ESA Advocates Balanced Approach to Fire Safety

  • Jul 08, 2011
The Electronic Security Association's (ESA) Government Relations Department is requesting Congress include amendments to H.R. 1792 and S. 1035, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2011 that would provide a balanced approach of Fire Suppression + Detection = Fire Protection.

On May 5, Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL), along with Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced H.R. 1792 and on May 19, Senator Thomas Carper introduced S. 1035.  The bills amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include automated fire sprinkler systems as section 179 property and classify certain automated fire sprinkler systems as 15-year property for purposes of depreciation.  This legislation is similar to the legislation Rep. Langevin has introduced the past few Congress' since a night club fire in his Rhode Island district in 2003 killed 100 people.  Presently, a fire sprinkler retrofit in a commercial building is depreciated over 39 years and a residential building over 27 and one-half years.

According to Rep. Schock's office, this legislation "avoids state imposed mandates and specifically makes fire sprinkler systems eligible to be included in Section 179 of the tax code.  Section 179 already allows small and medium sized business to fully expense certain types of equipment purchase like machines, equipment, vehicles and computers.  This change would allow small and medium sized property owners to fully deduct the cost of sprinklers systems up to $125,000." 

ESA believes that with separate safety benefits available from both automated fire sprinkler systems and life safety fire and smoke alarms, one system should not take precedent over the other. Proponents of fire safety in the US congress should support a balanced approach which includes both early fire detection and fire suppression. Automated fire sprinkler systems do not provide early warning notifications for building occupants. For this reason, building and fire safety codes require the installation of both sprinklers and fire detection systems. ESA is providing members of Congress with the argument for a balanced approach and is recommending legislative changes to H.R. 1792 and S. 1035 to include life safety fire and smoke alarms.

Currently, the bills have been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Finance.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”