Two Illinois communities have recently strengthened residential fire safety protections by adopting code updates that require installed fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes and townhomes.
The Village of Lansing and the Village of North Riverside have each updated their municipal codes to include home fire sprinkler requirements as part of broader adoptions of newer International Code Council standards.
Lansing
Lansing’s requirements came to be as part of its adoption of the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC). According to Lansing Fire Department Deputy Chief Randall Wright, village staff reviewed current codes, data, and best practices during the process to update from the 2015 to the 2021 building and fire codes.
“Residential fire sprinklers are an effective tool to improve fire safety, and this designation highlights Lansing’s commitment to protect our residents and first responders,” said Chief Wright.
Chief Wright noted that the adoption process included discussions around implementation, cost, and common misconceptions about how home fire sprinkler systems operate.
“One of the primary challenges is always addressing common misconceptions such as cost or how fire sprinkler systems operate,” he said. “We had to balance stated concerns with a discussion of the long-term benefits and system operability.”
The Lansing Fire Department provided statistics, response data, and research demonstrating how installed fire sprinklers reduce deaths, injuries, and property loss. The department also worked closely with the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board to help ensure decision-makers had accurate information throughout the process.
“For residents, it means enhanced fire protection in new homes,” Chief Wright said. “For the community as a whole, it supports safer neighborhoods, reduced fire damage, and improved firefighter safety.”
North Riverside
North Riverside Fire Chief Bob McDermott recommended safety updates to the Village President and Board of Trustees and spearheaded the adoption of the home sprinkler requirement as part of the village’s adoption of the 2024 edition of the IRC. The President and Board ultimately voted in favor of the updates at a February board meeting.
“This is a significant step toward making North Riverside a fire-safe community,” said Fire Marshal Ken Rouleau.
Fire Marshal Rouleau explained that because much of the community is already established, many future applications of the requirement will occur during substantial renovations or expansions where at least half of a home’s structure is updated.
“Across the country, fire damage is in the billions of dollars every year, and fire deaths are in the thousands every year,” Rouleau said. “The Village of North Riverside has adopted this requirement as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen fire safety measures within the community.”
Fire Marshal Rouleau also noted that the Village utilized limited third-party assistance to ensure section references remained consistent with the 2024 code updates and that local amendments aligned with the new requirements.
Both Lansing and North Riverside join a growing number of Illinois communities that have fully adopted residential fire sprinkler requirements in the national codes as part of their local building and fire safety code updates, reinforcing ongoing efforts to improve safety for residents and firefighters alike.
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