International body to require home sprinklers

The International Code Council has voted to require that all new one and two-family homes be equipped with fire sprinklers
The vote was supported by 73% of the voting members of the council. The vote was supported by 73% of the voting members of the council, which is a non-profit organization of building and codes officials in the U.S. and Latin America.
The change is slated to appear in the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC).
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), also in the U.S., applauded the decision. It has required residential sprinklers following the 2006 editions of its relevant codes.
According to NFPA, more than 80% of people who die in fires are killed in home fires. With sprinklers present, the deaths are reduced by one-half to two-thirds.