(NVR) - Does the requirement for automated sprinkler systems rise to the standard of “health, safety and welfare”?

I think not!

Currently the Board of Supervisors has imposed a standard for the installation of sprinkler systems in winery buildings that far exceed the standards established by the state of California. The state standard for sprinkler systems in buildings is 12,000 square feet or more.

The standard adopted by the Board of Supervisors in Napa County is 3,500 square feet. That means whenever a winery applies for a modification of use or an expansion, they may be required to install a sprinkler system. Furthermore, caves that are lined with concrete are also included in the minimum requirement!

The long-term cost to the wine industry could be millions of dollars.

So back to the original question, is it a health, safety and welfare issue? I do not think so.

A sprinkler system is primarily for property protection. It is not an early warning system to alert people of the presence of fire. By the time a sprinkler system activates, it could well be too late for anyone inside the structure. The health and safety issues can best be met by having an early warning system such as an alarm. This, coupled with ease of access and egress, is the best solution for public safety. If anything, a sprinkler system could very well create a false sense of security.

North of St. Helena is a small historic winery. The winery construction is stone and concrete. The humidity in the winery is about 85 percent. The winery was built in 1873 and has not had a fire problem.

In point of fact, the building materials were selected primarily to ensure that the winery would not fall victim to a fire.

Currently the owner is being required to install sprinklers, which will seriously compromise the historic integrity of the building and destroy some of the historic landscaping. The sprinklers contribute nothing to the overall protection of the building.

In the past 50 years there has only been one winery fire in Napa County. In as much as that fire was in the crawl area above the winery, it is not likely that sprinklers would have protected the building.