SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15

(By Senators Foster, Klempa and Yost)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the need to improve the awareness and usage of residential fire sprinklers in West Virginia to provide better fire protection to the residents of our state.

    Whereas, More than 3,000 fire deaths occur every year in the United States; and

    Whereas, The fire problem in the U.S. is overwhelmingly a home fire problem - 80% of all fire deaths in 2006 occurred in the home; and

    Whereas, Any improvements in overall fire safety must be improvements in home fire safety, and no strategy has as much documented life safety effectiveness as installed fire sprinklers; and

    Whereas, Fire sprinklers respond to a fire while it is still small to control the spread of deadly heat, flames and toxic smoke, and give families time to escape; and

    Whereas, Fire sprinklers work so effectively they often put out a fire before the fire department arrives; and

    Whereas, In Scottsdale, AZ, a 15-year study of home fire sprinklers showed that the average loss per sprinklered fire incident was $2,166 compared to more than $45,000 for unsprinklered homes; and

    Whereas, Fire sprinklers offer a level of residential fire protection that no other fire safety technology can offer; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the need to improve the awareness and usage of residential fire sprinklers in West Virginia to provide better fire protection to the residents of our state; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2012, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.