Legislation requiring state dormitories to be equipped with sprinklers moved forward last week when it was approved by the Illinois House of Representatives, but there is no such measure in the future for high-rise residential buildings in DeKalb outside of NIU.

High-rise residential buildings, such as Lincoln Towers, 1100 W. Lincoln Highway, and The Golden Years Plaza, 507 E. Taylor St., are not required to have fire sprinklers, DeKalb Fire Chief Lanny Russell said.

Both buildings operate under the guidelines established by international building and fire codes. The codes are updated every three years, and all buildings built under those codes must be compliant with the code in place when constructed. Under the most recent codes, residential high-rises – buildings with more than eight stories – must be equipped with sprinklers. But when Golden Years Plaza and Lincoln Towers were built, no regulations were in place that required sprinklers, said Reuben Nelson, DeKalb assistant fire chief.

In yearly inspections of high-rises, sprinklers are not a requirement, he added.

“We’d love to have them sprinkled, but there is nothing in the code that requires anyone to go through with it,” Nelson said.

The only way sprinklers would be required is if codes were retrofitted to include previously built high-rises, but that probably will not happen, Nelson said. The cost and time would be too great because of the piping and wiring needed, he added. Walls and ceilings also would have to be worked around.

Current codes do require that newly constructed high-rises include sprinklers.

House Bill 4361, which recently passed in the state house, would only require colleges and universities to install fire sprinklers in all dormitories by 2013 unless exempted.

The proposal now is being sent to the Senate where it could pass, State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Sycamore) said.

“If they save lives in dorms, they are a good idea,” Burzynski said. “I think sprinklers are more inclined to save properties than save lives.”