From the Albuquerque Journal: Fire code in Albuquerque (N.M.) requires taverns and bars, nightclubs, banquet halls, and restaurants over 5,000 square feet or with an occupancy of 300 or more to have sprinklers “in all spaces.” Fire Marshal Victor Marquez believes those spaces include walk-in coolers of restaurants.

The ordinance would have required all buildings it covers to have completed retrofit as of next July — with plans due this month — but the City Council has amended it to apply only to new construction.

Coolers and walk-in freezers are not specifically mentioned in the International Fire Code, on which Albuquerque’s code is based, but are cited in the National Fire Protection Association standards for installing sprinkler systems.

Marquez said special dry-pipe sprinkler heads used in freezers or coolers should prevent the system from activating accidently and causing damage, because there would have to be enough heat in the cooler or freezer to melt the fuse that allows water to run through the sprinklers. Read the entire article here.