This is a rebuttal to a letter to the editor in the June 21 Renton Reporter. The U.S. Fire Administration, a department of FEMA, estimates the cost of a home sprinkler system at approximately $1 to $1.50 per square foot in new construction as of April 2008. Sprinklering a 2,000-square-foot house would cost $3,000 at the high end, about 0.7 percent on a sale price of $450,000.

Insurance savings are only part of the payback. Water damage from activated sprinklers is more than offset by prevention of fire and smoke damage. The USFA recommends fire sprinklers in all homes. Google “USFA Residential Sprinklers” to see its conclusions. Multiple independent studies based on quantitative analysis of data gathered from around the country show that fire sprinklers are cost-effective in new residential construction.

The Master Builders Association performs a valuable function in educating legislators, promoting energy-efficient building and supporting local efforts such as Vision House. But this does not give it the right to have its way with local governments regardless of the public cost.

Of course, industry groups and their associates often oppose even reasonable safety requirements, as when meat producers recently opposed more USDA inspectors at meat- processing plants to protect the public from mad-cow disease. Protecting life and property is not “an unnecessary government intrusion into our daily lives;” it is exactly what we depend on government to do. When the same sprinkler requirements are applied to all builders, there is no incentive to cut corners to increase profits and healthy competition will reward builders who provide the best value to home buyers.

Dan Clawson

Renton