Fire Sprinkler System Saves A School

Fire Dept response

Firefighters received a call early one July morning that a local middle school was on fire. This probably wasn't a big surprise--school fires are common occurrences, both during and after school. This particular school was on holiday, leaving it open to arson. 

Rushing to the scene, however, the fire department found that the fire was contained in a single classroom--and the building's fire sprinkler systems had kept it in check. It took just minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze completely.

The cause of this fire was not conclusively determined to be arson-related. However, that's a likely scenario. In 1996, firefighters responded to over 2,000 school fires--70% of which were caused by arson. Schools are obvious targets for delinquent youth. Insurance companies claim that 40% of the time, the culprits are boys aged 10-17 years old. While many arson fires are started outside of normal school hours, an alarming trend indicates that more arsonists are starting fires while school is in session. Common places for fires include bathrooms, closets, and locker rooms--anywhere a child can be undisturbed for a few minutes.

School fires are tragic, not only for the children involved, but also for the staff and the community. Children lose their sense of safety and security at school. Staff lose a school they may have invested decades in developing--a loss that can be devastating to any teacher or administrator. The community and school district can be hit hard by the financial burden of rebuilding a school. In addition, loss of supplies, test results, important records, computers and furniture can affect children's school careers long after the fire. It can take a community and school district years or even decades to recover from a fire started by a single malicious act.

Many school districts can't afford to have guards posted outside while the school's closed--and arsonists can find ways to get inside a locked and unattended school. In addition, no matter how attentive the staff, it's nearly impossible to watch every child, every minute.

That's why fire sprinkler systems are the ideal solution. They're nearly impossible to set off accidentally or maliciously without starting a real fire--so the risk of water damage from practical jokes or accidental firings are minimal. In addition, fire sprinkler systems control a fire the minute it starts, giving it no time to spread to other areas of the school. Their record of fire safety tells the story: a school with fire sprinkler systems installed has never been lost due to fire, from arson or any other causes.

Sprinkler discharge

More and more states are requiring all schools to be built with fire sprinkler systems and it should go farther than that, it should be mandated that all existing school buildings should be retro-fitted with fire sprinkler systems. Our Washington law makers should enact a federal law that would be funded by the federal government to install fire sprinkler systems in all existing school buildings. 


To cut costs it should also be mandated that the prevailing wages for the construction sector should be extricated and allow any contractor to bid on the project without the detriment of requiring to pay the prevailing wages to the workers. 

Fire Dept Connection

I'm not against the prevailing wage and unions, but in this day and time because of the economic down turn, saving costs and lives is more important than a persons hourly wage. We should all help out to get the schools protected from the loss of life and property.

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 .