The Fond du Lac fire chief says he is disappointed that Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel has issued a legal opinion that state regulators can’t enforce a rule requiring sprinklers in apartment buildings with more than four units. Schimel issued a legal opinion Friday that says the requirement is stricter than state law and can’t be enforced. Fond du Lac Fire Chief Pete O’Leary says the rule is one of the best ways to save lives in the event of a fire. “Its very simple to me. We’re in the life-safety business, life safety is what we do and we know that fire sprinklers are going to give people the best chance of survival,” O’Leary told WFDL news. “There are states where it is required everywhere.” In 2011 Republicans adopted statutes that prohibit state agencies from writing rules that go further than what’s spelled out in state law, which says sprinklers are required in apartment buildings with more than 20 units.
