Security Systems News is a monthly business newspaper that reaches 25,100 security installers, product distributors, central stations, engineers & architects, and security consultants. Our editorial coverage focuses on breaking news in all major se
Issue link: https://ssn.epubxp.com/i/146870
security systems news AuGust 2013 Tax bill may help FSIA pass By Tess Nacelewicz PATTERSON, N.Y.—The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (FSIA) was introduced in the U.S. Senate in June, and after 10 years of waiting, the industry is hopeful Congress will approve it as part of an omnibus tax bill. Fire systems instAllAtion www.securitysystemsnews.com "They are working on a major tax bill and that's what we've been waiting for, because that would be a vehicle fnally for us, we hope," Jim Dalton, Capitol Hill liaison for the National Fire Sprinkler Association, based here, told Security Systems News in July. FSIA was frst introduced after 100 people were killed in The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I., in 2003. The legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code so that property owners could write off the cost of installing fre sprinkler systems over time. The bill has strong bipartisan support. But because it would impact tax revenues, supporters believe its best bet is not as a standalone, but attached to a tax bill seeking major revisions in the nation's tax code. Dalton said the next step is for FSIA to be introduced in the House. However, he said, because the House is working on a big tax bill, Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the House Ways & Means Commit- 23 For more detailed versions of stories in this section, go to: www. n securitysystemsnews.com tee, "has asked his committee members to wait until he gets the big picture painted before they submit their individual tax bills." Dalton told SSN that he believes this Congress will pass a major tax bill—if not this year then in 2014. SSN co law Continued from page 24 several fatalities two months apart in the same hotel room in Boone, N.C. may change that. First, an elderly couple died in April in room 225 in the Best Western Plus Blue Ridge Plaza, news reports say. Then, on June 8, an 11-year-old boy died in the same room. After the boy's death, officials determined that CO poisoning caused the death of all three, and the source is believed to have been an improperly installed pool heater beneath the room, according to the Charlotte Observer. That newspaper cited more instances of people sickened by CO while staying at other hotels in North Carolina in recent years. That has prompted some state legislators there to propose a study of whether the state should require hotels to install CO detectors. It's too late in the legislative session to introduce new bills, so N.C. Rep. Becky Carney, D-Mecklenburg, is hoping the CO proposal can be added to an existing omnibus study bill, according to the Charlotte Observer. SSN Tornado Compliance is not a choice. Facility Managers Trust BuildingReports. Continued from page 22 can quickly be replaced. "One thing we have done is we've formed some strategic partnerships with subcontractors, so we can have them available if something happens," Stamps said. "[In the event of an impending storm or other emergency], we can start making phone calls and getting the subcontractors ready to help us service the accounts." Some fire panels were knocked out during the storms, Stamps said, and experiences like that are now making Stampsco take a look at how much stock it should have. "We usually try to stock enough supply to at least take care of each type of system but when you have a storm like that [it can create more demand]. So another part of our contingency plan is how much stock do we want to keep and how fast can we get everything here," Stamps said. SSN The world's most trusted inspection reporting solution Fire and life safety inspections are critical in ensuring the protection of facilities and the people who work there. BuildingReports, the leader in web-based reporting, provides the most trusted inspection solutions in the world. We manage the largest network of independent service organizations and facility managers as they complete inspections in hundreds of thousands of facilities worldwide. BuildingReports' compliance reporting and mobile bar code technology ensures comprehensive inspections that are fully documented in compliance with regulatory standards. Our third party verifcation and certifcation process ensures accurate, verifable results. Inspection data is retrievable from your secure online portal from anywhere at anytime. BuildingReports' inspection reporting solutions deliver device specifc reports with more detail than any other system. Contact BuildingReports for a demonstration today! 770.495.1993 • sales@buildingreports.com • www.buildingreports.com