(The Center Square) – Milwaukee’s fire chief says it is long past time the state requires sprinklers in every apartment building in Wisconsin.
Fire Chief Aaron Lipski has been pushing for an updated state law for months. Wisconsin currently requires all buildings built after 1974 to have sprinklers, but all buildings before are grandfathered in. He wants to change that.
There is a plan at the statehouse from Milwaukee Democrats to allow local governments in Wisconsin to set their own rules. But that legislation is stalled and likely won’t get a hearing this spring.
“Am I optimistic that ends up in some big victory? I’d be lying if I said I am. I’m not optimistic about it, but we have to keep the conversation going,” the chief said on UpFront.
The biggest roadblock to a new sprinkler requirement is the cost. Republican lawmakers say it would simply cost too much to require building owners to retrofit every building in the state with sprinklers. Those costs, lawmakers say, would then be passed on to renters through higher rents.
Lipski said, however, that focusing on the costs of sprinklers ignores the cost of not having them.
“Why is it that fire suppression and fire safety takes a backseat to all the other concerns all the time? Why is it that us attempting to just have a conversation about this is met with vociferous opposition from the most powerful man in our state government? How is that possible?” Lipski asked.
Lipski’s comments came as Milwaukee firefighters dealt with another fire in another building that the chief said didn’t have sprinklers.
Firefighters rescued eight people from an apartment fire Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 5:30 am at an apartment building near 77th Street and Green Tree Road. The chief said the fire started in a shared hallway near the front door, which blocked people from getting out.
“At 5:30am today, @MilFireDept responded to fire in a multi-family dwelling, this one in the 6600 block of N 77th. 8 civilians rescued (including 2 infants), 7 via ladders and 1 interior; 2 additional with broken legs from jumping. NO SPRINKLERS,” the chief wrote on X.
Lipski said that the fire happened just hours before his taped interview on UpFront about the sprinkler requirement was “unreal timing.”
