Reflecting on the Birth of the Nation’s First County-Wide Residential Sprinkler Ordinance
This issue of “From the Fire Scene” is written by Chief M.H. “Jim” Estepp (Ret.), a former fire chief in an esteemed line of chiefs from Prince George’s County, Maryland. Chief Estepp serves as the President of the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s (CFSI) Board of Directors, where he works alongside fellow Board Member Shane Ray, President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), in pursuit of policies that support fire and life safety across America.
In 1987, as the head of one of the largest combination fire departments in the country, Chief Estepp identified the need for a comprehensive approach to residential fire safety. With fire deaths climbing in Prince George’s County, Estepp worked alongside dedicated leaders and organizations to find a solution. That solution came in the form of residential fire sprinklers—an innovation that would become central to a groundbreaking ordinance.
Following the success of the ordinance in Maryland, the push for fire sprinklers went national. CFSI Executive Director Bill Webb delves into the Station nightclub fire – a deeply sobering event where 100 lives were lost that could have been saved if only fire sprinklers had been present. CFSI and NFSA teamed up with many other national fire service organizations to push for federal legislation that would incentivize businesses to install fire sprinklers. In his article for the National Fire Sprinkler Magazine, Webb details some of CFSI’s work on fire sprinkler policy at the national and federal levels.
Read the Full Article PDF Here
Today, CFSI continues to push to support fire and life safety in public and private, as well as commercial and residential buildings. To learn more about what CFSI is working on pertaining to fire sprinklers, click here.
