Beyond the Flames

Construction is a constant sight in Cape May County, and it’s hard to find an area where new residential homes or condos aren’t going up.
Safety is always taken into consideration by builders, and hopefully by homeowners who play a part in their home’s construction. Fire safety is certainly a safety aspect not to be taken lightly, but often homeowners are unaware of their options.
One nationwide non-profit is attempting to change that when it comes to residential fire sprinklers. The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) has recently launched an online program aimed to help new homeowners understand the benefits of fire sprinklers.
According to an April 2013 study conducted by the National Fire Protection Association, homes with residential fire sprinkler systems installed result in a 69 percent reduction of property damage costs compared to homes without systems.
In addition, the study also showed that firefighter injuries sustained during the process of fighting a residential fire were reduced by 65 percent per 1,000 homes when the homes had working sprinkler systems.
The HFSC online content is centered around the Ask For Them! interactive guide, featuring 11 brief video segments that are aimed to answer common questions about fire sprinklers and their use in residential homes, a news release by the coalition said.
The videos are focused on different aspects of the sprinkler system and its uses, such as water supplies, installation, how sprinklers work and simple maintenance, among other topics.
“It is clear, our national fire problem is a home problem, with 92 percent of all structure fire deaths occurring in one- and two-family homes,” HFSC President Lorraine Carli said in the news release. “If we are ever going to see an appreciable decrease in home fire injuries and deaths we must increase fire sprinkler installations in our communities.”
Numerous studies have shown that the use of sprinklers in residential homes drastically reduces the number of injuries and deaths that occur in the event of a fire.
One of the best examples of the successes of sprinkler systems in residential homes in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where the installation of a system in a new homes has been mandatory since 1992.
A 2009 study of the ordinance reviewed all 13,494 residential fires that occurred in the county between 1992-2007. The study found that in the homes without fire sprinklers installed, 101 deaths and 328 injuries occurred as the result of fire.
The homes that had sprinkler systems installed as a result of the measure saw no deaths, and only six injuries suffered by occupants.
The news release also cited numerous misconceptions that are hampering the installation of systems. Among these misconceptions are the thought that sprinkler systems drastically increase the building costs of a new home, and cause additional water damage due to activation of the system.
But according to a September 2013 NFPA study, the average cost of installation for a new residential sprinkler system in 2013 was $1.35 per square foot—roughly equivalent to upgrading the cabinets in most homes.
In addition, modern sprinkler systems only activate based on temperature, not smoke or vapor. Also, each individual sprinkler head has a temperature-sensitive device that results it’s activation, preventing the entire system from activating when the source of a fire is only in one section of the home.
“Consumers in every community need access to the facts about home fire dangers as well as the many benefits of sprinkler protection,” Carli said. “We are hopeful this new guide will help more consumers end up living in a fire-safe dream home.”
For additional information on the new initiative, visit www.homefiresprinkler.org or follow HFSCorg on Facebook and Twitter.