What about affordable housing developments specifically?

Residents of affordable housing deserve the same level of fire protection as residents of any other new home – and that standard of protection is the standard in the model code. We should not create a sprinkler exemption based on a household’s income or a development’s affordability designation. Fire safety belongs in the project budget from the start, just like the other systems required to make a home safe and livable.

Affordability matters, and the installation cost should be addressed directly. In Jefferson County, the estimated sprinkler cost is approximately 1.9% of the home’s value – though this is a project-specific estimate, not a guaranteed cost for every development. Early coordination among the developer, water provider, fire district, and sprinkler contractor can establish the actual cost and identify practical ways to accommodate it without reducing protection.

The benefit extends beyond the individual household. Home sprinklers can keep an interior fire small, reducing the chance that it grows into a fire that threatens nearby homes. That matters in Jefferson County, where wildfire risk and the possibility of fire spreading between structures are community concerns. Interior sprinkler systems do not replace defensible space or exterior wildfire protection; they address fires that start inside the home. Every new home, affordable or otherwise, should provide that protection for themselves, their neighbors, and Colorado’s surrounding natural beauty.