Lawmakers to Consider Mandatory Fire Sprinkler Systems in Animal Housing Facilities

A three-alarm fire engulfed a Connecticut pet shop early in 2006. Although the building did not have sprinklers, most of the pets were saved before flames consumed the shop. The fire prompted lawmakers to propose legislating fire sprinkler systems in buildings and facilities that house animals. 

Dog Kennel Fire

Animals are common fire fatalities. No matter how beloved, house pets are usually the last rescued in residential fires. Barns and zoos are also prone to fire. Barns often contain large amounts of hay, flammable fuels, and other fire-prone materials--including sheep, horses, cows, and other livestock. When a fire starts, these big animals are panicked and dangerous to rescue. As a result, they often stay confined during a fire, and usually burn to death in their stalls.

Zoo and aquarium fires are also more common than most people realize--the Ocean City Aquarium, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, and many other famous zoos and aquariums have lost animals to fire. In facilities that are supposed to protect and care for these animals, many patrons consider failure to install fire sprinkler systems negligent. 

KARLSRUHE ZOO IN SOUTHERN GERMANY

The bill to mandate fire sprinkler systems in animal housing facilities was not successful. However, it's possible the subject could come up again. Like handicapped patients in rest homes, animals are often helpless in the face of fire. Fire sprinkler systems protect those who can't protect themselves.

Credits offered for sprinkler installation course

The National Association of Home Builders  now offers creditsfor a no-cost sprinkler installation course highlighting provisions in NFPA 13D: Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes. The course, developed by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, provides an overview of sprinkler operations, installation and life safety benefits.


 

Home Fire Sprinkler Incentives Become Law in Washington State

According to Maria Figueroa, Regional Manager, Fire Prevention Field Office, announced her in NFPA blog post that Home fire sprinkler incentives become law in Washington state.


The State of Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has signed into law legislation providing financial incentives and removing certain barriers impacting the installation of fire sprinkler systems in homes.
 

HB1295 was passed in the House. Its companion, SB5206 , moved quickly through the Senate and was submitted to the governor for The law, which takes effect on July 11, 2011, “exempts homeowners who install fire sprinkler systems from paying the fire operations portion of the impact fee and establishes a fund to be used, in part, for “developing and publishing educational materials related to the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers.” 

As found on the governor’s website; “…Chris Gregoire has delivered real results to the people of Washington. Combining effective leadership with a tireless work ethic, she has shown time and again that she has the courage and independence to stand up and fight for individuals and families.” With this action, the governor recognizes the community benefits of home fire sprinkler systems. By removing certain barriers this law facilitates the adoption of home fire sprinkler requirements by communities in the state.

Removing barriers to home fire sprinkler adoptions has become a primary target of the Washington Fire Sprinkler Coalition ,while they continue to pursue the goal of obtaining statewide adoption of the home fire sprinkler requirement. According to Greg Rogers, its chair; “the coalition continues to be doing some very exciting things”


This is a big break for the fire sprinkler industry and it makes home fire sprinklers more affordable with reduced impact fees. Do you need talking points about residential fire sprinklers? Eighty percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. The single most effective way to prevent fire-related deaths is the installation of residential fire sprinklers. Combined with smoke alarms, they cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 82% compared to having neither. Don't miss an opportunity to mention and talk about sprinklers in the home (or not in the home) during fire incidents in your community. 

Check out this link for an excellent resource: NFPA.org Sprinkler Safety Talking Points

How Residential Fire Sprinklers Protect Us and Why more people die of smoke inhalation

Most people who die in a fire are dead before the fire reaches them. Smoke inhalation often kills by searing the lungs, but not always. Often, smoke causes severe pulmonary irritation--if a fire burns through insulation or other toxic substances, those toxins get into the smoke, and into the victim's lungs.

Fire officials estimate that 50%-80% of fire-related deaths are ultimately caused by smoke inhalation. Residential fire sprinklers protect against smoke inhalation in several ways.

First, residential fire sprinklers typically extinguish a fire before it gets big enough to be dangerous. Residential fire sprinklers go into action the minute a fire starts, dumping water on the core of the fire and dropping its core temperature to the point where it can no longer burn.

Residential fire sprinklers are usually more effective than a brigade of firefighters, because they work so quickly--by the time firefighters arrive at a burning home, it's often too late. However, residential fire sprinklers also protect against smoke inhalation in other ways. As they fall, water droplets attach to particles in the smoke, weighing them down and thinning out the smoke. Smoke from a fire in a sprinkler-protected building is thinner and less lethal--although you should still exit the house immediately if your residential fire sprinkler system is activated.

Residential fire sprinkler systems are far more effective than any other method of home fire protection. Your chances of survival go up dramatically in homes with residential fire sprinkler systems installed.

Smoke detectors are still the best method for an early warning system and they should be tested at least once a year.

Expand your fire safety education at no cost. please watch this video.

 

The Top Four Reasons Fires Start in Commercial Buildings

Even though every business is different, fires tend to start for the same reasons. As an owner, it's important to be aware of the reasons fires start--and do your best to prevent them.

Smoking. Even with a smoke-free building, you can't watch what your employees do all the time--and it only takes one cigarette to start a fire. Many historic hotel fires were started by guests who fell asleep while smoking.

Improper storage. Many fires are started when flammable materials are stored too close to heat. In a Paris shopping centre, a fire started when clothes were left too close to a spotlight--luckily, the owners had installed commercial fire sprinklers, and the building was barely damaged.

Faulty wires. Worn electrical cords and faulty wiring are also a major cause of commercial fires. A recent, fatal fire in a care home was determined to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.

Improper maintenance of heat sources. Fires are often caused by mistakes when workers handle hot machinery. A forge, furnace, stove, or oven can easily cause a fire if not used properly. Such heat sources often require careful maintenance--kitchen fires in restaurants are common, for example, because employees sometimes forget to clean grease traps.

Your business may have fire risks that aren't covered here. Commercial fire sprinklers can protect all types of businesses from fire--and are a worthwhile investment in your building's safety.

Fire Protection Consultation

How does a fire sprinkler system work?

A typical fire sprinkler system contains two main components: the sprinkler heads and the piping. The heads are usually installed on ceilings, and they connect to a network of pipes. The pipes either connect to a water main or storage tank via a valve, or are kept filled with water.

The sprinkler heads are either fitted with a glass bulb containing heat-sensitive liquids or gases, or with a fusible link sealed with a material that melts at a certain temperature. The moment a fire starts, it sends a burst of heat toward the ceiling. The heat either expands the contents of the bulb, breaking the glass, or melts the seals on the fusible links. This forces water through the sprinkler heads, dousing the fire.

A fire sprinkler system releases droplets big enough to penetrate the centre of the fire without evaporating--the amount of flow-through, water pressure, and size of the droplets are strictly controlled. This lowers the temperature at the fire's core--enough that it can't maintain the heat it needs, and goes out.

A fire sprinkler system is more effective than a brigade of firefighters--at least initially. That's because while it can take the fire department valuable minutes--sometimes even longer--to respond to an alarm, a fire sprinkler system can respond in seconds, putting the fire out before it has a chance to spread.

For more information about fire sprinkler systems visit NFPA.org .

What makes fire sprinklers so effective

A fire starts when intense heat is concentrated in an area with plenty of oxygen and fuel. To survive, fires need to eat, breathe, and stay hot. A spark from an overloaded power strip, an unattended candle, or flammable materials left too close to a radiator are all common sources of fire in the home.

Fires can't live without fuel, air, and heat. To put out a fire, you need to remove one of those three things. Here's how it works:

• The fuel. If it runs out of fuel, a fire will extinguish on its own. Firefighters sometimes clear a ring around brush fires to keep them controlled.
• The air. Fires can also be contained if they're smothered quickly enough. That's why you can put out a small fire by dropping a blanket over it and stamping it out.
• The heat. Fire can't burn if it gets too cold. Water puts out fire by dropping its core temperature below a certain amount. 

Fire sprinklers work by removing a fire's heat. Fire sprinklers drop water at the core of the fire, extinguishing it before it can burn out of control. And because they work so quickly, the fire is usually controlled before it can do significant damage.
That's why fire sprinklers are the most effective method of fire prevention you can buy.

The next few posts

I'll be republishing some of my older posts that I originally had on a personal blog page at chabre.net. Stay tuned. Thank you.

The Home Fire Alarm System

Article from the U.S. Fire Administration

A home fire alarm system is usually part of a total security system providing burglary protection in addition to fire protection. Such a system supervises doors, windows, and spaces within the home for break-in and may provide monitoring services by dialing your telephone to report a fire or intrusion to a security office, where it will be reported to your local police or fire department.
Due to their relatively high cost, these systems are generally found only in larger homes. The system can cost $1000 or more to install, with 24-hour monitoring service adding $15 to $20 per month.
Components of the System

Fire Alarm Components

These systems consist of a central control panel to which smoke alarms and heat detectors are connected, along with bells or horns that are activated when the system triggers an alarm. Other sensors associated with the burglary functions connect to doors and windows or monitor rooms for motion or body heat. The control panel operates from house power but also usually contains an emergency battery which can operate the system for about 24 hours during a power outage.
The basic requirements for the number and locations of alarms are exactly the same as with the self-contained alarms discussed previously. The difference is that a fire alarm system gives you more flexibility to locate additional alarms and additional bells or horns (or flashing lights, should a person in the household be hearing impaired).
Fire alarm systems that provide remote monitoring services can also be used to provide medical alert services. Here a person with health problems who lives alone carries a radio transmitter that can trigger the system in case they need assistance. Signals received at the monitoring station are identified by type (fire, burglary, medical alert) so that the proper response can be made.

Why Have a Residential Fire Alarm System?

The primary advantage of a home fire alarm system is increased reliability and the ability to place alarms and bells exactly where needed. However, the reason most people have them is that they wanted a burglar alarm system and the cost of adding fire alarm features to a residential burglary system is relatively small.

Garage smoke alarms are also important

Another advantage is that they are the only way to obtain remote monitoring services. This becomes important in cases where family members may not be capable of escaping from a fire without assistance. For example, if you have an older or physically impaired person in your home and a fire started when no one was home to assist that person, alarms alone might not be enough to assure their safety.
A feature of most monitoring services is the ability to keep special information on the residence which comes up on the computer screen whenever an alarm is received from that home. Thus, if there is a disabled person in the home who needs special assistance this fact will be known to the operator and can be passed along to the fire department when they are called.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has complete details and publishing's on home fire prevention and protection.
 
 

Las Vegas woman's home saved by fire sprinklers

• Name: Anne Mazzola
• Date of fire: September 17, 2010
• Location: Las Vegas, NV
• Injuries: None

Anne Mazzola of Las Vegas survived a fire thanks to her home's sprinkler system.
Anne Mazzola was working in her Las Vegas home while her new floor received its last coat of sealant. The combustible product ignited an intense fire that was extinguished nearly as quickly as it started, thanks to her home's fire sprinkler system.

A Comparison between Commercial and Residential Fire Sprinklers

Residential fire sprinklers protect single-occupancy homes. While homes are among the most likely to catch fire, they don't need a highly modified system. Most homes use the same residential fire sprinklers.
Because they are heated in the winter time, homes use a wet-pipe instead of a dry-pipe system. Wet-pipe fire sprinklers are less expensive and easier to maintain. However, if sprinklers are to be located in the attic area (unheated area) a dry system (air supervised) or an anti-freeze solution with water would need to be installed.Homeowners tend to be more concerned about unsightly sprinkler heads than businesses are. Residential fire sprinklers come with heads that can be recessed and almost completely concealed from view.

Commercial fire sprinklers protect commercial properties. Because commercial buildings vary so widely, the type of commercial fire sprinkler system varies as well.
Hotels, warehouses, offices, manufacturing plants, nightclubs, and other businesses all have different levels of risk and unique factors--whether combustible materials are used or stored in the building, or whether water damage would seriously hinder the business, for example. As a result, commercial fire sprinklers must be specially designed for each business.

Fire Sprinkler Dry-Pipe Valves

In addition, commercial fire sprinklers are more likely to be dry-pipe or even chemical. This is because of the risk of freezing in unheated buildings during the winter, and also because some businesses are particularly concerned about water damage.
Whether residential or commercial, fire sprinklers are the best method of fire protection you can buy for your building. Studies show both residences and commercial properties with fire sprinklers installed suffer only about 10% of the fire damage as that of nonsprinklered buildings.

Commercial Fire Sprinklers controlled a Roofing Factory Fire

An industrial setting can provide numerous challenges to fire protection. The industrial process is often hot, messy, and flammable--and any factory needs more than passive fire protection. Luckily, fire sprinklers can protect even the most fire-prone businesses and factories. Take the Canroof roofing factory as an example.

Commercial Fire Sprinklers

Roofing factories work with asphalt, hot metals, and other incendiary materials--and there are plenty of ways extreme fires can break out. In this case, a large piece of industrial machinery caught fire during a routine maintenance procedure. The blaze grew into a three-alarm fire in just twenty minutes.
That afternoon, firefighters received the call that this Toronto factory was on fire. Rushing to the scene, they found plenty of smoke, but not much fire--it had been controlled by the commercial fire sprinkler system the owners had installed. Within two hours firefighters were able to extinguish the fire completely. No loss of life was reported. The building and much of the equipment was saved, as well.

Roofing Factory Fire

Many business owners believe commercial fire sprinklers don't pack enough power to protect their building and equipment. However, commercial fire sprinklers are remarkably flexible. They can be designed for all kinds of building uses and risk levels--so business owners can design commercial fire sprinkler systems specifically for their building's needs. With their extraordinary success levels and record of saving billions in damage, it's no wonder so many business owners are seeing the benefits of commercial fire sprinklers.

Moving My Old Blog "Fire Sprinklers Save Lives" to Blogger

Hello to my future audience.

I've been blogging about fire protection for 2 years now and how it saves lives, along with articles I have posted that were interesting to me regarding saving lives with prevention. I find it's a lot of work keeping up with a blog, but I attempt to publish something at least twice a month. Right now I'm feeling some withdrawals since I haven't posted in over a month.

I attended the WebVisions Conference last week in Portland, OR and I met a very wonderful lady named Lorelle VanFossen who offered lots of good advice on Blogging in her speaking appearance. I also purchased her book Blogging Tips: What bloggers won't tell you about blogging (she forgot to sign my book). It's a quick read and very informative piece of literature, with lots of good advice. Thanks Lorelle. And I should mention her blog link Taking Your Camera on the Road.

Continuing on, I was going to try using WordPress and I found it was taking far too much time trying to figure out which template to use, how to use the templates and how to get around figuring things out on their Dashboard. I decided to take the Google Blogger route for now since I used the Blogger last year in an Adobe Illustrator CS5 class I took at Clark College.

I promised myself that I would start my new blog this week, so I kept my promise to myself. If you are one of the unfortunate few that ran into my first blog post, please don't, don't run away too far, I'll get on my expertise subject tomorrow. Instead of transferring my old blog over here, I may rewrite some of the posts again but with an update.

And those of you, my fans, thanks for following me, I really appreciate your loyalty.

Thank you.