The editors gave a four column heading and about 18 column inches to a letter which they head “Legislature has thought through sprinkler issue”.
WATCHDOG: Growl! In his younger years, the Watchdog was a builder and is still active in property management. Having recently had four hundred house type fire sprinkler systems with an average of eight heads per apartment installed in buildings with truss joists (at a sprinkler cost of $2,000 per apartment), he finds some of the information provided in the letter foreign to his experience and knowledge.
He agrees about the importance of routinely changing batteries for smoke detectors, preferably every nine months. For new construction, the detectors should both be wired and with batteries. (If a fire breaks out that throws the main breaker, there is no electricity to operate the detector…even if it were “hard wired.”)
The editors give tacit credibility to a letter when they allow it to run longer than most editorials and columnists and prominently feature it. It did not merit such treatment.
Is the Intell so short of reporters that they cannot spend a few hours doing research and write an authoritative article on this ‘life safety’ matter? If so, why not simply refer the letter to the Sunday News or, if it won’t cover the matter, then to NewsLanc. Meanwhile, we’ll see what we can do.
