Washington fire marshals' code efforts are successful
By Martha Entwistle
Updated Thu November 17, 2005
SOUTH KITSAP, Wash.--Fire marshals here led a successful effort to change inspection requirements for electronically monitored fire extinguishers from once a year to once every three years.
The International Code Council--whose fire code is used by many state and local municipalities--approved the change at its annual conference this fall in Detroit.
The code change gives end users another incentive to invest in electronically monitored extinguishers--a product that is more reliable and much more resistant to vandalism than ordinary fire extinguishers, said Greg Rogers, president of the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals.
Less frequent inspections will also save end users money, Rogers said. Over a three-year period, end users will save about $70 per extinguisher, which can add up in venues such as hotels and schools that have many fire extinguishers, he pointed out.
"We went through a lengthy process to get the endorsement of certain groups before we brought the proposed change before the ICC," said Rogers.
For more on this story, see the December issue of Security Systems News.
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