The city of Waukegan recently updated its codes and now requires all new construction one- and two-family homes and townhomes to be protected with home fire sprinklers. The upgrade in home fire sprinkler protection is a result of Waukegan updating to the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC).  The city also updated its editions of the International Building Code (IBC), and (International Fire Code (IFC).

Waukegan Fire Marshal Todd Zupec participated in the Waukegan City Council process to establish the new code update, attending multiple meetings to decide which codes should be added or removed. Throughout the process, he advocated for adding the home fire sprinkler requirements according to the NFPA 13D standard.

Zupec applauded city officials for the decision to move forward with this code adoption, noting that it will greatly benefit the entire Waukegan community. “We are always striving to create a safer community,” he said. “With the adoption of these codes and fire sprinkler requirements, we are making our buildings and homes much safer and thereby lowering the risk for injuries or deaths in the event of a fireAs most of our fires are in residential buildings, this is a great step forward in helping reduce the number of fires and increase safety.”

Congratulations to the city of Waukegan for adopting this code!

Tinley Park, IL (February 22, 2024) – Eight people were hospitalized following a fire in a 14-story Chicago high-rise building at 7144 S. Jeffery Boulevard that lacked fire sprinklers. One of those hospitalized was an infant in critical condition. The fire started in a kitchen of a second-floor unit in the 1920s-era high-rise and moved its way into an interior stairwell, sending extreme heat up multiple stories and smoke billowing to the highest floors of the building.

According to the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), fire sprinklers would have stopped the fire and heavy smoke from spreading throughout the building, which created a tense scene for responding firefighters who made numerous rescues for residents hanging out windows on upper floors. Even on the fourth floor, a resident jumped to avoid the smoke.

The building was constructed prior to the 1975 City of Chicago Municipal Code requiring fire sprinkler systems. Following the fatal Cook County Administration Building fire of 2003, the city instituted a Life Safety Evaluation (LSE) program for all pre-1975 residential high-rise buildings, but buildings could pass without retrofitting fire sprinklers.

“This building, along with more than 600 others passed the city’s LSE by merely installing passive fire protection measures, nothing that actually controls or extinguishes a fire,” says NIFSAB Executive Director Erik Hoffer. “Passive measures, such as self-closing doors, rely on the concept of compartmentation, which attempts to keep a fire confined to a single space. Yet, without a fire sprinkler system suppressing the fire, compartmentation is not enough to protect residents and responding firefighters. This South Shore high-rise fire exhibits the failures of the city’s weak LSE.”

“And while the cost of sprinklers is often cited as an obstacle to installing them, the toll that fires take in lives, injuries, property losses, and long-term displacements far outweighs the expenditure,” adds Hoffer.

This is the fourth reported fire this year in a Chicago residential high-rise that is not protected with fire sprinklers. Last year, 17 residential high-rise fires that resulted in deaths to a resident and Chicago firefighter, injuries, millions of dollars in property loss, and the disruption of peoples’ lives.

Visit www.highriselifesafety.com/high-rise-fires-in-2023 to view a map and details about the impact of each of the 17 unsprinklered Chicago residential high-rise fires of 2023.

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Tinley Park, IL (January 24, 2024) – One year ago, a fatal fire at the 25-story Harper Square Cooperative building at 4850 S. Lake Park Ave in Chicago could have been prevented if the high-rise would have been fully protected with a fire sprinkler system according to the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB). Because the building was not protected with fire sprinklers, the fire spread from the 15^th to the 24^th floor. In addition to one fatality, eight residents were sent to the hospital, one firefighter was injured, more than 140 units were damaged and 200 people are still displaced living with relatives or in temporary housing.

The Harper Square fire was the first of 17 reported fires in unsprinklered Chicago residential high-rise buildings during 2023 that resulted in two fatalities, including a firefighter, multiple injuries, and hundreds of residents displaced with millions of dollars in property loss. All 17 buildings were constructed before the 1975 City of Chicago Code that required fire sprinklers in high-rise buildings. Following the deadly fire at the Cook County Administration building in 2003, high-rise building owners were encouraged to retrofit their buildings with fire sprinklers. However, today, more than 600 residential high-rise buildings in Chicago are not protected with fire sprinkler systems, placing residents and firefighters at greater risk of injury and death.

According to NIFSAB Executive Director Erik Hoffer, many building owners and managers claim the cost of retrofitting a high-rise building prevents them from protecting these older buildings. “After seeing the resulting tragedies of these 17 unsprinklered fires, the concern is the true long-term impact and cost of not protecting these buildings, not to mention the risk to occupants and firefighters. What is the cost of lives lost and injured?”

For more information about the 17 Chicago high-rise fires in 2023, please visit: https://highriselifesafety.com/high-rise-fires-in-2023/

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Valparaiso, IN– On October 14, Journeyman Distillery opened its second location in Valparaiso, Indiana, after a restoration project designed to honor both history and modern technology. The distillery is housed in a renovated 140,000 square-foot factory warehouse, parts of which are over a century old. It is steeped in manufacturing history having served as home to the area’s first post-Civil War woolen mills, then later a wagon and carriage company, soap company, pin factory, and most recently a windshield wiper factory. The distillery owners wanted the building’s history preserved as they transitioned the space into an entertainment venue with a distillery, brewery, restaurant, whiskey garden, event spaces, and more.

As part of the renovation process, the dated existing fire sprinkler system was taken out of service and fire sprinklers (some dating back to the 1920s) were removed., A new system was installed among the old, disconnected piping and dry valves, which were were left in place to maintain the distillery’s historic aesthetic.

Keith Eggert, project executive for the Chesterton, Indiana, branch of Hill Fire Protection, noted that historical restoration is standard in the industry. “We have worked in many older buildings that were renovated, and there are many challenges and surprises you run into. Working with the general contractor and architect when needed was important,” he said. “There were ceilings that had to change and mechanical systems that had to be modified due to existing building challenges, but that is typical on a job like this. The design and survey are critical when getting involved in a project of this nature.”

In the interest of public safety, the Valparaiso Fire Department requested that any out-of-service fire and life-safety system equipment have its identifying markings removed. Additionally, it was suggested to hang signs on the original risers, labeling them as ‘Spirits’ and ‘Whiskey’ to reinforce their artistic versus protective value.

Tim Stites, Division Chief and Fire Marshal for the Valparaiso Fire Department was responsible for reviewing the fire sprinkler design and conducting inspections of the building. He said it was a brilliant idea to both pay respect to the past and modernize the building for the safety of patrons and staff.

“I thought it was good that they wanted to keep the old industrial look of the building and then incorporate some modern aspects into it for fire protection because, obviously, it is a distillery, so we do have to worry about those types of things,” Stites said.

When Journeyman Distiller owner Bill Welter first saw the building, he knew it would require much attention due to its large size and old age. However, he described the fire sprinkler retrofit process as smooth and seamless despite having to install an entirely new system throughout the building.

“Obviously, providing safety and security for our staff and patrons, if God forbid there is a fire, there’s a lot of confidence in the fire suppression system. It will provide the necessary support to control or extinguish the fire and undoubtedly keep it at bay,” Welter said, noting that extra protection allows the local fire department added time to do its job.

“I think the fire suppression system adds a lot,” Welter said. “So, it’s kind of a raw factory building; we have a lot of the original bones of the building that are still there. I think the suppression system not only provides a necessary function but contributes to the look and feel of the factory. It’s almost part of the aesthetics and one of those things where because there’s no drop ceiling or something like that, you see the system fully exposed, and I think that’s a curiosity to people and something they quite enjoy.”

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Vehicles pass underneath the Rev. Jon A. Sibley St. underpass.

A portion of downtown Galesburg, looking west, is seen from the third floor of Lindstrom’s TV & Appliance, 400 E. Main St.

Galesburg, IL – The city council of Galesburg has approved a new fire sprinkler grant program for residential units in its downtown area.

The Downtown Residential Fire Sprinkler Grant Program’s primary feature is to encourage installation of more fire sprinkler systems by reimbursing property owners of downtown residential areas 50 percent of the system cost, up to $20,000. This program aims to increase the number of sprinklered residential units in the downtown area, protecting residents and improving the overall community.

When meeting current construction codes, this grant will help cover the cost of fire alarm and sprinkler system installations, repairs, and updates. Steve Gugliotta, the Director of Community Development for Galesburg, expects this grant to benefit the community beyond increased fire protection because it will ultimately increase activity in the downtown area.

“There are a number of vacant upper stories, some of which would require extensive renovation to turn into apartments. There are other buildings that have apartments, but they have not been used as such in 20-plus years. With installed fire protection, they may need less renovation to get back into productive use,” Gugliotta said.

“The presence of people in the downtown at all times of day and night is very desirable and could be particularly attractive to young professionals, retired persons, and all those seeking an urban residential experience,” he added. “Living in the heart of the city puts you within walking distance of shops, restaurants, entertainment, and other amenities. One can also easily get around using public transportation or by foot.”

To qualify for the grant, applicants must own property within the Galesburg downtown area as it has been geographically defined and meet someother conditions.

For more information on the grant program, visit  www.ci.galesburg.il.us/government/community_development/economic_development/business_incentives.php

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