. There’s plenty of carnival rides to keep you amused.
Hope to see you there, partner!
WE’VE BEEN HAPPY SEEING THE Sheriff’s Deputies patrolling around Holtville since taking over the police duties a month ago.
They’re a very official and authoritative group that adds credibility to the police force and the city. So far, so good. We’re looking forward to a very good year for the city.
Peace.
By Mario Conde
The Calexico City Council approved an ordinance relating to the authority to remove vehicles for sale in certain areas within the public right-of-way.
In a report given by Police Chief Jim Neujahr and City Attorney Jenifer Lyon it was stated that for several years, residents have expressed concern about the streets in their neighborhoods being used as used car sales lots by people seeking to sell their vehicles park on streets posting “For Sale” signs or placards in or on their vehicles.
In the aftermath of a series of catastrophic earthquakes that struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, the American Red Cross mobilized immediately to provide the necessary resources to respond. Locally many residents have already made donations through our local American Red Cross office or have requested additional information on how to make a monetary donation. A “Hope for Haiti” fundraising event is being planned at Town Square in El Centro from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2010. An afternoon of fun is planned – we will have food, refreshments, entertainment featuring local artists and musicians, games and lots of prizes! To assist us in this worthy fundraising event we are counting on your support. A tax deductible donation will be much appreciated and will secure the success of the event. Please help us deliver “Hope for Haiti” by supporting this worthy fundraising event. Community and Red Cross volunteers, including members from the SDSU – IV Campus Geology Class – Natural Disasters, will be on hand to accept monetary donations in the form of cash or checks. Checks should be made payable to the American Red Cross with a designation to Haiti Relief. Town Square is located at 7th and Main Street in El Centro. Those who arrive to the event can use the parking accessible off of Main and State Streets. You can also visit www.http://www.redcross.org/ for updates on this relief operation Your contribution guarantees that the Imperial Valley will provide crucial support to those affected by the HAITI Earthquake. Thank you in advance for your consideration. IVSC Manager: Sylvia Preciado (760) 352-4541 Ext 6221 Event Organizers: Richard Brown Grace Conner Kevin Marty (760) 540-1180
By
Chris Furguson
A 21 year-old Brawley woman was arrested and placed into custody after a hit-and-run incident on Saturday, January 30, 2010, according to a release from Brawley Police Department Commander Brett Houser.
The incident took place at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Jones Street. At around 10:50 pm, a Brawley police officer was flagged down at the scene
Witnesses identified a blue 2005 Suzuki sedan as the fleeing vehicle and provided the last known direction of travel.
Officers located the vehicle a few blocks away in the northern part of Cosgrove street. The owner, Krystal Thompson, 21, was found and identified as the driver.
During the course of the investigation, Thompson was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was arrested on DUI and Hit & Run charges.
The condition of the impacted driver or vehicle were not known at press time.