Minneapolis Housing Authority executive director Abdi Warsame will never forget the pain and suffering that he saw at Cedar-Riverside apartment building in November of 2019.
Five people were killed and four others were hurt when fire accidentally broke out in an apartment building on the 14th floor of the high-rise.
There were no fire suppression sprinklers in that living space.
Nearly five years later, Warsami joined others in northeast Minneapolis to mark the final installations of sprinklers in the city’s 42 high-risers.
“For me, this is a bittersweet moment,” said Warsame, who at the time of the fire was that neighborhood’s representative on Minneapolis city council.
“I was there on the day of when the tragedy happened,” he said.
When the plan to install the sprinklers was approved, officials figured it would take five years.
It was done in four.
“It was because of the great work of the staff, and also because all the different levels of government banded together and raised the resources that we needed in order to make the installation possible,” he said.
“It’s the best side of government.”
The installations also provides peace of mind for those living in Minneapolis high-rises.
“A lot of seniors live in our building, and they were kind of put-upon by it,” said Shriley Brown, who lives in a high-rise at 616 Washington St. “It’s a blessing that it got done so quick, they’re all pleased and feeling a lot safer and more secure.
Before the installation began fewer than half of Minneapolis hgh-rise apartment were equipped with sprinkler systems.
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority set aside $14 million for the project, with the city, state, and federal agencies also contributing.
“When we talk about dignified and affordable housing for all, safety is essential to that dignity,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, who was joined by local and federal officials at a ceremony Monday at Dickman Park Apartments in northeast Minneapolis.
In addition to the sprinklers, the MPHA also installed carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in all buildings, as well as stovetop fire cans.