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October 2009
Fire sprinklers save lives, and NFPA is committed to doing all we can to bring this higher level of safety home.
Home fire sprinklers cut the risk of dying in a home fire by about 80 percent. Sprinkler advocates across the country have asked for a coordinated effort to encourage the use of home fire sprinklers. NFPA has launched that effort through the Fire Sprinkler Initiative®: Bringing Safety Home.
The initiative includes a variety of proven, effective ways that home fire sprinkler advocates can communicate the impact of sprinklers. Fire Sprinkler Initiative Update will provide the latest happenings each month.
Our Web site provides resources for the fire service and other sprinkler advocates who want to demonstrate the need for home fire sprinklers in their communities.
>> GET INVOLVED
Sign up to learn more about how you can save lives in your community by encouraging your local government to mandate home fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes.
 BLOG
A Tale of Three Cities - Contra Costa County v. Prince George's County.
>> LEGISLATIVE ALERT!
New legislation is threatening the adoption of home fire sprinkler provisions for new one- and two-family dwellings. Help stop these efforts in your community.
>> NEW! Discussion Forum
Please register to become a member of the forum by clicking on the Get Involved button on the Fire Sprinkler Initiative Web site.
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Quincy, Massachusetts | 02169-7471
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ADVOCACY
New report shows benefits of home fire sprinkler – no deaths in sprinklered homes
 The home fire sprinkler ordinance effective since 1992 in Prince George’s County, MD has had a significant impact on life-safety and reduction of property damage, according to a new study released this month by the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC). The study, produced in cooperation with the University of Maryland, analyzed Prince George’s County’s experience with its single-family dwelling fire sprinkler ordinance over the 15-year period of 1992-2007.
During the 15-year period, there were 13,494 house fires with 101 deaths and 328 injuries in homes that were not protected with fire sprinklers. There were no deaths in the homes protected with home fire sprinklers. The average property loss after a fire with fatalities in an unsprinklered residence was 10 times more costly than a fire in homes protected with a fire sprinkler system.
“What we envisioned 20 years ago when we started our work to require fire sprinklers in single-family homes was demonstrated in this report,” said William Barnard, Maryland State Fire Marshal. “Prince George’s County was the first county in our country to pass this type of ordinance. With the completion of this study, we have the data to prove that we were right. The biggest fact is the fire fatalities. There were no fatalities in homes protected with fire sprinklers. It is unfortunate there were so many fatalities in the homes not protected with fire sprinklers.”
Support Needed to Keep Sprinkler Provision in the IRC
Sprinkler
Sprinkler advocates all across the country are gearing up to defend the inclusion of the life-saving sprinkler provision which was included in the 2009 International Residential Code. Proposals have been submitted to delete the requirement for the 2012 edition and will be considered at the International Code Council (ICC) hearings in Baltimore later this month. It is expected these hearings will take place on the 28th or 29th. It is critical that sprinkler supporters show up and vote at these hearings to preserve the sprinkler provision. All ICC members present at the hearings are eligible to vote. For more information on efforts to keep the sprinkler provision in the IRC visit www.ircfiresprinkler.org.
BLOG
New research study to help determine if fire sprinklers are "green"
 NFPA’s Mike Hazell chronicles in several blog entries the research test conducted at FM Global in West Glocester Rhode Island earlier this month where two 15x20 foot living rooms, each furnished with a flat-screen television, comfortable furniture, and bookshelves and family photos, were set on fire as part of a groundbreaking research project that's looking at the environmental impact of home fires.
The project, a collaborative effort of FM Global and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, is studying:
- the types, quantity and duration of air and water pollutants released from a home fire as well as the water usage from fire sprinklers and firefighters’ hoses
- the environmental impact resulting from burning household furnishings and finish materials as well as disposing the fire-damaged contents of a home
- the carbon footprint associated with rebuilding a burnt home
The blog posts include video interviews with FM Global’s Chris Wieczork and NFPA’s Gary Keith and numerous pictures for the live burn. Test results will be released in January 2010. |
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