BY FRANCIS L. BRANNINGAN, SFPE (Fellow)
Years ago while I with the Atomic Energy Commission, I required that a building in which the sprinklers were vital to occupants' life safety be shut down if the sprinklers were turned off. No buildings were shut down, but the work was done at night. Auditors disturbed by overtime costs were satisfied when it was explained that programmatic and payroll costs would be greater if the project were shut down.
For the fire department, the legal authority is simple. If the sprinklers are turned off, the exits will not meet the Life Safety Code. Owners must understand the requirement for sprinkler work to be done when the building is closed, typically at night or on weekends. It is possible that political influence might be used to change this requirement. Probably the best weapon is to let it be known that the whole matter will be on the record and that, if a disaster should occur, all concerned will be faced with huge personal lawsuits for liability and possibly criminal charges. Life safety sprinkler protection must be operable 24/7/365.
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