Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce an amendment that highlights the critical importance of deploying fire sprinklers in all commercial buildings. My amendment encourages the installation of fire sprinklers in commercial buildings and supports educational programs about installing them in residential buildings as well. Five years ago, a tragedy struck in my home State of Rhode Island when a fire tore through the Station Nightclub in West Warwick. It was certainly a terrible awakening for all of us about the importance of fire safety. That fire, which killed 100 people and injured 200 more, could have been prevented, Mr. Chairman, if fire sprinklers had been installed throughout the building. Almost every Rhode Islander knows someone whose life was changed forever by that terrible night, and we all learned a very hard lesson on the importance of installing fire protection equipment in our homes, workplaces, our schools, and recreational buildings. I hope that with a renewed focus on installing fire sprinklers and other safety devices, that we can prevent a tragedy like the one in West Warwick from ever occurring again. There is no question that fire sprinklers save lives.”