High-rise sprinklers must become law

Once again Honolulu has experienced another high- rise fire. And once again, the talk begins about requiring the city’s older high-rise buildings to "retrofit" with fire sprinklers.

The major opposition to retrofitting fire sprinklers in older buildings is, understandably, cost.

The City Council should package a law on fire safety with a tax incentive or tax break that would offset much of the cost of installation.

The cost — both in human life and in property damage — of a major high-rise fire would far exceed the expense of installing sprinklers. We must not wait until that lesson is learned the hard way.

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