NFSA Coordinating Efforts to Pass Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2007

Patterson, N.Y. (March 2007) – The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the longest-tenured fire sprinkler advocacy organization in the U.S., is continuing its four-year effort to pass legislation that will provide landmark fire protection laws that are destined to save lives and property.

The NFSA has spent the past four years working in conjunction with many allied support groups in an effort to pass this landmark fire protection legislation. The NFSA has worked diligently with the Congressional Fire Services Institute as well as both Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and John Rockefeller (D-WV) to prepare the legislation for re-introduction. Additionally, the NFSA has been working with Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Eric Cantor (R-VA) on a House version of the bill which will be introduced soon.

Senators Smith, Rockefeller, Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) teamed up to introduce the Senate version of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2007, bill S 582, in the 110th Congress on February 14, 2007.

Through the efforts of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and the allied support groups, the bill will allow property owners who retrofit their buildings with fire sprinklers to accelerate depreciation of the systems and recoup their investment in a much shorter period of time versus the 39 years currently in place.

This bill will give property owners a significant incentive to install fire sprinkler systems on a retrofit basis. And according to the National Fire Protection Association, when sprinklers are present, the chances of dying in a fire are reduced by one-half to three-fourths and the average property loss per fire is cut by one-half to two-thirds, compared to fires where sprinklers are not present.

“This bill will greatly benefit not only members of our organization but also the general public,” said John Viniello, President of NFSA. “It is proven that sprinklers save lives and property, but they also lower insurance costs for owners and create an increased need for materials and installation services by our members. It is imperative that we continue to work toward passage of legislation that protects the public and benefits the overall community. The introduction of this bill takes us one step closer to our efforts becoming a reality.”

To learn more about The Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2007, please visit www.nfsa.org/fsia/fsiahome.html

About the National Fire Sprinkler Association
Established in 1905, the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) is the voice of the fire sprinkler industry. NFSA leads the drive to get life-saving fire sprinklers into all buildings; provides support and resources for its members – fire sprinkler contractors, manufacturers and suppliers; and educates authorities having jurisdiction of fire control matters. Headquartered in Patterson, N.Y., NFSA has regional operations offices throughout the country. www.nfsa.org