PRINTER'S NO. 1646
No. 132 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, BOSCOLA, KITCHEN, BODACK, THOMPSON,
KUKOVICH, TOMLINSON, WAGNER, COSTA AND SALVATORE,
FEBRUARY 7, 2000
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 7, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Requesting the Department of Labor and Industry, in cooperation
2 with the Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner, to conduct a study
3 of feasibility of municipalities adopting and implementing
4 ordinances to identify high-rise buildings, college
5 dormitories and other buildings of public access housing
6 individuals that lack fire protection systems, to require the
7 installation of such systems, and to make a report to the
8 Senate.
9 WHEREAS, The occurrence of fire in high-rise buildings,
10 college dormitories and other buildings of public access housing
11 individuals poses an ever-present danger to the citizens of this
12 Commonwealth; and
13 WHEREAS, Automatic water sprinkler systems and other fire
14 suppression or control systems are highly effective means of
15 providing fire protection for people and property in high-rise
16 buildings, college dormitories and other buildings of public
17 access housing individuals; and
18 WHEREAS, The 1999 National Building Code, as published by the
19 Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc.,
20 does not require existing high-rise buildings, college
1 dormitories and other buildings of public access housing
2 individuals without such fire protection systems to be
3 retrofitted with automatic water sprinkler systems or automatic
4 fire suppression or control systems; and
5 WHEREAS, High-rise buildings, college dormitories and other
6 buildings of public access housing individuals that lack
7 automatic water sprinkler systems or automatic fire suppression
8 or control systems are more susceptible to fire-related injuries
9 and damage than those buildings equipped with such fire
10 protection equipment; and
11 WHEREAS, Municipalities and colleges may require some
12 assistance in determining the extent of the potential fiscal
13 impact on municipalities and colleges through the completion of
14 a governmental study to determine:
15 (1) the technical and economic feasibility of municipal
16 ordinances that require inspection of high-rise buildings,
17 college dormitories and other buildings of public access
18 housing individuals to ascertain the presence of automatic
19 water sprinkler systems or automatic fire suppression or
20 control systems; and
21 (2) whether those high-rise buildings, college
22 dormitories and other buildings of public access housing
23 individuals without such equipment should be retrofitted;
24 and
25 WHEREAS, Absent this assistance from the Commonwealth, some
26 municipalities may be prevented by the potential fiscal impact
27 from proceeding with an ordinance requiring the inspection of
28 such high-rise buildings, college dormitories and other
29 buildings of public access housing individuals regarding
30 automatic fire protection systems and, as a consequence, the
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1 occupants of such high-rise buildings, college dormitories and
2 other buildings of public access housing individuals may remain
3 subject to a greater ongoing threat of fire in the absence of
4 such systems; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the Department of Labor and Industry, in
6 cooperation with the Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner, as hereby
7 requested, to conduct a study to examine:
8 (1) the technical and economic feasibility for
9 municipalities to enact and implement municipal ordinances
10 that identify existing high-rise buildings, college
11 dormitories and other buildings of public access housing
12 individuals that lack automatic water sprinkler systems or
13 other automatic fire suppression or control systems; and
14 (2) whether to require the installation of such fire
15 protection systems;
16 and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That this study should evaluate whether
18 municipalities and colleges may require additional State fiscal
19 and technical assistance to establish an inspection and review
20 program of such underprotected buildings; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the Department of Labor and Industry, in
22 cooperation with the Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner, is
23 requested to report its findings, recommendations and any
24 proposed legislation to the Senate no later than November 30,
25 2000; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of
27 this resolution to the Secretary of Labor and Industry and the
28 Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner.
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