The story at issue, titled "Residential Sprinkler Systems Save More Than Money," appeared in the May issue of TecHome Builder magazine. It promoted residential sprinkler systems as a profit center for home builders who have clients with security and safety concerns, and inflated fire death statistics by lumping single-family residential deaths with those in multifamily homes, dormitories, hotels, motels and similar buildings. The grave inaccuracies in the story prompted NAHB members and HBA staff to burn up the phone lines, calling for an official NAHB response. NAHB immediately sent off a sternly worded letter from NAHB First Vice President Sandy Dunn to the magazine's publishers, which was accompanied by an outpouring of complaints from members in the form of e-mails, calls and letters to the editor. 

At this point, fire sprinkler manufacturers and installers have stepped up their campaign to move residential fire sprinkler language from the appendix to the main body of the International Residential Code — in effect, mandating the systems. A vote on the issue will take place during the ICC Final Action hearings in Rochester on May 21-26, and NAHB has mounted an aggressive effort to get building code officials who support our position to show up and oppose the mandates. Read more on the fire sprinklers issue in the next NBN Online, or contact Donna Reichle, x8473.

NAHB Member Benefit: NAHB and its 235,000 members can respond quickly and forcefully when certain groups depict home builders in a negative light by misrepresenting the facts. 

Following the release, NAHB immediately began processing 35 additional applications — worth more than $600,000 — that had been approved and were awaiting funds from the program’s second phase. In total, 86 local associations in 29 states have now applied for and have received, or been approved to receive, nearly $1.7 million in advertising assistance. Including the matching funds that the HBAs contributed, the total value of their advertising campaigns is $5.3 million. To see a list of the HBAs and the grant levels, click here.  With $1.3 million in funds still available, NAHB encourages HBAs that have not yet inquired about advertising assistance to apply today. Contact: Niki Clark, x8061.

NAHB Member Benefit: The "Buy Now" assistance campaign for HBAs is a prime example of how your NAHB membership dues dollars are being put to work for you. NAHB routinely devotes resources and expertise to support our local HBAs and their members, and this most recent program is one of the largest such efforts yet. The idea is to help home buyers see the positives of today's housing market and drive more business to your door using tried and true advertising techniques and messages tailored to each specific market. Also, please see NAHB's Web site for a variety of "It's a Great Time to Buy" materials that you can use right now -- from press releases to sample op-eds, ads and public relations tips. All of these helpful resources are available free of charge to NAHB members. [return to top]