City Council votes to install fire sprinklers in Greek houses
An MU student died in a fraternity house fire 10 years ago.
Published March 17, 2009
City Council voted Monday to require Greek houses to install automatic fire sprinklers, 10 years after the death of an MU student in a Greek house fire.
The issue arose last February, when Donna Henson made a presentation to the Fire Sprinkler Task Force. Henson's son, Dominic Passantino, was killed in a 1999 fire at the Sigma Chi fraternity house. Henson said there were no safety devices, sprinklers or fire safety systems in place when Passantino died. She said parents are uninformed about fire danger in Greek houses and would want the requirements changed if they knew the full threat.
According to Henson's presentation, 132 students nationwide have died in fire-related incidents in the last nine years.
The new amendment requires by 2016, all fraternity and sorority houses have sprinkler systems that meet standards set by the National Fire Protection Association. New or renovated houses must install approved sprinkler systems.
Janet Wheeler, Vice President of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority Board of Directors, favored the amendment but said she was worried other colleges in Columbia will not be able to support Greek organizations if the action is passed.
"We currently have the sprinklers stipulated by the amendment in our house," Wheeler said. "I support the recommendations made by city staff. One of the concerns we had is that the city water structure currently cannot support sprinkler systems at Columbia or Stephens Colleges if students wanted to form an organization at one of those schools."
According to the Stephens and Columbia colleges Web sites, there are Greek organizations, but members do not have official houses.
Delta Tau Delta fraternity member Corey Dye said he is concerned about the specific language of the amendment, which remains ambiguous about which type of certified sprinkler system, classified by the NFPA as 13 and 13R. The latter system is generally more effective, but also comes at a higher cost.
"The code is not very clear on which system a fraternity house would need," Dye said. "If the section listing the two options is cut, it would leave it to city fire officials to decide which system is necessary."
Second Ward Councilman Christopher Janku said fire safety officials thought only the basic sprinkler system was necessary. Janku suggested Greek organizations have the choice, but not be required to use the more sophisticated system if they wanted to.
"There's no sense in introducing lots of other options," he said.