Some Fire Department officials say the Mariano bill is unnecessary because current law already requires a developer to meet all provisions of the fire and building codes before he can obtain a certificate of occupancy. The bill has not yet been put to a vote.
Standpipes are the vertical piping that supply water to individual floors in a high rise.
Philadelphia Management Corp. Mariano, an electrician, says he was concerned about the safety of firefighters and residents. He says he also plans to introduce a bill that would require sprinklers in all high-rises. Some of my best friends are sprinkler fitters. He was referring to what the city spent last year to settle two civil rights cases in federal court. Levin said the money would have been better spent to demolish abandoned buildings in the city's neighborhoods.