Fire Safety Task Force works towards sprinkler solution

The committee of specialists debated off-campus fire safety.

By Katherine Miller

Published Dec. 11, 2008

The Fire Safety Task Force Committee discussed the implementation of sprinklers in MU fraternities, sororities and other off-campus student housing at its first meeting Thursday night.

"As a (City Council) person, you can be sure that wouldn't it just be awful if we had a fire and property damage, or far more seriously, if there were serious injuries or a death, and then we said to ourselves, 'Well, if we only had sprinklers, this might not have happened,'" said Columbia mayor Darwin Hindman, who made a brief appearance at the meeting. "On the other hand, we all know that there may be a limit as to what can be done, feasibly and financially, putting the sprinklers in."

The task force was commissioned by the mayor due to a city ordinance passed in Jan. 2007, adopted from the 2006 edition of the International Fire Code. The legislation states that an automatic fire sprinkler system shall be provided in all existing fraternity and sorority houses by Dec. 31, 2012.

When the ordinance first passed, it was tabled because the commission didn't have enough information on the issue. The City Council then directed Hindman to appoint a task force.

The committee includes a diverse group of people, including those affiliated with the Greek system, those insurance companies, safety specialists and the fire chief. John Sudduth, the city's protective inspections manager, helped facilitate the first meeting.

The meeting was open to the public. However, only one city official not on the committee attended.

The committee's first priority was the election of the chairman and vice chairman. Skip Walther, who could not attend the meeting, was elected chairman, and Bob Hutton, Executive Director of Administrative Services at Columbia College, was elected vice chairman.

The task force discussed several issues but came to the conclusion that more information was necessary. The group requested that Sudduth provide more documentation about the history of the ordinances for the next meeting so the group will be better informed about the requirements of the sprinkler propositions.

One of the main issues discussed during the meeting was what actually defines off-campus housing.

"I think that's a big thing," said Steven Sapp, the Columbia Fire Department battalion chief. "They want more definition as to what constitutes a fraternity or sorority, what constitutes student housing. If you live off campus, should you be just as safe as those living on campus? I think it's a hefty responsibility of the task force."

Another issue the task force discussed was the requirements of the ordinance. Sapp said there are various levels of sprinkler protection including 13D systems, which are primarily for domestic residences or one or two family dwellings. The 13R systems don't cover the entire building but provide 10 minutes of life safety protection to allow people to exit the building. They are designed for dwellings with fewer than three stories and 16 or less individual units. NFPA 13 systems cover every part of the residence and are designed primarily for property protection.

One representative of Greek Life thought the meeting was a step in the right direction and would ultimately benefit students.

"What I took away from this meeting is that there's a group of people who are coming from different points of view who want to work on the best solution for our students and for our community," Greek Life Director Janna Basler said.

The report of the group's preliminary discussions from Thursday's meeting will be presented to City Council on Jan. 20.