PROBLEM

Existing residential high-rise buildings present unique challenges during a fire.

In a recent report by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the IAFC states:

“Modern fire and building codes require complete automatic fire sprinkler protection and a variety of other safety features in new high-rise construction. Many older high-rise buildings lack automatic fire sprinkler protection and other basic fire protection features necessary to protect the occupants, emergency responders, and the structure itself. Without complete automatic fire sprinkler protection, fire departments cannot provide the level of protection that high-rise buildings demand.

Existing high-rise buildings that are not protected with fire sprinklers installed in accordance with national standards represent a significant hazard to the occupants and firefighters forced to mitigate this protection shortfall. Additionally, high-rise fires can significantly impact a community’s infrastructure and the economic viability of a downtown area.

Between 2003 and 2006, there was an average of 13,400 reported structure fires in high-rise buildings per year and associated losses of 62 civilian deaths, 490 civilian injuries, and $179 million in direct property damage per year. Furthermore, from 1977 to 2009, 25 firefighters died from non-stress related cardiac death during fire suppression operations in high-rise buildings.

By their very nature, high-rise fires present unique firefighting challenges that are extremely difficult for firefighters to mitigate without the presence of fire sprinkler systems. Some of these challenges include:

1. High-rise structure fires require significantly more resources, such as personnel and equipment, to extinguish than do fires in other types of occupancies. These further strains the responding fire department and firefighters.
2. Due to their height, smoke movement in high-rise structures is very different from that of other structures. Temperature gradients result in varying pressures throughout the structure, which can allow for the rapid, uncontrolled movement of smoke and flame (known as the “stack effect”).
3. By design, exits from high-rise structures are limited. In an emergency, movement of people out of a building is particularly difficult.
4. The HVAC and other utilities in some high-rises service multiple levels and can facilitate the spread of smoke and flame through a building.
5. Due to the height of the building, response times for the fire department to reach the actual fire itself are extended, contributing to larger fire growth thereby attributing to extensive smoke spread throughout the building.

Based on the extreme life hazard to both occupants and firefighters, it is the position of the International Association of Fire Chiefs that:

• All existing high-rise buildings, regardless of occupancy classification, should be retrofitted with complete automatic fire sprinkler protection.”
• High-rise apartment buildings and condominiums pose the greatest hazard to their residents, which can result in significant loss of life. Fire sprinklers contain the fire in the area of origin and control its spread until firefighters can arrive.

California cities, such as San Diego, have also enacted fire sprinkler retrofit requirements for existing residential high-rise buildings. Other states, like Massachusetts and Maryland, as well as Minnesota, have enacted statewide requirements for existing public housing high-rise buildings.

EXISTING LAW

• San Francisco adopted the High-Rise Sprinkler Ordinance #377-93, requiring all existing high-rise buildings to be retrofitted with an automatic fire sprinkler system. Compliance was phased over 12 years, with a final deadline of February 15, 2006 for most buildings.
• Under the San Francisco Fire Code, a high-rise building is defined as any building with an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. Neither the California nor the Building Codes required fire sprinklers in those high-rise buildings commenced or completed prior to July 1, 1974. However, all new high-rise structures commenced or completed on or after July 1, 1974 were, by both the state and city codes required to have installed an automatic fire sprinkler system.
• Prior to the ordinance, older high-rise buildings constructed before modern sprinkler mandates were not required to have full sprinkler coverage. Ordinance #377-93 changed that, requiring retroactive installation throughout existing high-rise structures.
• In the current code, Section 1103.5.4 of the San Francisco Fire Code mandates that all existing residential high-rise buildings must be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system under specific conditions (e.g., floors above 75 feet without adequate stair separation or alarm systems). Exceptions for certain residential occupancies expire January 1, 2033, after which full compliance is required.
• The San Francisco Fire Department enforces compliance and requires umbrella permits to confirm that retrofits meet ordinance standards. Owners must submit detailed plans and inspection reports to demonstrate compliance.
• In 2022, San Francisco strengthened its fire code, mandating sprinkler retrofits for all residential high-rise units built before 1975. The San Francisco Fire Department identified 126 buildings requiring retrofits, with compliance deadlines extending to 2035.
• San Francisco building owners are required to submit fire sprinkler plans that must follow NFPA standards, including architectural reference plans, water flow data, and sprinkler specifications.
• The 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), the model fire code adopted by jurisdictions across the United States, already requires a pathway for existing high-rise buildings to be brought into compliance with modern fire-protection standards, including sprinklers

SUMMARY

Although this mandate has recently drawn media attention and sparked public concerns—often fueled by exaggerated claims about costs and potential resident displacement during construction—the requirement for existing residential high-rise buildings without full fire sprinkler coverage to retrofit their systems is a critical component of long-term safety planning and serves the best interests of the public. Mandatory sprinkler retrofits in older high-rise residential buildings protect occupants and firefighters.

STATUS

In process.

CONTACT

If you have any questions, please contact:

Randy Roxson, Executive Director, Sprinkler Fitters Association of California at (209) 368-5229 or randy@roxsonlaw.com, or Vickie Pritchett, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach, National Fire Sprinkler Association at (615) 533-0305 or pritchett@nfsa.org