NFPA Journal - November/December 2012 - (Page 16)

>>perspectives InstallIng sprInklers In homes has provided not only a safe living environment for residents, but also much-needed jobs in construction. Mesa has been awarded an additional $4 million in the third round of NSP grants, known as NSP-3. This will give allow us to retrofit more homes with fire sprinklers. NSP-3 will expand to four zip codes based on low-to-moderate income demographics, thereby benefiting more neighborhoods. Sprinkler Cost Assistance Program Mesa is also starting a new program to incentivize rehabilitation of older downtown buildings by financing fire safety improvements. The Sprinkler Cost Assistance Program (SCAP), a city initiative funded through a federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), was developed to encourage redevelopment and reinvestment in a targeted area of downtown Mesa. Decades of suburban growth trends have resulted in high vacancies and underused commercial space along Main Street. While these buildings are well-situated and structurally sound, most lack the fire and life safety features necessary to accommodate particular retail and entertainment occupancies. An inventory of downtown buildings revealed that only 11 of 49 structures on Main Street include fire sprinklers. This makes it difficult for businesses to obtain occupancy permits for more than 49 people, which is the maximum allowed by the city’s fire code for unsprinklered spaces. Although each building has its own unique challenges, the costs associated with installing fire sprinklers have been identified as a common obstacle to redevelopment. Downtown Mesa is located within the CDBG target area, so Mesa seeded its SCAP program with $100,000 from its federal block grant allocation. The program is coordinated through the Office of Economic Development in cooperation with the Mesa Fire Department. To be eligible, applicants must be located in the downtown Pedestrian Overlay Area, with preference given to businesses along Main Street. SCAP provides matching grants of up to 50 percent of the actual costs of installing fire sprinklers, to a maximum reimbursement of $20,000 per project. We have learned that complying with federal grant requirements can be onerous, especially for small businesses, and city staff is working closely with applicants to provide guidance. A HUD consultant was brought on to develop a streamlined agreement to serve as a template for all future projects. Infrastructure improvements have been made to support this effort. The city’s engineering department determined that the existing eight-inch (20-centimeter) water main was able to serve current potable demands, but that the 30-year-old main was undersized and too brittle to allow for fire sprinkler connections at every downtown occupancy. As a result, Mesa installed a new 12-inch (30-centimeter) ductile iron pipe to meet water supply needs. We also used $133,350 from utility revenue bonds to provide a six-inch (15-centimeter) fire line stub off the new main to within five feet (1.5 meters) of each building, making it easier and less expensive for businesses to connect to the water system. The first two SCAP projects are large public assembly venues in the heart of historic downtown Mesa. A business called 12 West Main, located at that address, is a 7,200-square-foot (669-square-meter) event center built in the 1940s. The preliminary estimate for the fire sprinkler retrofit is $22,520. Once completed, the owner’s ability to grow the business is expected to result in the creation of three fulltime and nine part-time jobs. 16 NFPA JOURNAL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 Photograph: Mark Henle

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2012

NFPA Journal - November/December 2012
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Past + Present
Easy Being Green?
Pressure Points
2011 Large-Loss Fires
2011 Firefighter Injuries
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - November/December 2012

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