Massachusetts firefighters advocate sprinkler systems in new homes

After the recent death of a firefighter in a Worcester, Mass. house fire, fire officials pleaded with Massachusetts public safety officials to give cities and towns the authority to require sprinkler systems in new one- or two-family homes. Homebuilders, realtors, engineers and contractors expressed strong opposition to the measure for cost considerations. The National Fire Prevention Association and the International Code Council, however, have included home sprinklers as part of model building codes they recommend to states as minimum standards.

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