Have You Been Told

Residential Fire Sprinklers are credited with not a single home fire death in the over 25 years of use

RESIDENTIAL SPRINKLERS WILL NEVER REPLACE OUR NEED FOR THE FIRE SERVICE
However, the question is will we continue to subsidize sprawl development with fire protection or will we embrace this technology and encourage individual homeowners and their builders to take personal responsibility for the first line of defense for their familys fire protection.

Foxbank Plantation is a new development that is in the Town of Moncks Corner South Carolina. This community is slated to develop approximately 2,600 moderate sized new homes.

The argument has been made that residential sprinklers are simply too expensive and at first glance this may seem to be a viable position. However, surprisingly the cost of tax funded community based fire protection can often be as much as three times more expensive than residential Multipurpose sprinklers that are included in the home plumbing water system.
Residential sprinklers certainly provide the very best standard of protection available today that saves lives while significantly reducing local government cost and obligations. Consider that a new fire station that is equipped to provide the necessary response will obligate the Town of Moncks Corner to a minimum of $33 million for these homes Interestingly, every house in this Sprinklers are the very development could be sprinkled for best defense in light $7.5 million. weight constructed homes Just how cheap do residential sprinklers have to that pose a unique safety be before we encourage individual homeowners risk in fire conditions.

Residential Sprinklers Cost Too Much?

Residential Fire Sprinklers lower taxes and improve survival rates which is an obvious win/win

Fire Station Estimated Cost Impact

FIRST YEAR COST

Residential fire sprinklers boast a sterling record of saving lives and property for less than the cost of a single happy meal a month

Infrastructure Apparatus 1st Year Staff

Total 1ST Year Cost

$ 2,400,000 $ 625,000 $ 600,000 $ 3,625, 000

Foxbank Residents Lobby for Fire Station

By Dan Brown Berkeley Independent Published Tuesday, April 26, 2011 12:19 PM

TOTAL PROJECTED COST IMPACT & OBLIGATION

Direct costs 1st Year cost $ 3,625,000 50 year house life x $600,000 $ 30,000,000 Total Fire Protection Obligation $ 33,625.000 Homeowner Fire Fee Tax (50yrs x $75 per yr.) $ 9,750,000

Whether Moncks Corner will build a fire station in the Foxbank Plantation community has never been an issue. The problem has always been when. Because a new station may take some time to become a reality, some residents of the Foxbank Plantation community feel as if Moncks Corner is gambling with their safety. Moncks Corner is playing a game of Russian Roulette with our homes and our safety, said Foxbank resident Jody Cox, who is also a firefighter at Sullivans Island Fire Department. As long as nothing happens things are fine, but what happens when there is an emergency? Council is taking a huge gamble with that. Moncks Corner Town Council approved a new bond that would refinance some existing debt and allow for the purchase of a new fire truck designated for the Foxbank community. A proposed Foxbank fire station is in the towns capital improvement plan, but not until 2013. At issue is money, or the lack thereof. Council members opposed to the station say that the town would be taking on too much additional debt during difficult economic times. The town is already committed to Phase I of its new Regional Recreation Complex, a project that is already having funding difficulties. I would like to see the town take care of the rec center first and then do the fire station, said council member Michael Lockliear. Foxbank will get a fire station, said David Kizer. We need one, and we will put one there, but right now is not the time. I just want to make sure the timing is right for everybody . I still don't feel good about this economy. There has never been any issue about the need for a fire station in Foxbank, said David Dennis. There are a lot of things we have to do first before we can be ready to build out there. There are issues with the proposed site of the fire station and the possibility of it being moved. We are all in agreement about the need for a fire station, but the time is not right. Town council spent more than an hour in executive session last week hammering out the details of the new bond ordinance. Council reluctantly agreed upon the open-ended bond that provides for the purchase of the new fire truck earmarked for Foxbank and leaves the door open for the new fire station, but council was reluctant to proceed officially with the vote with the fire station included. Moncks Corner Mayor Bill Peagler, who included a new fire station as part of the towns four-minute response time goal in his pitch to residents considering annexation to Moncks Corner, reassured council members that all they were officially approving was the new fire truck. If you dont approve this you wont get your fire truck, Peagler said. This bond leaves the door open for consideration of the fire station should circumstances change, but council is not committed to anything by approving this bond. Theres still a lot more work to do on this before were done though. Council approved the purchase of a new fire truck but left the question regarding the status of the new fire station unanswered for now. And thats not good enough for some residents.

TOTAL LOCAL FIRE SERVICE OBLIGATION

$ 23,875,000

Monthly House Payment Cost Impact for Sprinklers

Unsprinkled Tax Increase for new FD ($10 per 100 K Fire Station Assessment) Annual Fire Assessment Insurance Discount Total Monthly Impact Sprinkler Benefit Tax and insurance savings Insurance Discount Total Monthly savings 1.35 6.25 0 [$7.60] 7.60 4.00 $ 11.60 Sprinkled 0 0 4.00 $ 4.00

Wholesale Sprinkler Cost Installation at $1.61 psf (1800 SF) $ 2,898.00 Monthly Cost (30 year Fixed at 5%) Less Sprinkled Monthly Savings TOTAL NET MONTHLY COST $ 15.56 $ 11.60

$ 3.06

Net Monthly Cost for Sprinklers

$ 3.06

esident Don Hastings. The town has squabbled an opportunity here. We were annexed, with limited services. I believe we are the stepchild of Moncks Corner.