CHARLOTTE COUNTY -
For some it may be easy to sleep through a smoke or fire alarm, but what if water is falling from above? House fires can spread quickly and furiously but there is a way to fight the flames even if you're unaware of the danger.
The use of residential sprinkler systems is on the rise. And with over 2,000 deaths and 13,000 injuries related to fires reported nationwide in 2010, those sprinklers could be what saves your life and your home.
Bob Logan is one of the first people in Charlotte County to ever have their home outfitted with a residential sprinkler system.
"When I put the system in, in 1983, I was the fire marshal," he said.
When you look around his home, it's easy to see Logan's passion for fire safety. With 45-years in the fire service, Logan knows first-hand the benefit of fireproofing a home.
House fires strike without warning and spread quickly. But having a tool that fights the fire, even before help arrives, can potentially save your life and keep your home upright.
"Fire damage is minimized as well as smoke damage to the home and that makes a huge difference," said Dee Hawkins, with Charlotte County Fire and Rescue.
Supporters believe indoor sprinklers aren't more common because of some widespread falsehoods which scare people away - one of them being the cost of the system.
"As a rough estimate on a 1,200 square foot home, you could probably sprinkler it for $500 to $700," said Mike Obaugh, with Space Coast Fire and Safety.
And then there's the idea that if one sprinkler head goes off, then they all will.
"That's just a myth you see in movies sprinkler heads activate individually," Obaugh said.
And some people believe that the water damage from the sprinklers will be more severe than the fire and smoke damage would be.
"You're going to have some water damage that's going to be unavoidable but you're also going to be alive at the end of the fire," said Obaugh.
While Logan has never had to test his system, he's confident in the fact his family and his home would be safe.
"Fire sprinklers will reduce the amount of water it takes to extinguish a fire it will reduce the time it takes to extinguish a fire and it will save lives," Logan said.
During construction is when experts say is the cheapest point to have the sprinklers installed. However, they say it's still affordable if you want them in after the fact.
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