Good intentions

However, sprinkler system law lacks common sense



Sometimes, even with the best intentions in mind, lawmakers get it wrong.

A perfect example can be found attempts to protect kids from toys made with lead. As you may recall, an uproar was created in 2007 by the discovery of lead in a whole crapload of children’s toys imported from China. It was a dangerous situation, and lawmakers acted — creating a law designed to regulate lead testing for all toys to be sold in the United States.



Problem solved, right?



Wrong.



Although no one doubts lawmakers had the safety of children in mind when crafting the new legislation, what quickly became apparent was the new law would have plenty of unintended negative impacts on small businesses. Big ass companies who’d long shown little regard for the safety of children when making mass produced plastic toys could afford the mandatory lead testing procedures. Mom and pop outfits that whittle blocks out of wood and use paint made from crushed organic blueberries (or whatever) could not afford the required testing.



By trying to protect the children, lawmakers had actually screwed up royally.

There’s a similarly poorly written law slated to go into effect in December that’s currently wreaking havoc on local music venues around Tacoma. In the aftermath of the Great White disaster of 2003, when second rate pyrotechnics mixed with flammable insulation and killed 100 people in a small nightclub in Rhode Island, lawmakers from states near and far, including Washington — began a quest to prevent such a devastating event from happening again.



The result, at least in our state, is the nightclub fire sprinkler law passed in 2007. The legislation makes it mandatory for all “nightclubs” to have an active sprinkler system, and defines a nightclub as any venue “in which the aggregate area of concentrated use of unfixed chairs and standing space that is specifically designated and primarily used for dancing or viewing performers exceeds three hundred fifty square feet, excluding adjacent lobby areas.”



The only problem with the new sprinkler system law is it’s forcing already safe venues to make drastic and extremely costly changes, which in economic times like these can be the difference between staying open and closing the doors.



The legislation — while crafted with the best intentions — lacks common sense.

I talked with one of 16 Tacoma venue owners being forced to install sprinkler systems, and he reported that by the time it’s all said and done, if he is able to come up with the cash for the mandatory sprinkler system, it will cost more than $60,000.



$25,000 of that will go directly to the City of Tacoma, just to supply the water pressure needed to operate his new, mandatory sprinkler system.



“The worst part is our building doesn’t need it. We’re a single floor cinder block building with ample exits and no violations,” says the owner. “I would understand it if it were on a case by case scenario, but it makes no sense to force business owners to choose between spending a ton or closing the doors when it’s not necessary.”



Seems like a logical argument to me, but unfortunately legislation doesn’t always adhere to logic — especially when it’s intended to protect people.



Sometimes a little less protection and a lot more common sense is all that’s needed.