TUCKER, Ga. – The Standards Council of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) rejected an appeal by animal rights groups to expand fire sprinkler and smoke control systems to include all animal housing.

Under NFPA 150, Animal Housing Facilities, sprinkler protection is required for “Category A” animals, a designation that comprises zoo animals and reptiles, for example. But a group of animal rights organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and United Poultry Concerns, appealed a decision by the NFPA 150 Technical Committee to reject a proposal to expand the scope of NFPA 150 to include all animal housing. For the poultry industry, this would have meant automatic fire sprinkler and smoke control systems would be required in all new animal housing facilities, including chicken and layer houses and turkey barns, according to the US Poultry & Egg Association.

“In view of the Council, this appeal does not present any clear and substantial basis on which to overturn the results yielded by the NFPA codes and standards development process,” the Standards Council ruled. “Accordingly, the Council has voted to deny the appeals. The effect of this action is that there will be no requirement added to the new edition of NFPA 150 to require that all animal housing facilities to be sprinklered.”