200 Homes get Free Sprinklers as UK tries to stem county's alarming fire death rate

200 homes in Derbyshire set for free fire sprinklers

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Derby Telegraph

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SCORES of Derbyshire homes will get free sprinkler systems in a bid to cut the county's alarming fire death rates.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service will use a hi-tech system to identify homes that are most at risk of being involved in blazes.

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   The tragic fire at Hulland Ward in which four children died has been cited as one reason why homes should get sprinklers

Local authorities are then set to select sprinkler firms to begin fitting the life-saving devices.

The scheme is just one part of the fire service's work to promote sprinklers in the county after the deaths of 18 people in house fires in the past two years.

Most shocking was a blaze in January last year which killed four young children at their home in Hulland Ward.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Sean Wells said: "We are talking about targeting the very high-risk properties.

"Having a sprinkler is like having a firefighter in every room."

The fire service already has £200,000 from Derbyshire Fire Authority to spend on installing 100 sprinklers and talks are under way for the same amount again for another 100 to come from the county's county, city and district councils.

Each sprinkler system would cost £2,000 to fit.

Mr Wells said the homes would be selected using a computer system which would zero in on properties considered most at risk.

This would take into account data such as previous fires, information on if occupiers were disabled and deprivation statistics.

Mr Wells said: "In areas of high deprivation, you're more likely to find people have other things to worry about than spending money on alarms or sprinklers."

The fire service is already campaigning for people to sign an online petition calling for sprinklers to be made compulsory by law in all new dwellings. This has 1,248 signatures nationwide so far and is open until August.

Mr Wells revealed that the fire service has also asked the county's councils to make changes to the way they deal with planning applications so that new homes are more likely to have sprinklers.

He said these could see authorities having to consider whether sprinkler systems are included in plans when picking a developer to take on a major project.

Mr Wells said the fire service also wanted local authorities to work with developers to persuade them to make new homes "sprinkler-ready".

This, he said, meant that the homes mains water would have to be pumped around the new homes at a pressure which meant they could have sprinkler systems fitted without modification.

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Dales District Council, which has Hulland Ward in its area, said the £20,000 for which it had been asked could come from the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

This sees developers charged a certain amount of money for community investment per home for which they get planning permission.

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Fire sprinkler codes will protect homeowners

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Posted: Mar. 5, 2012 | 1:59 a.m.

To the editor:

In response to your Feb. 25 editorial, and a subsequent letter to the editor, opposing a proposed city ordinance requiring new homes be equipped with fire sprinklers:

First and foremost, we suspect plumbers will install many of the fire sprinkler systems not the fire sprinkler contractor. We also suspect those with the lowest price win. But key to our point is the fire sprinkler requirement is part of the national model code. The requirement is in the code because products used in new construction do not fare well in fires.

This, coupled with very flammable synthetic furnishings and great rooms, has led to significant concerns during fires.

If you want unbiased reasons for fire sprinklers in new homes, do an Internet search for "lightweight construction firefighter safety" and you will find more than 60,000 sites that dimension the fire safety problem in newly constructed homes which led to the fire sprinkler requirement. Your editorial in essence is saying it is acceptable to build new homes in non-compliance with national safety codes and sprinklers harm the housing market -- let's spend the money on granite countertops and kitchen islands.

And yes, my home is fire sprinkler protected -- has been for 20 years and the cost of maintaining this system has been zero.

Buddy Dewar

Tallahassee, Fla.

The writer is vice president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association.

No principles

To the editor:

What a shock. Like many on the left, Steve Sebelius thinks it's time for some bipartisanship in Washington (Wednesday Review-Journal). Members of the left always repeat this refrain when they can't get their way.

They had zero issues with hyper-partisanship during their ramrodding of ObamaCare down our throats. But now that they can't get everything they want, it's time to get along. What hypocrites.

The left's idea of bipartisanship is for conservatives to throw away our principals and just give them their way.

Mike Murphy

Pahrump

Cowards and thugs

To the editor:

The decision by newly appointed District Attorney Steve Wolfson not to prosecute the police officers who kicked and beat a helpless man suffering a diabetic event is very bad news.

In a blatant example of conflict of interest, the previous district attorney, David Roger, abandoned the post with three years left in his four-year term to take a position as general counsel of the Police Protective Association. This action, after he failed to investigate several high-profile incidents involving killings by police officers, hints that Mr. Roger went to work for the PPA long before he left public office.

Now Mr. Wolfson is carrying on the tradition to which long-time residents of this valley have grown accustomed -- that of protecting police officers at the expense of ordinary citizens. His statement that too much time had passed since the videotaped beating in October 2010 is absurd, and proves that once again the top law-enforcement officer in Clark County has failed to protect the people he is sworn to serve.

The cowards and thugs who would kick and beat a defenseless man tarnish the respect that most police officers deserve, but that is beside the point. They are criminals. Assault and battery, when committed under the color of law, is even more damaging to society. If this is the way Mr. Wolfson is going to conduct his office, the citizens of Clark County must look elsewhere for protection.

John Henry Melancon

Las Vegas

Sprinkler system prevents major apartment fire

by Kara Durrette Posted: 03.01.2012 at 5:24 PM

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Kara Durrette Kara Durrette joined the WACH FOX News team in December 2011 as the Interactive Managing Editor. read more » Become a Fan Follow Kara Contact Kara Kara's feed

1 0 Read more: Local, News, Lugoff, Apartment Fire, Sprinkler System Extinguishes Fire, Lugoff Fire Department, Pine Grove Fire Department, Glaney Fire Department, Fire Alarm Activiation, Hallmark Apartments, Roy Truesdale Road,Complex Evacuated, Fire Damage, Water Damage, Smoke Detectors, Install Smoke Detectors, Sprinler System, Save a Life, Firefighters, Sc Firefighters, Fire,Fire Chief Dennis Ray, Dennis Ray, American Red Cross, Evacuation, Families Evacuated, Sprinkler Saves Lives An apartment sprinkler system prevented a major apartment fire at a Lugoff complex Wednesday night. LUGOFF, S.C. (WACH) - An apartment sprinkler system prevented a major apartment fire at a Lugoff complex Wednesday night. Firefighters from Lugoff, Pine Grove, and Blaney Fire Departments responded to a fire alarm activation at the Hallmark Apartments on Roy Truesdale Road in Lugoff around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. The complex had been evacuated when firefighters arrived. Upon entering a second floor apartment that had moderate smoke coming from the doorway, firefighters discovered that two sprinklers had been activated. The sprinklers completely extinguished a stove fire in the kitchen area of the unit. The responders were able to shut off the sprinkler system and replace the sprinkler heads to put the system back in service. All fire damage was limited to the kitchen area of the apartment. Water damage from the sprinklers affected two apartments. The affected apartments were closed when the department shut off power to the rooms as a precaution due to the water from the sprinklers. The American Red Cross assisted the two families evacuated from the fire with temporary housing. The cause of the fire was ruled accidental from cooking and the total loss will be assessed by the insurance company. “This fire had the potential to be a major fire affecting a lot of people, including the safety of our firefighters, if the sprinklers were not there to stop the fire from spreading throughout the apartment and adjoining apartments. I cannot emphasize enough the value of having fire sprinklers, especially in apartments and homes, to give occupants a chance to exit the structure or be rescued before smoke inhalation occurs” Lugoff Fire Chief Dennis Ray stated. Ray reminds everyone that the Lugoff Fire Department installs smoke detectors free of charge to those who cannot afford to purchase them or are unable to physically install them. Residents needing smoke detectors can call 803-438-2553 to schedule an installation. Ray also encourages anyone building a home to consider installing a simple residential sprinkler system during construction; it could save the life of a loved one or a firefighter coming to save them.