Illinois Governor Signs 4 Fire Safety Bills

Legislation requiring all college dorms to have sprinklers installed by 2014 is one of four new fire safety bills Gov. Pat Quinn has signed into law.

The bill beefs up past legislation by instituting tougher penalties for post-secondary schools that don’t comply. That includes a $1,000-a-day fine if sprinklers aren’t installed by Sept. 1, 2014.

Quinn also signed legislation on Monday that encourages fire protection districts to buy equipment built in the state. They’ll get lower interest rates on loans to buy fire vehicles that are made in Illinois.

Other legislation consolidates loan programs to help departments buy emergency equipment and another streamlines the examination process to hire local firefighters.