Terin Hopkins

NFSA Manager of Public Fire Protection

Across the United States, many of the high-rise residential buildings that define our urban skylines were constructed decades before modern fire protection systems became standard. These buildings continue to serve as a critical component of the nation’s housing infrastructure, providing homes to seniors, working families, and residents who depend on reliable and affordable safe housing options in major cities.

Yet a large portion of this housing stock was built before automatic fire sprinklers were required in residential high-rise buildings. While these structures have served communities for generations, evolving fire risks and aging infrastructure are prompting an important national conversation about how best to improve safety while preserving the affordability and stability of the housing they provide.

That conversation will take center stage at the National High-Rise Retrofit Summit, scheduled for June 8–10, 2026, in Chicago. The summit, free to attend, is designed to bring together property owners, management companies, facility managers, engineers, fire service leaders, policy makers, and safety experts to engage in meaningful dialogue about improving fire protection in legacy high-rise buildings.

The Intersection of Safety and Housing Stability

High-rise residential buildings are often located in dense urban areas where housing demand is high, and affordability challenges are real. Many buildings constructed between the 1950s and early 1990s remain essential sources of housing, particularly for residents on fixed incomes or in workforce housing.

When a major fire occurs in one of these buildings, the consequences extend far beyond the immediate emergency. Fires in unsprinklered buildings can lead to large-scale evacuations, extensive property damage, and prolonged displacement of residents. In some cases, buildings remain uninhabitable for months or even years. These incidents also place a significant strain on public services. Large high-rise fires often require multi-alarm responses, tying up fire departments, EMS units, and law enforcement resources for extended periods of time. Local governments may also face increased demands for emergency shelter, social services, building inspections, and recovery assistance for displaced residents.

For property owners and managers, these incidents represent more than a safety issue. They can impact building operations, insurance and liability costs, regulatory scrutiny, and long-term asset stability. In addition to the direct effects on a building and its residents, major fires can ripple outward through the surrounding community, placing pressure on municipal resources and creating long-term recovery challenges for neighborhoods and local agencies alike.

Improving fire protection systems in aging high-rise buildings is not simply a regulatory matter, it is an important component of protecting residents, preserving buildings, and maintaining stable communities.

A Seat at the Table for Property Owners

One of the most important goals of the National High-Rise Retrofit Summit is to ensure that property owners and management professionals are fully included in the discussion.

Too often, conversations about building retrofits take place without meaningful engagement from those who are responsible for operating and maintaining these properties on a daily basis. Owners and management teams understand the practical realities that must be considered when evaluating building upgrades.

These realities include capital planning cycles, operational logistics, resident communication, maintenance scheduling, and the financial pressures that come with maintaining aging infrastructure.

The summit is intentionally designed to create an environment where all stakeholders can engage in constructive, solutions-focused dialogue.

Participants will hear from stakeholders who have undertaken retrofit projects, as well as engineers, contractors, and building professionals who specialize in modernizing fire protection systems in existing high-rise buildings.

The goal is not to dictate solutions, but rather to share experiences, lessons learned, and best practices that can inform future decision-making.

Addressing Cost Concerns and Common Misconceptions

One of the largest barriers to meaningful discussions about high-rise retrofits is the prevalence of misinformation surrounding cost, feasibility, and disruption.

Property owners frequently encounter dramatically inflated estimates or outdated assumptions that suggesting retrofit projects are impossible or financially unrealistic. In some cases, these exaggerated claims have prevented productive conversations from even beginning.

In reality, retrofit costs vary widely depending on building design, available infrastructure, and the strategy used for installation. Modern materials, new installation techniques, and phased retrofit approaches have created opportunities that did not exist decades ago.

The summit will provide data-driven insights from completed retrofit projects across the country, offering a clearer picture of what these projects actually involve. Discussions will focus on practical considerations such as phased installations, integration with renovation cycles, targeted asbestos abatement strategies, and technologies designed specifically for retrofit applications in occupied buildings.

By grounding the conversation in real-world experience, the summit aims to replace speculation with credible information and practical solutions.

Minimizing Disruption While Maximizing Safety

Another common concern among property owners and management teams is the potential disruption retrofit projects may cause for residents.

High-rise buildings are complex environments, and any building upgrade must be carefully planned to minimize inconvenience for occupants. Successful retrofit projects require thoughtful coordination, clear communication with residents, and scheduling strategies that reduce disruption.

Many property owners have already navigated these challenges successfully, and their experiences will be an important part of the summit’s discussions.

Sessions will explore best practices for maintaining occupancy during retrofit projects, coordinating work with routine maintenance or renovation schedules, and implementing phased approaches that spread costs and minimize operational impact.

These strategies are essential for ensuring that safety improvements can be implemented while maintaining the stability that residents depend on.

A Shared Responsibility for Community Safety

Fire protection in high-rise buildings is not solely the responsibility of one group. It is a shared responsibility that involves building owners, management professionals, fire departments, engineers, policy makers, and residents.

Automatic fire sprinklers remain the most effective tools available for controlling fires in buildings. When combined with standpipe systems, automatic alarms, emergency planning, and strong building management practices, they form the cornerstone of modern fire protection.

For residents, these systems provide an additional layer of safety. For property owners, they offer protection against catastrophic property loss and operational disruption. For firefighters, they reduce the intensity of fires encountered during emergency responses.

Moving from Conversation to Action

The National High-Rise Retrofit Summit is designed to move beyond general discussion and focus on practical pathways forward. The program will examine challenges, present credible data, explore policy developments, and highlight implementation strategies that have worked in real buildings.

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the tools available to evaluate retrofit options and plan for the future of their properties.

Equally important, they will gain the opportunity to connect with professionals across the country who are working toward the same goal: making high-rise buildings safer while preserving the housing they provide.

Be Part of the National Conversation

The future of the nation’s legacy high-rise buildings depends on thoughtful collaboration between the public and private sectors. Property owners and management companies are central to that effort.

Their experience, expertise, and leadership are critical to developing realistic solutions that improve safety without undermining housing affordability or building stability.

The National High-Rise Retrofit Summit offers an opportunity to engage in an honest, productive conversation about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

By participating, property owners and management professionals can help shape policies, share practical insights, and ensure that the national conversation around high-rise safety reflects the real-world experience of those who manage these buildings every day.

Safe buildings support stable communities. And stable communities depend on safe housing.

The conversation begins in Chicago. Join us at the National High-Rise Retrofit Summit

More about the Author:

Terin Hopkins has 40 years of experience in public safety, fire protection, and life safety policy. He currently serves as the Manager of Public Fire Protection for the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), where he leads technical support and advocacy efforts nationwide, working closely with fire departments, code and standard, and policymakers to improve fire protection infrastructure and compliance. He represents NFSA on many NFPA and UL technical committees, including NFPA 14 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems.

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