Aldermen learn about importance of updating city’s building, fire codes

QUINCY — Fire Chief Bernie Vahlkamp, Deputy Fire Chief Steve Salrin and Michael Seaver, director of inspection and enforcement, made a presentation Monday night before the Quincy City Council to explain the importance of updating the city’s building and fire codes.

Seaver explained the city’s last updated its building and fire codes 2008, adopting codes from 2006. The Insurance Services Office updates its codes for the categories of building construction in three-year cycles. Seaver said Quincy is now five cycles behind on updating its codes.

“We get calls almost daily from out-of-town designers calling to confirm we are still on the 2006 code,” Seaver said. “They look at our website, see that and call to say, ‘Hey, is that right? We can’t believe you’re still on that (out-of-date) code. We don’t even have enough codes in our library anymore.’” 

The ISO’s BCEGS (Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule) rating for Quincy since has regressed from a 4 to a 9 on a 10-point scale, with a 1 rating indicating exemplary commitment to building code enforcement.

Codes adopted in 2009 introduced a residential sprinkler requirement for new buildings. Salrin explained home furnishing companies now make products from synthetics that are more flammable. He also said construction materials now used by builders are more lightweight and fail more often under fire.

“Home furnishings made today are essentially derived from petroleum products, so they burn quick, they burn hot, and fire doubles in size every 30 seconds,” Salrin said.

Communities which have adopted recent fire and building codes with the residential sprinkler requirement have seen the number of deaths by fire decline. Salrin offered a statistic showing 31,591 people nationwide have died in their homes since 2010. Only 63 of those people died in home with fire sprinklers.

Salrin gave an example of how a sprinkler system recently saved a local business.

“Early Sunday morning, our crews responded to Tony’s Too at the Holiday Inn (4821 Oak),” he said. “Two sprinkler heads took care of the issue. They put (the fire) out before our guys got there. It’s a commercial occupancy and a kitchen, not a residential home, but it’s the same issue. They were back in business (later Sunday). So that’s a huge testament to (the importance of sprinklers), and it’s very relevant to the operation.”

“The goal of the code changes simply is to update it, because we’re still operating under an old code,” Vahlkamp said. “This (new code) puts sprinklers in all new construction, which makes it safer for the homeowners. (The sprinklers) could help offset the costs a homeowner could spend on protecting all their woodwork in the basement.

“The whole point is to increase life safety in the city of Quincy. We’re just doing on new construction as the city is spreading to the east, and we’re trying to fix the smaller buildings downtown and protect them for years to come.”

Vahlkamp said aldermen will be shown videos that better explain the code changes. He said members of the Home Builders Association of Quincy already have seen the videos.

“Hopefully we can answer any questions they have, and then we’ll just try to figure out where (aldermen) want to take this with the code,” Vahlkamp said. “We’re going to keep pushing forward to get the ordinance adopted as is, and we’re just trying to educate everybody. There’s no immediate push right now to adopt it. Everybody has time to think about it, digest it, go through the questions, that kind of stuff.”

In other action, aldermen:

• Approved of two contracts related to the engineering and planning of the fourth phase of the Quincy Regional Airport’s runway reconstruction project. Both contracts are with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly of Springfield. The U.S. Department of Transportation will fund 90 percent of both contracts, with five percent funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and five percent funded by the city. The first contract was for $151,600, and the second was for $27,600. Both contracts called for reconstructing runway 4/22 and removing runway 18/36. The city’s total share for these contracts will be $8,960.
• Approved a recommendation to shorten the full deductible and out-of-pocket expense for two-third of the cost for all health insurance plan participants for the shortened deductible period of May 1 to Dec. 31.
• Gave permission for the Air Evac helicopter to land at The Crossing Preschool parking lot on May 5.
• Approved a lease agreement with Mark Heidbreder for hangar space on a month-to-month basis starting April 1 with a monthly rate of $144.16.
• Authorized the demolition bid of $9,200 of a property at 904 N. Eighth by Miller Construction Company.