Fire Suppression Systems

At all levels of government, there has been a tremendous increase in legislation, in recent years, requiring fire suppression systems where they were not previously mandated. This is impacting virtually all types of buildings. More companies than ever are now in the business of creating, installing, and servicing fire suppression systems. The demand has increased competition, which has also brought about technological advancements in the systems themselves.

Some insurance companies also provide a premium discount if a property has an adequate suppression system throughout the entire facility; which helps pay for the installation cost over time.

Local building code will likely require that any new, ground-up construction of a fraternity house have a fire suppression system. If local code does not require it, the International Fraternity strongly suggests that it be included anyway. The added cost to include a fire suppression system in a ground-up project is minimal.

The cost to retrofit an existing building can be considerably more than that of a ground-up project. However, depending on your tolerance to certain aesthetics, you may be able to get the cost into an affordable range. To help you consider such an endeavor for your chapter house, download this retrofit planning guide for Greek housing produced by the National Fire Sprinkler Association.