MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee city officials are discussing new regulations to encourage sprinkler systems in older apartment buildings after a fire killed five residents earlier this month.
Buildings constructed before 1974 are not required to have sprinklers due to a decades-old grandfather clause in Wisconsin state law, leaving tens of thousands of Milwaukee residents living in buildings without the safety feature.
"I would say to [state legislators] please do something about it. Be concerned about the safety with no sprinklers in buildings this old," said RoseAnn, who has lived in a senior housing apartment without sprinklers for the past 11 years.
Watch: Milwaukeeans voice need for sprinkler systems in older apartment buildings
RoseAnn expressed serious concerns about the safety of elderly residents in her building.
"Here a lot of these seniors can't hardly even get around. They would die. They would die," she said.
The issue requires action at the state level to change the grandfather clause, according to city officials.
"I believe the challenge going forward is to fight this out at the state, and that will be very complicated," said Justin Morales, Legislative Affairs for the City of Milwaukee.
A Milwaukee Common Council committee met Wednesday morning to discuss potential city regulations that could incentivize building owners to invest in sprinklers.
One suggestion included requiring buildings without sprinklers to undergo inspections, with fees, twice as frequently as buildings with sprinkler systems.
Alderman Peter Burgelis proposed another idea: "Requiring a signed waiver from their tenants saying you might die if you live here."
When asked how she would respond to such a waiver, RoseAnn was clear.
"I wouldn't move in. Not without sprinklers. No. Knowing this now, I would never do it again. No. My life is just too important," she said.
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski emphasized the importance of this safety measure, noting that adding sprinklers would cost approximately the same as replacing carpet in each unit.
"We need survivable housing. We need survivable housing," Lipski said.
Alderman Bob Bauman and the Department of Neighborhood Services estimated that "40, 50 thousand citizens of Milwaukee" are currently living in un-sprinklered multi-unit buildings that don't require this safety feature.
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