Tennessee chief explains sprinkler stance. More from Chief Jim Swindle of Spring Hill.
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Chief Jim Swindle from City of Spring Hill website.
We ran the story on Tuesday where Spring Hill, Tennesse Chief Jim Swindle urged city leaders not to adopt the 2009 edition of the International Code Council requiring residential sprinklers. Getting some criticism over his stance that the city code should not be in conflict with the state, Chief Swindle is explaining his position further in an interview with Fire Chief’s Janet Wilmoth. Click here to read the article. Below is an excerpt:
“I whole-heartedly support sprinklers. Always have and always will,” he said. “At no time did I say I didn’t support sprinklers.”
Swindle supports the 2006 code, but would not recommend the most recent code update, deferring to the state. He said he contacted Asst. State Commissioner Jim Pillow and was told that the state of state was going to adopt the 2006 codes and leave it up to the local jurisdictions to decide on the 2009 code. Consequently, Swindle did not recommend the new residential sprinkler code to his mayor and board of aldermen, in order to be “in the same song book” with the state.
“By Spring Hill not being an exempt city we have a tremendous amount of construction jobs going on that the state has to review,” Swindle said. “If we are in the 2009 and the state is in the 2006 code, what code do you think the state will enforce? Spring Hill would not have any authority, as the contractors would just go right over our head.”
