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Council proposes stricter fire safety standards for Philadelphia's high-rise buildings

Official:Amending Subcode “F” of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “The Philadelphia Fire Code,” to require the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in additional high-rise buildings, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Squilla

Introduced: March 31, 2022

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

fire codehigh rise buildingspublic safety

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2020–2023 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill requires high-rise buildings in Philadelphia to install automatic fire sprinkler systems in certain areas. Exemptions are made for some older residential buildings.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Requires automatic fire sprinkler systems to be installed throughout existing high-rise buildings, with some exceptions.
Exempts portions of high-rise buildings occupied by Group R-2 occupancies (residential buildings) without a change in occupancy since December 18, 1991.
Requires automatic sprinkler systems in specific areas of Group R-2 occupancies in high-rise buildings, including: * Basements * Storage rooms with a floor area exceeding 120 square feet * Trash and incinerator chutes and rooms
Requires property owners to provide proof of compliance with the new requirements by a certain retrofit schedule (specific date not specified).