City Council set to vote on mandatory sprinklers
A motion passed by the executive committee last week making sprinkler systems mandatory in all new home dwellings is set to be voted on by city council on Wednesday.
The motion to create the bylaw was carried by council last week 7-2 in favour with Mayor Sandra Masters and councillor Jason Mancinelli voting against it.
“We've heard from industry on both sides but we haven't heard from residents and so when it comes to housing affordability, I do know that that is his number one issue for the City of Regina residents,” said Masters.
If passed by city council, the new bylaw will mandate sprinklers in all new residential buildings and mandating builders to give future homeowners an option to install a sprinkler system as part of their new building design.
New residential buildings include apartments, low-rise multi-family residential units, and one or two unit homes.
Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device
If the bylaw is passed by city council, it will need provincial approval before its official effective date of Jan. 1, 2023.
According to officials, in many communities that sprinkler systems are required, they have been mandated as an alternative to insufficient emergency response times and restrictive building requirements. However, sprinklers are not a substitute of a fire department response.
The Regina Fire Department said the best way to prevent a fire is to educate residents.
“One of our primary goals is to prevent those fires from happening before they even happen and that's you educating changing behaviours,” said Layne Jackson, Chief of Regina Fire.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has set the industry benchmark as the first arriving firefighting unit to structure fires at 6 minutes and 24 seconds 90 per cent of the time.
A study done within the Fire Master Plan includes a study period of 2017 to 2021 and shows the average response time to southeast area of Regina at seven minutes and 20 seconds 90 per cent of the time.
There is a high cost to having sprinkler systems installed in homes and apartments, starting at $4 dollars per square foot.
President and CEO of Regina & Region Home Builders Association Stu Neiburgall said they are not against sprinklers but the high cost that comes with it.
“There's so many more things that we could be achieving around safety and this one would certainly be at a lower priority,” he said.
Neiburgall added he believes the city should do its due diligence and look even further into the matter.
“Look at all the data, look at all the information, all the input, and really take a look at what would actually be achieved by such as such a motion?” he said.
Sprinkler systems would also have an impact on construction costs. A fire alarm system can cost upwards of $5,000 per building plus an additional $2,000 per unit in the apartment.
Currently apartment style buildings can be built 3-stories high without having sprinklers.
Swift Current is a city that has regulated sprinklers to their homes and it came with an additional cost of $10,000-$15,000 per home. The costs are similar to what is being estimated by the Regina & Region Home Builder’s Association.
Regina & Region Home Builders Association said they will be holding a rally outside of city hall Wednesday before city council begins their meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.
Tabloid publisher says he pledged to be Trump campaign's 'eyes and ears' during 2016 race
A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be Donald Trump 's 'eyes and ears' during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress stories that had the potential to harm the Republican's election bid.