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SA Fire Chief To Propose High Rise Sprinkler Ordinance

Eileen Pace
Five people died during a fire at the Wedgewood Senior Living Center high rise in December 2014.

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood is recommending the city adopt an ordinance for retrofitting high-rise fire sprinklers.  He’ll brief a city council committee on details this morning.

The recommendation follows a heightened concern after five people died in a fire at the Wedgwood Senior Living apartments in Castle Hills last December.  The 11-story complex did not have sprinklers.

Shortly after the tragedy fire officials identified nine residential high-rises in San Antonio that lacked sprinklers.  Five of them have a large number of elderly residents.

Fire officials have said that if the Wedgewood had been equipped with sprinklers there would probably have been fewer casualties. 

Shelley Kofler is Texas Public Radio’s news director. She joined the San Antonio station in December 2014 and leads a growing staff that produces two weekly programs; a daily talk show, news features, reports and online content. Prior to TPR, Shelley served as the managing editor and news director at KERA in Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Austin bureau chief and legislative reporter for North Texas ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.