Warwick Sues Fire Sprinkler Vendor for $574K After Water Damage at City Hall

Warwick Sues Fire Sprinkler Vendor for $574K After Water Damage at City Hall

The City of Warwick has sued a fire sprinkler vendor in federal court, after it said a system failure resulted in more than half a million dollars in water damage to City Hall in 2018. 

The case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on August 25 alleges Johnson Controls Fire Protection (JCFP) Limited Partnership - which is headquartered in Wisconsin, with offices nationally including in Rhode Island — is responsible for the financial damages in part due to its responsibility to inspect and maintain sprinkler systems in the city. 

The complaint by the City of Warwick, which had originally been filed in June in Kent County Superior Court in June, alleges it suffered $574,373.28 in property damages to its premises. 

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About Case

According to the lawsuit filed by the city: 

In or about March 2018, JCFP entered into an agreement with the City of Warwick whereby JCFP would inspect various sprinkler systems in city-owned buildings as required under National Fire Protection Associations (NFPA) regulations. 

On or about October 22, 2018, the sprinkler system at Warwick City Hall failed, causing significant property damage. 

Inspection at the facility indicated that the system's failure was caused by corrosion in the main dry valve, which should have been detected during routine maintenance and inspection of the sprinkler system. 

JCFP in its response denied the majority of the allegations levied by the city.

Moreover, JCFP alleges that the plaintiff -- the City Warwick — “fails to state a claim against JCFP upon which relief can be granted.”

Attorney Christopher Alger with the City of Warwick told GoLocal the legal motion was "a subrogation attempt by the City's insurance company that was brought in the name of the city and not a suit brought by the city itself."

"Hopefully we collect something from the sprinkler company but we'll see," said Alger.

In March 2022, Johnson Controls was sued in Wisconsin along with four other companies as a result of a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigation of PFAS contamination from firefighting foam.