Last August, College Park Mayor Steve Brayman sent a “Sprinkler Initiative Outline” to the City Council after the death of university student Michael Scrocca, detailing a mandate to force all houses in College Park to have sprinkler systems installed within a decade. At the time of the proposal, College Park Landlords’ Committee Chairman Dave Dorsch stated, “The cost of updating the water lines would cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 per house,” highlighting the point of view of many landlords that the plan would be too costly to implement.
Unfortunately, the death of yet another university student, David Ellis, has made it uncomfortably obvious there is an epidemic of poor safety conditions plaguing College Park housing. Strong consideration should be given to a speedy revival and renewal of debate on Brayman’s initiative.
The Diamondback published a staff editorial last August stating Brayman’s plan to retrofit fire sprinklers into every home in College Park in the next 10 years was ambitious, but it warranted serious discussion. Recent events have highlighted the continued relevancy and necessity of the proposal. News that four Knox Box landlords are interested in installing sprinkler systems is encouraging, but is only barely a beginning. The city must take advantage of the sudden enlightenment of College Park landlords, press forward with initiatives regarding safety improvements and use this as an opportunity to push for a sprinkler mandate.
In the meantime, the city must continue to process the backlog of landlord appeals of fire code violations. At the very least, this legal loophole should be closed for a semblance of short-term accountability.
Brayman’s proposal certainly does not come without cost. But a price tag should never be placed on human life. Out of all the problems our city faces, this issue is preventable. The City Council must dust off the “Sprinkler Initiative Outline” and pass changes to prevent yet another tragedy.
