Monday, September 14, 2009

Goverment Affairs Meeting for September 2009 ...


Robin Tucker serves on the Government Affairs committee of the Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors. Our meeting for September 2009 will focus on two subjects.

Background information from the City of Cedar Rapids on the sprinkler systems:

SPRINKLER DISCUSSIONS WITH HOME BUILDERS
Fire prevention bureau personnel continue discussions with the Greater
Cedar Rapids Home Builders Association (HBA) about the proposed
residential sprinkler ordinance that could be included in the International
Residential Code on January 1, 2011. Fire Code Division and Code Enforcement
Division representatives have been meeting with the HBA
about possible amendments to the residential sprinkler code. Discussions
over the past three months have included devising a sprinkler requirement
for residential properties over a certain square footage. The
fire department has extensively researched the issue and has presented a
time-based rationale for fire escape in dwellings over a certain square
footage or based on occupancy. It takes a longer period of time for a
resident to escape for a larger square footage home, for example, and
longer for the firefighters to perform search and rescue.
Cedar Rapids is the only jurisdiction in Iowa that has been actively engaging
both the fire and code enforcement officials with the local Home
Builders Association to discuss sprinkler ordinance impacts. Further, the
metro area has been participating in the discussions, including Marion
and Hiawatha fire and code officials. The fire departments have a vested
interest in life safety and receiving feedback about HBA impacts.


You can follow Realtor® Robin Tucker on Twitter.

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