January 28, 2004—The ‘Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2003,’ S. 1566 and HR 1824, is currently being considered by Congress.
In letters to U.S. Senator Jon Corzine (NJ) and Representative Curt Weldon (PA), sponsors of the bills, American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) President James “Skipper” Kendrick stated, “Without doubt, fire sprinklers save lives, and, when they are not present in structures, needless deaths occur. A sprinkler system will help control a fire, if not extinguish it, in its earliest stages.”
“By allowing businesses to take a five-year instead of the current 39-year depreciation for their investment in fire sprinkler systems under the Internal Revenue Code, the ‘Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2003’ will encourage businesses to make this investment in safety, especially those businesses in older buildings typically not required to meet more modern building and safety codes,” said Kendrink. “This incentive will help our members do their jobs, which is to help save lives and prevent injuries in workplaces.”
For more information, contact ASSE.
