5 Myths About Home Fire Sprinklers

from claimsjournal.com

May 8, 2013

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The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is helping to dispel five common myths about fire sprinklers, and highlighting the benefits of home sprinklers to kickoff Fire Safety and Awareness Week (May 6-12), which is part of National Building Safety Month in May.

5 MYTHS ABOUT HOME FIRE SPRINKLERS

1. When one sprinkler goes off, all the sprinklers activate.

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The sprinkler heads react to temperatures in each room individually, allowing only the sprinkler closest to the fire to activate. In fact, 90 percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.

2. A sprinkler could accidentally go off, causing severe water damage to a home.

Records show that the likelihood of this occurring is very remote. In addition, residential fire sprinklers are designed and tested to minimize such accidents.

3. Water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage.

The sprinkler system will limit a fire’s growth. Therefore, damage from a residential sprinkler system will be much less severe than the smoke and fire damage if the fire had continued unabated, or the water damage caused by firefighting hose lines.

4. Home sprinkler systems are expensive.

The cost of installing home fire sprinklers averages $1.61 per square foot for new construction, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report produced by the Fire Protection Research Foundation. To put the cost of a sprinkler system into perspective, that is roughly the same amount people pay for carpet upgrades, a paver stone driveway or a whirlpool bath – none of which save lives.

5. Requiring residential fire sprinklers will inhibit new home construction.

A 2009 study conducted on behalf of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compared residential home construction in four counties in Maryland and Virginia – two with sprinkler mandates and two without. The study concluded the presence of sprinkler mandates did not have a negative effect on the number of homes being built.

Benefits of Fire Sprinklers

A residential fire occurs every 87 seconds, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), with half of all home fire deaths occurring between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., according to the NFPA.

Residential fire sprinklers can contain a fire and may even extinguish it before firefighters arrive, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. This provides valuable extra time to get everyone out of the house. Sprinklers reduce civilian fire deaths by an estimated 83 percent; reduce direct property damage by more than two-thirds per fire; and are responsible for an estimated 65 percent reduction in firefighter injuries, according to the NFPA.

The District of Columbia adopted a fire sprinkler installation building code requirement for all residences built after Jan.1, 2011. The result – fire deaths declined in the District from 33.4 in 2009 to 8 in 2011 and 2012 combined. In Maryland, State Fire Marshal Steven Barnard cited the state’s fire sprinkler requirement in newly built, multi-family dwellings as a significant factor in the 22 percent drop in fire-related deaths in the state in 2012.

“There is no disputing the fact that residential fire sprinklers can save lives and prevent significant property damage,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “To that end, IBHS urges state lawmakers to protect the lives, safety and welfare of their constituents by adopting a residential fire sprinklers requirement for all new homes in their state building code.”

Source: IBHS at DisasterSafety.org

IBHS Dispels Fire Sprinkler Myths

from fireengineering.com

05/07/2013

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The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is helping to dispel five common myths about fire sprinklers, and highlighting the benefits of home sprinklers to kickoff  Fire Safety and Awareness Week (May 6-12), which is part of National Building Safety Month in May.

5 MYTHS ABOUT HOME FIRE SPRINKLERS

1.      When one sprinkler goes off, all the sprinklers activate.
The sprinkler heads react to temperatures in each room individually, allowing only the sprinkler closest to the fire to activate. In fact, 90 percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.
 

2.      A sprinkler could accidentally go off, causing severe water damage to a home. 
Records show that the likelihood of this occurring is very remote. In addition, residential fire sprinklers are designed and tested to minimize such accidents.
 

3.      Water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage.
The sprinkler system will limit a fire’s growth. Therefore, damage from a residential sprinkler system will be much less severe than the smoke and fire damage if the fire had continued unabated, or the water damage caused by firefightinghose lines.
 

4.      Home sprinkler systems are expensive.
The cost of installing home fire sprinklers averages $1.61 per square foot for new construction, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report produced by the Fire Protection Research Foundation. To put the cost of a sprinkler system into perspective, that is roughly the same amount people pay for carpet upgrades, a paveer stone driveway or a whirlpool bath – none of which save lives.
 

5.      Requiring residential fire sprinklers will inhibit new home construction.
A 2009 study conducted on behalf of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compared residential home construction in four counties in Maryland and Virginia – two with sprinkler mandates and two without. The study concluded the presence of sprinkler mandates did not have a negative effect on the number of homes being built.

Benefits of Fire Sprinklers

A residential fire occurs every 87 seconds, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), with half of all home fire deaths occurring between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., according to the NFPA.

Residential fire sprinklers can contain a fire and may even extinguish it before firefighters arrive, according to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. This provides valuable extra time to get everyone out of the house. Sprinklers reduce civilian fire deaths by an estimated 83 percent; reduce direct property damage by more than two-thirds per fire; and are responsible for an estimated 65 percent reduction in firefighter injuries, according to the NFPA.

The District of Columbia adopted a fire sprinkler installation building code requirement for all residences built after Jan.1, 2011. The result - fire deaths declined in the District from 33.4 in 2009 to 8 in 2011 and 2012 combined. In Maryland, State Fire Marshal Steven Barnard cited the state’s fire sprinkler requirement in newly built, multi-family dwellings as a significant factor in the 22 percent drop in fire-related deaths in the state in 2012.

"There is no disputing the fact that residential fire sprinklers can save lives and prevent significant property damage," said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. "To that end, IBHS urges state lawmakers to protect the lives, safety and welfare of their constituents by adopting a residential fire sprinklers requirement for all new homes in their state building code."

IBHS is a leading national expert on preparing for – and repairing and rebuilding structures after – a catastrophe to make them more disaster-resistant. To arrange an interview with IBHS, contact Joseph King at 813-675-1045/813-442-2845, jking@ibhs.org or via direct message on Twitter @jsalking.

Visit DisasterSafety.org; follow IBHS on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on Facebook.

RFD: Fire Sprinklers Save Two Redmond Structures

from thepatch

The Redmond Fire Department says two fires in Redmond Friday morning could have been much worse if sprinklers had not activated.

• By Redmond Patch Staff
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• May 4, 2013

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Fire sprinklers were activated in two separate Redmond buildings Friday morning, and city fire officials say they helped prevent serious damage and possibly saved lives. 

In both cases, the activation of single sprinkler heads limited damage until firefighters could arrive, according a Redmond Fire Department press release.

In the first case, the sprinklers gave two employees time to evacuate the building. In the second case, they helped protect a dog that was alone in a home.

The first call came at 1:31 a.m. after an alarm activated in a building at the Redmond Ridge Business Park in the 22900 block of NE Alder Crest Drive. The second came at 7:58 a.m. at the Avignon Townhomes, in the 10000 block of 156 PL NE.

Here is the full Redmond Fire Department press release:

Fire Sprinklers Save Two Redmond Area Buildings Today

Redmond, WA – Prior to 8:00 a.m. today, fire sprinklers had activated in two separate Redmond area buildings to protect lives and property.  Both incidents were promptly reported to the NORCOM fire dispatch center by alarm monitoring companies.

In both instances the activation of a single, fire sprinkler head controlled the fire until the arrival of fire fighters.  In the first case the activation of the fire sprinkler provided time for two employees onsite to evacuate.  In the second, the presence of the sprinklers protected a dog home alone until it could be evacuated by fire fighters.

An early morning fire in an occupied commercial building, located in King County Fire District 34 just east of Redmond, was contained by the activation of a single, fire sprinkler head.  Redmond Fire fighters were dispatched at 01:31a.m. for a fire alarm activation in a building at the Redmond Ridge Business Park in the 22900 block of NE Alder Crest Drive.

Arriving fire fighters found the fire confined to equipment in a single room of the building.  Damage was limited to several, small, blower fans in that area.  Fire fighters completed extinguishment and assisted with water removal and smoke ventilation.  There were no injuries to employees or fire fighters. Damage is estimated at less than $500.00.  The business was able to resume operations within a few hours.

The second fire occurred later in the morning at a downtown Redmond townhome complex.  The activation of the fire sprinkler system limited the spread of a stovetop fire and protected the dog home alone in the unit.

Units from the Redmond Fire Department were dispatched at 07:58 a.m. to an automatic fire alarm at Avignon Townhomes, located in the 10000 block of 156 PL NE.  The first engine arrived at 08:03a.m. to find smoke issuing from the second floor of a townhome in the middle of the six unit building.  The majority of the fire was extinguished by the sprinkler.

Fire fighters evacuated the dog from the home, ventilated the smoke, and took steps to limitwater damage.  Despite the open floor plan of the townhome, fire damage was limited to the stove, microwave oven, and the upper cabinets and wall surface directly above the stove. Smoke damage was confined to the kitchen ceiling.  Fire fighters completed extinguishment and assisted with water removal and smoke ventilation.  There were no injuries to residents, fire fighters, or the dog.  No adjacent townhomes were affected.  Damage is estimated at less than $4,000.00.  Facilities staff was initiating repairs this morning.

Your Redmond Fire Department would like to remind you that Fire Sprinklers SAVE LIVES and minimize damage, install them whenever possible.

Related Topics: Fire sprinklers save Redmond structures