At WM Sprinkler, we believe it’s the responsibility of everyone from top to bottom to educate the public on fire safety and to do whatever to prevent fires from happening. This seems like a simple belief, but you’d be surprised at how this can get muddled especially on the bureaucratic level where people battle it out to get their point across, oftentimes at the expense of the “little guy.” No better do we see than in San Francisco where lines are being drawn in the sand regarding rent-controlled buildings, fires, and the city’s housing crisis.
In some parts of the city, there have been fires in rent-controlled buildings and many believe that this is due to building owners not installing up-to-date fire prevention systems such as sprinklers, the kind that WM Sprinkler specializes in. While it is expected that these owners should install sprinkler systems, it is not required. With fire safety concerns mounting, city officials are contemplating stepping in so that these buildings have only the best fire prevention systems installed. Needless to say, there’s a battle between the city, building owners, and the tenants inside of them. Simple fire safety rules are highlighting a growing problem in San Francisco.
In this article, the San Francisco Chronicles reports, “Adding more fuel to the fire that is the debate over San Francisco’s housing crisis, a new city study shows that San Francisco is losing rent-controlled apartments nearly as fast as it can produce new affordable units.”
San Francisco isn’t the only city battling a housing crisis; cities across America are in the grips of rent-controlled fiascos. A growing population and little new space are creating a wave that is destroying people’s lives. When a housing crisis erupts, fire safety is often pushed to the sidelines. Don’t let that happen.
If you need a fire protection system installed in your building, contact W&M Sprinkler today!
