Town amends condo sprinkler law

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-The Village Board voted in May not to include existing apartment, condominium and religious buildings from requiring sprinklers in every unit and common areas. Instead, only new construction must comply with the regulation, which requires additional sprinkler systems in bedrooms, sitting rooms and hallways. Previously, builders only had to install sprinkler systems in areas near heat and gas sources. Commercial buildings larger than 1,000 square feet have until 2010 to comply with the measure. AFSA promotes staff members DALLAS-The American Fire Sprinkler Network has promoted two of its staff members. Roland Higgins, P.E., who joined the staff of the association in 1996 as director of technical services, was promoted to vice president of engineering and technical services and is responsible for the development of technical services to members and AHJ's. Janet Knowles, AFSA's director of communications since 1989, was appointed vice president of marketing and communications and is responsible for publishing operations of Sprinkler Age magazine and other newsletters, member communications and other marketing. Low-income housing receives smoke detectors ANCHORAGE, Alaska-A grant from the Centers for Disease Control helped 3,000 low-income residents in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau get photoelectric smoke detectors installed in their condominiums or apartments, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News. The multifamily units that received the detectors were chosen because the buildings did not contain an alarm or sprinkler system.