a fire hydrant in the middle of a building under construction

Sprinklers

Automatic fire sprinklers detect heat and control the fire. By reducing the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire, fire sprinklers save lives providing residents more time to escape.

Sprinkler Ordinances

In 2018, an ordinance was put in place that requires all existing high-rise residential buildings to conduct fire safety evaluations within three years and take steps to pass the evaluations within seven years.

The ordinance was prompted by the fire that raged through the 36-story Marco Polo building in July 2017, killing four people. The building, built in 1971 before the city required high-rise residential buildings to have a sprinkler system, was not equipped with an automatic sprinkler system.

Resources

Here are the resources needed to comply with the law.

Ordinances Relating to Fire Safety

Building & Life Safety Evaluation

This form is for licensed design professionals to use for existing residential high-rise buildings.

SEE WORKSHEET

List of High-rises

All existing high-rise residential buildings in Honolulu that need to be in compliance with the Ordinance 19-04. Updated February 17, 2023.

VIEW LIST

Safety Tips

When installing, use a licensed professional to install sprinklers.
Inspect, test, and maintain sprinklers per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Fire sprinklers are the first line of defense against fires!
Having fire sprinklers are like having a fire fighter in your home 24/7.

Residential Fire Sprinkler Facts

Fire kills an average of 2,500 people annually in the U.S., which is more than all natural disasters combined. Unfortunately, 80% of all fire deaths are the result of home fires.

Those at the highest risk are the very young or the elderly.
Occupants have about three minutes to escape a home fire.

Since 2007, two states require residential fire sprinklers; 18 states allow local jurisdictions to require residential sprinklers; and three states require residential fire sprinklers in townhouses. Fire sprinklers really save lives.

In 2014, the National Fire Protection Association found that fire deaths were
reduced as much as 83% in sprinklered homes.
From 2006 to 2015, the Honolulu Fire Department found that only 4% of fire deaths occurred in sprinklered buildings. Fire sprinklers really save property!
A 2014 National Fire Protection Association report found a 69% reduction in property loss when a residential fire sprinkler is installed.
From 2006 to 2015, the Honolulu Fire Department found that only 4% of property losses occurred in sprinklered buildings.