I agree. I suspect that some the the very big houses may be sprinkled, but I doubt that many small to medium size houses are.

Here's info on Wisconsin's new rule:

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
EMERGENCY RULE RELATING TO
AUTOMATIC FIRE SUPPRESSION
FOR
STUDENT HOUSING FACILITIES SERVING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Summary of Proposed [now passed] Rules
• Requires the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing student housing facilities greater than 60 feet in height and owned or operated by colleges, universities and private entities that are not part of the University of Wisconsin System.
• Requires the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing private student residential facilities greater than 60 feet in height by January 1, 2014.
• Requires the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing student sororities, fraternities and similar housing facilities by January 1, 2014.
• Requires the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems for the construction of all new student housing facilities that are not part of the University of Wisconsin System.

Comparison with Rules in Adjacent States
An Internet-based search of adjacent states’ rules found the following regulations that include
similar requirements relating to commercial buildings and facilities:
• The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth administers the Michigan Construction Code, which adopts by reference the 2003 edition of the International Building Code®, IBC, with amendments. The 2003 edition of the IBC requires all new residential occupancies, including dormitories, sororities and fraternities to be protected throughout by automatic fire sprinkler systems.
• The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, administers the Minnesota State Building Code, which adopts the 2000 editions of the IBC with amendments. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is in the process of adopting the 2003
edition of the IBC which requires all new residential occupancies, including dormitories, sororities and fraternities to be protected throughout by automatic fire sprinkler systems.
• Illinois does not administer a statewide building code.
• The Iowa Department of Public Safety administers the Iowa Building Code, which adopted the 2003 edition of International Building Code to be effective April 1, 2006 and applies generally to buildings owned by the state of Iowa and to construction
projects in local jurisdictions where the Iowa State Building Code is adopted. The 2003 edition of the IBC requires all new residential occupancies, including dormitories, sororities and fraternities to be protected throughout by automatic fire sprinkler
systems.

I am sure that we will save lives with this measure, but I know our chapter needs to get ready to pay between $200,000 and $400,000 to put in a system that doesn't have exposed piping and such. It's a huge bill. At least we have 8 years to raise the money and outfit the house.

Looks like my chapter just won't have a house anymore unless our landlord decides to eat that cost.

A few days ago at Northwestern (in Evanston) a fraternity member reportedly tried to block firefighters from entering the house, when the Evanston fire department was responding to a smoke alrm / "call." The April 4 school paper has the story in its "blotter" section:

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vne...9?in_archive=1

(It's under the subheadline that reads, in part, " member falls on stairs at party, cuts left temple.")

The short article ends with a quote from the assistant chief of Northwestern U. police, "It’s not a good idea not to cooperate with the fire department.” Maybe it's just me, but that does seem like something worth passing along to anyone who might lack common sense.

Not some of my brighter brothers.

IS THIS CONSIDERED THE UNIVERSITY HAZING THE FRATERNITIES? omgwtfbbq???!!!!11shift+1

sorry double post, but seriously doesn't everyone have sprinklers?

Nope. In fact, our house at OU (that's Oklahoma DA!) lacks sprinklers. Of course, the place is fireproof.

A few years back, there was a bad fire in one of the rooms. It completely gutted the room. The adjacent rooms were untouched. The place is concrete and steel. I guess we had some alums in the construction industry when the place was built.

Where I own an old chapter house in a place that doesn't require me to have sprinklers, I think that my $40-$60K will be spent elsewhere if I'm given the option. I don't imagine the savings on insurance can justify the addition of sprinklers altogether.

And if there is a fire and there are no sprinklers? That's why there's insurance.

Here in lays the Problem.

Make Older Homes conform to Sprinkler Ordinances and see how many can last, Move, or Close Down?

We all are worried bout Life and Death in Greek Houses of course, but to litigate and Legislate gets over the top.:(

At Iowa State almost all the chapter houses are older, historic homes (like 80-90+ years old). Theta Chi has the newest chapter house built in 1999 after their old house burned down, and I'm almost positive they had sprinklers installed when the house was built, but very few other chapters do.

Like someone else said, our house was built in 1924, and no, it does not have fire sprinklers because no one lives on the third floor (which is the regulation for commercial dwellings in LA). We are doing a major renovation over the course of this next year and putting them in as a part of the renovation. It is more like a $350,000 project though (just for the sprinklers), at least for our house.

SN at OU is a p.o.s.

The house was just given a 1.5 million dollar renovation. It's actually pretty damned nice.

From the outside, it sort of looks like a bunker. The inside is quite nice now.

Yeah you are right, I was just being an asshole. There are a couple houses like that at OU--the SAE house is pretty ugly I think from the outside----very 70's.....but the inside is extremely nice.