CR Fire Sprinkler Group, Happy New Year
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NFSACG
Jan 2, 2008, 10:06:52 AM1/2/08
to US Central Region Fire Sprinkler Network, donn...@aol.com, de...@nfsa.org
Happy New Year to all! I hope this finds you well and safe and ready
to start the New Year. I know that I am excited about this year
already as today starts my new journey. I want to thank all of you who
have already helped me to make this transition smooth and easy.
I look forward to meeting and working with most of you in the next
couple of months. Remember to use our Google Group as a resource, a
way to communicate, and network. The more discussions and information
that we can post, will help all of us win the daily battles that we
face in our efforts to promote life safety and the need to install
life saving systems.
One battle that we will be facing in the very near future is our
effort to help Battalion Chief Steve Sapp and the Columbia, MO Fire
Department save the Greek Housing Retrofit ordinance that was passed
in January of 2007. This month (Jan 2008) it is expected that the
Columbia, MO city council will repeal the retrofit ordinance because
of the overwhelming opposition that the Collegiate Greek Community has
made. I am sure that many of you are aware of Mrs. Donna Passantino
Henson and her efforts to promote student housing fire sprinkler
ordinances around the country. Below is an email that was forwarded
to me created by Mrs. Donna Passantino Henson. She is very on top of
what is taking place in Columbia, MO and she writes the following:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear family and friends,
Some of you may remember that last January, 2007 the City of Columbia
passed a City Ordinance (Adoption of 2006 Fire Code) requiring all
Greek housing to be sprinkled by December 2012. There was much debate
and lots of testimony, but we got it passed only to find out that the
Building Code Committee has recently made an appeal to the City to
repeal the Ordinance claiming cost and time restraints for the
Greeks. The Greeks are asking for 15 years to sprinkle versus the 6
years the City gave them. There is no question that there is a cost
involved with installing sprinklers (the approximate cost to retrofit
for sprinklers would be between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot), but
compare the cost of sprinkling to the cost of a child's life. The #1
cost is the loss of a life.
Since Dominic's death, I have spent many hours researching fire safety
in college living quarters, speaking to groups on fire safety,
assisting anyway I can with the National Fire Sprinkler Association to
help make our Nation a safer place not only for our children, but for
everyone. Since January 2000, there have been over 125 deaths in
college living quarters and that number is rising. Countless others
have been injured and lost their housing. Sprinklers are recognized
as the single most effective method for limiting the spread of fires
in their early stages preventing death and injury, reducing property
damage and the absence of such system results in tragic consequences.
The candle in Dominic's room that ignited the bedding would have
triggered a sprinkler head. Early suppression by a sprinkler system,
often within seconds or minutes, is going to stop the spread of fire
from beyond the room of origin and certainly stop the smoke
production. A vast majority of fire deaths in all occupancies are
from smoke inhalation, which means that anything that stops the smoke
will save lives.
Due to the attitudes and activities of students, a higher degree of
danger exists in college living quarters. Students do not always make
the safest choices when they are away, but sprinklers act
independently of human action. The level of safety afforded to the
students should be our number one concern. I never dreamed that the
room I envisioned as a safe haven would contribute to Dominic's death.
I can't tell you the pain I endure every time I hear of another
student losing their life due to a fire. There is an answer, fire
sprinklers save lives!! The University of Missouri has been
diligently sprinkling all dorms and residence halls and I believe they
will be complete within the next two years. There will be another
fire, let's not let there be another fatality!
The City will be hearing this again in January, 2008. I ask for your
support by writing the Columbia Mayor and City Council urging them to
NOT repeal the City Ordinance mandating fire sprinklers for Greek
Housing. Your letter can be long or short, be specific, tell stories
of you and Dominic or what ever you feel and believe. Feel free to ask
your friends and family to write. Thanks to the support of Columbia
Fire Chief Sapp, Ed Comeau of Center for Campus Fire Safety, NFSA and
Common Voices, letters have been sent from all over the country
urging that this Ordinance stand as is. Now as January is drawing
near, it is time from them to hear from you, those who knew and loved
Dom so well.
Thank you for your support, God Bless and Happy New Year,
Donna Passantino Henson
ma...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
If you don't have a copy of "Dominic's Story" and want one, just let
me know. We have it in colleges across the country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am asking that our FIRST EFFORTS, as the CR-FSN Group, for the year
2008 is to immediately write to the Mayor and City Counsel members in
support of stopping the repeal process that is about to take place. I
know that some of you may have already sent support letters in the
past, but it would not hurt to write again. Unfortunately, I am not
aware of the exact date in Jan, but we all know that time is of the
essence. But please take 5 minutes to support this very important
issue. The email contacts are listed above. For more information
about campus fire safety, please visit http://www.campus-firewatch.com/
and http://www.campusfire.org/.
Last item for now........remember to check out Ed Comeau's Yahoo
SprinklerFireWatch user group at: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/SprinklerFirewatch/
and the Fire Sprinkler Activation map at
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=1159916966934....
If you know of a fire sprinkler activation in your area please contact
me or Ed with the information.
Till next time, be safe!
-Chris
to start the New Year. I know that I am excited about this year
already as today starts my new journey. I want to thank all of you who
have already helped me to make this transition smooth and easy.
I look forward to meeting and working with most of you in the next
couple of months. Remember to use our Google Group as a resource, a
way to communicate, and network. The more discussions and information
that we can post, will help all of us win the daily battles that we
face in our efforts to promote life safety and the need to install
life saving systems.
One battle that we will be facing in the very near future is our
effort to help Battalion Chief Steve Sapp and the Columbia, MO Fire
Department save the Greek Housing Retrofit ordinance that was passed
in January of 2007. This month (Jan 2008) it is expected that the
Columbia, MO city council will repeal the retrofit ordinance because
of the overwhelming opposition that the Collegiate Greek Community has
made. I am sure that many of you are aware of Mrs. Donna Passantino
Henson and her efforts to promote student housing fire sprinkler
ordinances around the country. Below is an email that was forwarded
to me created by Mrs. Donna Passantino Henson. She is very on top of
what is taking place in Columbia, MO and she writes the following:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear family and friends,
Some of you may remember that last January, 2007 the City of Columbia
passed a City Ordinance (Adoption of 2006 Fire Code) requiring all
Greek housing to be sprinkled by December 2012. There was much debate
and lots of testimony, but we got it passed only to find out that the
Building Code Committee has recently made an appeal to the City to
repeal the Ordinance claiming cost and time restraints for the
Greeks. The Greeks are asking for 15 years to sprinkle versus the 6
years the City gave them. There is no question that there is a cost
involved with installing sprinklers (the approximate cost to retrofit
for sprinklers would be between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot), but
compare the cost of sprinkling to the cost of a child's life. The #1
cost is the loss of a life.
Since Dominic's death, I have spent many hours researching fire safety
in college living quarters, speaking to groups on fire safety,
assisting anyway I can with the National Fire Sprinkler Association to
help make our Nation a safer place not only for our children, but for
everyone. Since January 2000, there have been over 125 deaths in
college living quarters and that number is rising. Countless others
have been injured and lost their housing. Sprinklers are recognized
as the single most effective method for limiting the spread of fires
in their early stages preventing death and injury, reducing property
damage and the absence of such system results in tragic consequences.
The candle in Dominic's room that ignited the bedding would have
triggered a sprinkler head. Early suppression by a sprinkler system,
often within seconds or minutes, is going to stop the spread of fire
from beyond the room of origin and certainly stop the smoke
production. A vast majority of fire deaths in all occupancies are
from smoke inhalation, which means that anything that stops the smoke
will save lives.
Due to the attitudes and activities of students, a higher degree of
danger exists in college living quarters. Students do not always make
the safest choices when they are away, but sprinklers act
independently of human action. The level of safety afforded to the
students should be our number one concern. I never dreamed that the
room I envisioned as a safe haven would contribute to Dominic's death.
I can't tell you the pain I endure every time I hear of another
student losing their life due to a fire. There is an answer, fire
sprinklers save lives!! The University of Missouri has been
diligently sprinkling all dorms and residence halls and I believe they
will be complete within the next two years. There will be another
fire, let's not let there be another fatality!
The City will be hearing this again in January, 2008. I ask for your
support by writing the Columbia Mayor and City Council urging them to
NOT repeal the City Ordinance mandating fire sprinklers for Greek
Housing. Your letter can be long or short, be specific, tell stories
of you and Dominic or what ever you feel and believe. Feel free to ask
your friends and family to write. Thanks to the support of Columbia
Fire Chief Sapp, Ed Comeau of Center for Campus Fire Safety, NFSA and
Common Voices, letters have been sent from all over the country
urging that this Ordinance stand as is. Now as January is drawing
near, it is time from them to hear from you, those who knew and loved
Dom so well.
Thank you for your support, God Bless and Happy New Year,
Donna Passantino Henson
ma...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
wa...@GoColumbiaMo.com
If you don't have a copy of "Dominic's Story" and want one, just let
me know. We have it in colleges across the country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am asking that our FIRST EFFORTS, as the CR-FSN Group, for the year
2008 is to immediately write to the Mayor and City Counsel members in
support of stopping the repeal process that is about to take place. I
know that some of you may have already sent support letters in the
past, but it would not hurt to write again. Unfortunately, I am not
aware of the exact date in Jan, but we all know that time is of the
essence. But please take 5 minutes to support this very important
issue. The email contacts are listed above. For more information
about campus fire safety, please visit http://www.campus-firewatch.com/
and http://www.campusfire.org/.
Last item for now........remember to check out Ed Comeau's Yahoo
SprinklerFireWatch user group at: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/SprinklerFirewatch/
and the Fire Sprinkler Activation map at
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=1159916966934....
If you know of a fire sprinkler activation in your area please contact
me or Ed with the information.
Till next time, be safe!
-Chris
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