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January 2010
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.
 BLOG
Death of
brothers underscores perils of house fires
Two brothers
- 10 and 12 years old - died in a house fire in Glenview, Kentucky
on Christmas day. The boys were visiting their grandparents and were
sleeping in an upstairs bedroom when the fire broke out. Five other
family members, including the boys' parents, managed to escape with
injuries. NFPA's Russ Sanders, former chief of the Louisville Fire
Department, says this terrible tragedy, along with other fire deaths
in the Louisville Metro area in 2009, could
have been prevented with home fire sprinklers.
>> GET
INVOLVED
Learn
how you can save lives in your community by encouraging your
local government to mandate fire sprinklers in all new one- and
two-family homes.
>>
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.
NFPA | One Batterymarch Park
Quincy, Massachusetts | 02169-7471
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ADVOCACY
States say "yes" to sprinkler
requirements
Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, & California pass
measures
 On December 10, the Pennsylvania
Independent Regulatory Review Commission unanimously approved a
measure to require fire sprinklers in new residential construction.
The commission adopted the 2009 edition of the International
Residential Code (IRC), and will require the installation of
automatic sprinkler systems in all new townhouses effective January
1, 2010, and in all new one- and two-family homes effective January
1, 2011.
 On December 11, the New
Hampshire State Code Review Board voted, by a 12-2 margin, to
adopt the 2009 edition of the IRC, including its requirements for
sprinkler systems in new one- and two-family dwellings. The bill
will become effective on April 1, 2012. Despite opposition from the
local home builders association, the state's fire service pulled
together to support the bill and help make this adoption a reality.
 And on January 12, the California
State Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to adopt
the 2010 California Residential Code. This measure includes the 2009
IRC and its requirements to install sprinklers in all new one- and
two-family homes and townhouses, effective January 1, 2011.
While we
celebrate these successes, we should remain mindful that sprinkler
opponents may continue working to get legislation introduced to
remove sprinkler requirements from model safety codes.
What can
you do to help?
- Educate your
community about this life-saving technology: the fire service
and other safety advocates are in a unique position to influence
the legislative process.
- Stay informed:
be aware of code updates or changes, fires in your community
that were contained by sprinklers, or home fire deaths or injuries
that could have been prevented by sprinklers.
- Build a
coalition: a strong grassroots network of supporters creates a
stronger voice that your local government will find difficult to
ignore.
Our Web site offers
resources to help you advocate for home fire sprinklers,
including form letters, sample petitions, and tips on building a
coalition.
Initial
results of sprinkler impact study to be released in Las
Vegas
The initial findings
of a groundbreaking study on the environmental impact of home fire
sprinklers will be released on January 19 at the International Home
Builders' Show in Las Vegas.
The study, a
collaborative effort of FM Global and the Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition, involved the burning
of two fully-furnished living rooms, one which had been
outfitted with a quick-response sprinkler. The project is looking
at:
- 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
At the Las Vegas
event, initial findings from the study - including the reduction in
pollution, water usage, and the extent of fire damage in the two
rooms - will be discussed. Speaking at the event will be Chris
Wieczorek of FM Global, Ron Hazelton of the Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition, and NFPA's Gary Keith. The final report on the study will
be released at a future date. |
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