Fellow Fire Marshals,

The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals (WSAFM) needs you to contact your legislator or your municipality’s lobbyist to ask for an amendment to be added to HB2071.

HB2071, as it is currently written, will exempt multiplex housing from the IBC and lessen the likelihood that sprinklers and other fire protection systems will be provided. The end goal of the legislation is to find ways to build multiplexes more affordably. The legislation states: “Allowing middle and multiplex housing to be built according to the standards of the international residential code will result in housing being easier to build and more affordable without sacrificing quality and safety. Therefore, the legislature intends to simplify the production of middle and multiplex housing by allowing more types of housing to use provisions of the international residential code.”

The legislation creates a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for the purpose of recommending the additions or amendments to rules or codes that are necessary for the council to apply the Washington state residential code to multiplex housing. The legislation goes on to say that the TAG “must consider the life safety systems…….” WSAFM strongly believes that the language “must consider” needs to be replaced with “will include”. 

To find your legislative representation you can search here:  https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/Members/House

House Bill 2071 Information

Timeline:  Let us know by Friday 2/7 if you are willing to get involved. WSAFM’s lobbyist is more than willing to assist you in your efforts. Contact Bryan McConaughy via e-mail at bryan@bmcconsulting.net and cc WSAFM Legislative Leads Dave Kokot dkokot@wsafm.com or Karen Grove karen.grove@seattle.gov.

Yours in service,

The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals