Fire chief turns up pressure for sprinklers
NATICK -- As development continues at a brisk pace in town, Natick Fire Chief Gene Sabourin says officials should do more to protect residents living close together in multifamily buildings by requiring sprinkler systems.
Sabourin is asking Town Meeting to approve an article that would mandate sprinkler systems in all residential buildings that have four or more units. The new code would only apply to new construction or major renovations that are started six months after the article is approved, and would not apply to projects already in the works, he said.
Sabourin said he's seeing more units being built on small lots, close to other homes, because there is little available land for building. In many cases, he said, the driveways are narrow, making it difficult for firetrucks to get to the homes. Also, most of the buildings are wood-framed construction that would go up quickly in a fire, Sabourin said.
``We could find some delay in getting operations going because of the closeness of these units being built," Sabourin said. ``It's for the protection of people living there."
Patrick Reffett, the town's community development director, supports the fire chief's proposal. ``It's silly not to have these kinds of things in buildings that are multifamily dwellings," he said.
Reffett doesn't think many developers will fight the proposed regulations. ``Developers don't want to have their names associated with problem properties," he said. As an incentive, Reffett said, insurance rates would go down on buildings with sprinklers.
By approving the article, Natick would be accepting the provisions of a state law that allows communities to adopt the regulations.
According to the state fire marshal's office, 113 communities in the state have adopted the code, including Ashland, Bellingham, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Milford, Newton, Northborough, Plainville, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Westborough, and Wrentham.
