GHF&MO
For More Information on Home Fire Sprinklers go to:
National Fire Protection Association (click codes & stds or Reports)
Fire sprinklers are mandatory in most public buildings, and people are now demanding the same level of protection for their homes. Home fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and can even help cut homeowners’ insurance premiums. Not only do home fire sprinklers dramatically reduce the risk of home fire deaths, they also decrease fire damage by as much as two-thirds when compared to homes without sprinklers. Many communities across the U.S. are seeing impressive results from installing home fire sprinklers in all new construction. In Scottsdale, AZ, fire sprinklers have been required in all new homes since 1986. Today, more than half the homes in Scottsdale are protected with sprinklers. There have been no deaths in sprinklered homes, while 13 people died in homes without sprinklers. There was less fire damage in the homes with sprinklers. The average fire loss per sprinklered incident was $2,166 compared to more than $45,000 loss per fire in homes without fire sprinklers.
- HOME F IRE FACTS*
• Eight out of ten fire deaths in the U.S. occur in the home.
• Every 79 seconds, a residence burns.
• Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home fire 82% relative to having neither – a savings of thousands of lives a year.
*NFPA
FIRE SPRINKLER MYTHS
Some homeowners are reluctant to installsprinklers because they don’t know the
factsabout their operation.
Myth: The water damage from sprinklers isworse
than a fire.
Fact: A sprinkler activates during theearly stages
of a fire before it grows andspreads. A sprinkler will control or extinguish a
fire with a tiny fraction of the water that would be used by fire department
hoses. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water
directly on the fire, not the rest of the house.
Myth: Sprinklers go off accidentally, causing
unnecessary water damage.
Fact: Accidental sprinkler discharge is extremely
rare. One study concluded that home sprinkler accidents are generally less
likely and less severe than standard home plumbing mishaps. And, despite the
Hollywood “sight gags”, burned toast and cigarette smokewill not trigger
sprinkler operation. Each sprinkler works independently and only in response to
fire.
Myth: Sprinklers are ugly.
Fact: Modern residential sprinklers are
inconspicuous and can be mounted flush with walls or ceilings. Some sprinklers
can even be concealed. And, just like regular plumbing, pipes can be hidden
behind ceilings or walls.