Fraternity and sorority houses may soon be required to spend up to $100,000 apiece to install fire safety sprinkler systems.

The changes would be the result of a city code expected to be proposed later this year.

Alisa Frandsen, director of greek affairs and assistant dean of students, said the new ordinance would require indoor sprinkler systems to be in every house within five years if it is passed.

This effort has been a work in progress for several years because of a national trend of fire-related deaths that could have been prevented with proper safety precautions, said Russ Scott, Ames deputy fire chief.

“It’s unacceptable,” Scott said. “If you look across the nation in the last 10 years, there are a lot of lives lost due to fires on university campuses, especially in congregate residences, such as residence halls and greek houses. We know that sprinklers save lives, and it just makes sense.”

It is uncertain when the Ames City Council would consider such a proposal to have sprinkler systems installed, because it has not been submitted to the council yet, said Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco. Tedesco said as of now, it is just a initiative that originated in the Ames Fire Inspector’s office.

Scott said the Ames Fire Department is working closely with greek houses before the new code is proposed because it takes a lot of time and money to get these systems in place.

“We do realize that this is a real issue — that is why we are dealing with it now,” Frandsen said.

Some greek houses, such as Delta Tau Delta, have already started planning for the installation because of a decision made either by a national chapter or corporation board.

Stephen Jones, corporation board member of Delta Tau Delta, 2121 Sunset Dr., and extension communication specialist for civil, environmental and construction engineering, said the fraternity feels the upgrade is the right thing to do.

“I would hope that as a group, we would look at the positive side of this instead of as something the city told us to do,” Jones said. “I think a lot of good things could come of this.”

Although Delta Tau Delta has plans to install the sprinklers, there has not yet been a decision as to how it will be paid for. Like most other greek houses, Delta Tau Delta relies on financial support from alumni — a problem because any tax-deductible money given by alumni must be used only for educational purposes, a category sprinklers do not fall under.

The issue has been brought to the national level with the Collegiate Infrastructure Act, which would allow tax-deductible donations to greek houses for purposes other than educational programs.

The act has not yet been passed, Jones said.

He said the installation of a sprinkler systems would lower insurance premiums by about 30 percent.

Kathy Wieland, Kappa Kappa Gamma Corporation Board member and director of Business Career Services, said the house saved money over five years to pay about $100,000 for a sprinkler system several years ago after a national council advisory.

“It was a sacrifice we didn’t mind making,” Wieland said. “Sprinklers are the best way to prevent fire deaths.”

Deanna Miller has been house mother of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Lynn Ave., for 20 years.

In those years, she said, she has seen the Tau Kappa Epsilon, Fiji and Theta Chi houses catch fire because of faulty fire systems.

“[The sprinkler system] is better than nice, it’s just a necessity,” Miller said. “It’s nice for parents to know that their kids are safe.”

Although greek enrollment has been down this year, people in the greek community said if the code is passed, it will not dramatically affect participation.

“I feel it could even be a selling point,” Scott said. “Parents like to feel that their children are safe, and no one is objecting to the proposal of the new code.”