March 18, 2008 06:49 am To the editor: Once again business puts the need for profit before human life. On March 10, The Daily News editorial, "Sprinkler law threatens to dampen business growth," is another prime example where human life takes a back seat to business. Ask the family of anyone who kissed a loved one goodbye in the morning only to receive a call that their loved one perished in a fire at work if, had the building been totally fitted with sprinklers, their life could possibly have been saved if $40,000 to $100,000 is too much to spend. Businesses have an obligation to protect the people they hire as well as the employee has an expectation that the employer is doing everything humanly possible to protect them while at work. Accidents will happen, that is a part of life. What should never be tolerated is any business skimping on safety in order to bolster profits. If a business is doing so well that it needs to expand, then without question they must factor in the cost of protecting their employees. If we leave the decision up to local politicians or local boards we all know what will happen, don't we? Ask any firefighter who has ever entered a business that is on fire where employees might be inside if sprinklers should be mandated. In this day and age after example after example where sprinklers have made the difference of life and death; where example after example have shown us that the lack of sprinklers has caused needless loss of life and property, it is irresponsible to even suggest that anyone allow any public or private building where the public enters to go without sprinklers. For this newspaper to even suggest that any business be allowed to bypass safety or to allow local officials to mandate sprinklers is also off-base. Our local fire officials do a fantastic job of enforcing the law in regards to public safety; why would this newspaper want to put them or anyone in harm's way for the need of profit? The state fire marshal through the authority of the law should and must continue to enforce the use of sprinklers through our fire department and building inspectors. This newspaper should be encouraging the protection of life, not encouraging the possible loss of even one life through the lack of sprinklers. ROBERT D. COX Salisbury
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