Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: Sprinkler Mandates or Tax Incentives Through Legislation

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While doing extensive research to develop the IFSA “Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: A Road Map for Advocacy,” we relied on an informal advisory group of international fire sprinkler advocates. One of the jobs we asked them to do was to rank 10 common strategies aimed at increasing the use of automatic fire sprinkler systems.

In their rankings, direct legislation to require sprinklers was rated fourth—6.5 out of 10, with 10 being most effective and 1.0 being least effective. Tax incentives for property owners, which would also require legislative action, only came in eighth with a rating (4.2 out of 10). The difference might be explained by the fact that the concept and use of tax incentives is not known in many parts of the world.

Sprinkler Mandates through Legislation

Fire sprinkler mandates are often prompted by tragic fire events that spark public demand for change. A notable recent example is the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed 72 people. The resulting public outcry led the UK government to review fire safety policies, ultimately producing two major legislative responses: the “Fire Safety Act” and the “Building Safety Bill,” both introduced in 2021. Updated fire safety guidance also mandated sprinklers in new residential buildings over 11 meters tall in England. Scotland took more assertive action by requiring sprinklers in all new residential buildings and social housing. Wales had already mandated sprinkler systems in all new homes.

The 2003 Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island (USA), which claimed 100 lives, led to swift legislative change through the “Comprehensive Fire Safety Act of 2003.” This law required sprinklers in all existing nightclubs with a capacity over 150, banned indoor pyrotechnics, adopted NFPA’s Uniform Fire Code (NFPA 1) and Life Safety Code (NFPA 101), and eliminated sprinkler exemptions for older buildings. It also strengthened enforcement powers for fire inspectors.

These examples highlight how fire tragedies can drive significant policy changes that elevate the role of fire sprinklers in public safety. Targeted legislative action—especially when tied to specific occupancies with clear risks—can accelerate code adoption and improve fire protection standards. Lowering the thresholds for required sprinkler systems through updated model codes represents both a pragmatic and strategic win for fire safety advocates.

On occasion, states and cities will develop their own laws and ordinances for sprinklers other than through the usual route of strengthening the model fire or building codes. When a city does this, surrounding communities will often follow suit so they don’t waste time starting from scratch when the legwork has already been done. The NFSA in the United States in 1981 published a legislative guide to the development of fire sprinkler laws that included multiple examples of ordinances that had been adopted by individual communities to amend their existing codes or simply create a requirement for comprehensive sprinkler protection.

To read some of those ordinances, enter your email address to the left to download the full “Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: A Road Map for Advocacy.” Once you download the Guide, see Annex A.2 for some examples of ordinances that individual communities have adopted.

The city of San Clemente, California, is a great example of how a legislative mandate was adopted by many other cities. In 1979, it became the first city to require residential sprinklers in all new homes, driven by the fire chief’s advocacy and many live demonstrations. Over the next 20 years, 150 California communities adopted similar ordinances, paving the way for a statewide mandate in 2010 supported by both fire officials and homebuilders. Despite concerns that sprinkler requirements would hinder development, California built over 130,000 single-family homes and 150,000 multi-family units in the first three years after the law took effect in 2011, demonstrating that fire safety and housing growth can go hand-in-hand.

Legislative action is sometimes driven by civic pride, as no jurisdiction wants to appear outdated. In 1999, NFSA representatives testified before the New York City Council about the need for fire sprinklers in residential high-rises. While the city had led the way in the 1970s with Local Law 5 for office buildings, its building code hadn’t kept pace with modern sprinkler standards, particularly for residential towers. NFSA highlighted that New York was falling behind other cities, a message amplified by the media. The resulting pressure led to the swift passage of Local Law 10, requiring sprinklers in all new residential buildings with four or more units. Additionally, existing buildings undergoing major renovations had to be retrofitted with sprinklers. This case illustrates how aligning fire safety advocacy with civic identity—and emphasizing a city’s comparative lag—can effectively drive policy change.

Legislation for Community Planning with Sprinklers

Beyond ordinances that mandate sprinklers based on building size, use, or occupant load like a model code, some regulations have taken a broader approach by incorporating community planning strategies and offering incentives to encourage sprinkler installation.

One of the sample ordinances included in Annex A.2 of the “Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: A Road Map for Advocacy” that you can download comes from the City of San Buenaventura (Ventura), California, dating back to the late 1970s. Preceding the ordinance is a report titled “Controlling the Cost of Fire Protection in the City of San Buenaventura,” prepared by the city’s fire chief as part of a broader community fire protection plan.

The ordinance mandates sprinkler systems in all buildings with a total floor area over 5,000 square feet (464 m²). It serves as a strong example of how to effectively present proposed sprinkler legislation to a local governing body. Recognizing that much of the resistance to such mandates stemmed from misinformation, the fire chief proactively addressed common concerns and framed the ordinance within a larger, strategic plan for community fire safety.

One of the first communities to use fire sprinklers as a major tool in its master plan was the City of Fresno, California in 1961. A major fire in its downtown area had led the fire chief to propose that all retail stores over 10,000 square feet (929 m2) in area be protected with automatic sprinkler systems. An ordinance from that year was further refined a couple times, ultimately requiring all existing buildings in the central business district over 5,000 square feet (464 m2) in area to be retrofitted with sprinklers with no exceptions. With all new buildings also required to be sprinklered, 95% of the floor area in Fresno’s central business district was provided with sprinkler protection by 1981.

Legislation can also promote, rather than mandate, sprinkler use through incentives. The U.S. Federal Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 required states to identify hotels meeting specific fire safety standards, including sprinklers in buildings over three stories. A national list was created and shared with federal agencies, encouraging employees to stay only at compliant properties. This approach used federal purchasing power to drive voluntary adoption of fire safety measures without imposing direct mandates.

Tax Incentives for Sprinklers through Legislation

Another of the sample pieces of legislation reprinted in Annex A.2 of the “Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: A Road Map for Advocacy” is Alaska House Bill 648, signed into law by the Governor of Alaska in 1980. This legislation gave tax incentives to property owners who installed approved fire protection systems.

One of the most significant and well-known pieces of legislation with tax incentives for sprinkler system installation in the U.S. is the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (FSIA). It was introduced after the 2003 Station Nightclub fire and aimed to encourage property owners to retrofit buildings with sprinkler systems by offering significant tax benefits. Previously, sprinkler installations were treated as long-term capital improvements, with deductions spread over 27.5 to 39 years. This changed with the 2017 U.S. tax code revision, which allowed small businesses to deduct up to $1 million in the first year for qualifying improvements, including sprinkler systems. Through the 2021 CARES Act, businesses of any size were allowed to fully deduct sprinkler system costs if the equipment was placed in service between September 2021 and January 2023. This series of legislative changes marked a major shift in using tax incentives to advance fire safety through sprinkler adoption.

Watch for the next blog post in this series based on the Guide. It highlights contents of chapter nine, “Lowering System Costs with Installation Standards.”

For more information about strategies to promote the greater use of automatic fire sprinkler systems, enter your email address above to download the full “Guide to Promoting Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems: A Road Map for Advocacy.”