Fire Sprinkler Initiative News Feed

States where anti sprinkler legislation has been filed

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

State legislatures are in session and opponents of home fire sprinklers have wasted no time in convincing some lawmakers to introduce bills in several states that would prohibit jurisdictions from including one- and two-family dwelling fire sprinkler requirements in the adopted codes. See the list of states where legislation has been filed and see how you can get involved.

New report focuses on home fire sprinkler use in Bucks County, PA

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Between 1988-2010, there were 90 home fire fatalities in non-sprinklered one- and two-family homes in Bucks County, PA. During that same time, there were zero fire fatalities in homes protected by fire sprinklers. This report also details average property loss in sprinklered vs. non-sprinklered homes.

Jeff Hudson Joins NFPA as Western Regional Sprinkler Specialist

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Jeffery L. Hudson of Shawnee, KS, has joined the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote the adoption of fire sprinkler legislation across the United States.

Rally, sprinkler demo held at NFPA headquarters to protest removal of home sprinkler requirement

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

NFPA President James M. Shannon and representatives of every major fire service organization in the state came together on November 3, 2011, to protest the new building code in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which omits the provision to require home fire sprinklers in new construction.

NFPA fights to get sprinkler requirement reinstated in Massachusetts building code

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS)has promulgated a building code for the Commonwealth and removed the provision for fire sprinklers in new construction. The new code became effective August 4, 2011.

Surveys provide revealing look at sprinkler debate

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

According to the results of two recent surveys conducted by the National Fire Protection Association to gauge awareness of the value of home sprinklers and the role they play in the U.S. fire problem,there is support for the fire sprinkler mandate both from legislators and the fire service.

Chief Tonya Hoover receives Bringing Safety Home Award

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Sprinkler Initiative announced that Chief Tonya Hoover, Acting State Fire Marshal, CAL FIRE, is the recipient of the 2011 Bringing Safety Home Award. The two nonprofits join forces to recognize the efforts of fire chiefs who use HFSC’s educational materials and the resources of the Fire Sprinkler Initiative to ensure that decision makers have accurate information as new or updated residential fire sprinkler codes are considered.

International fire group passes resolution on residential fire sprinklers

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Confederation of Fire Protection Associations-International (CFPA-I), a collective of leading fire protection organizations, assembled prior to the 2011 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo in Boston, Mass. in June. This year’s assembly, which had 18 countries represented, passed a resolution on fire sprinklers in residential occupancies and endorsed a position paper on fire safety education outreach for children.

"We will persevere until we achieve national acceptance of residential sprinklers"

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In his opening remarks at last week's NFPA Conference & Expo, NFPA President Jim Shannon talked about the Association's advocacy campaign to require sprinklers in the construction of all new one- and two-family homes.

Antifreeze solutions project wins Fire Protection Research Foundation medal

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The winning project of the 2011 Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal was "Antifreeze Solutions in Home Fire Sprinkler Systems". The Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal recognizes a Foundation project completed in 2010 that best exemplifies the Foundation’s fire safety mission and the collaborative approach to execution that is the hallmark of all Foundation projects.

Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition wins Sarbanes award

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, a nonprofit that collaborates with NFPA and other coalition members to disseminate information on home fire sprinklers, has received the 2011 Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Safety Leadership Award - recognizing organizations for their outstanding contributions to firefighter health and safety.

NFPA creates a series of advertisements to support residential sprinklers.

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

NFPA produced three ads in recent weeks: two in Pennsylvania, where anti-sprinkler legislation was being filed, and one in USA Today featuring our Faces of Fire campaign. Each ad serves the greater purpose of educating the public on the life saving benefits of residential fire sprinklers.

Home fire sprinkler mandate repealed in Pennsylvania

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

NFPA, much like the rest of the country, was saddened last week when seven children died in a home fire in Pennsylvania. Headlines of the tragic event filled newspapers across the country. Unfortunately it was not the only sad story to befall the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania just this year.

Moved by a tragic loss, Kentucky lawmaker advocates for residential sprinklers

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Irv and Cathy Bailey don’t need sound science to convince them of the benefits of fire sprinklers—they experienced firsthand the tragedy sprinklers could have prevented. Moved by the Baileys’ tragedy, Kentucky State Representative Jim Wayne filed legislation in February that would allow certain cities and counties to require sprinkler systems in new homes. A similar measure introduced in Indian Hills, Kentucky, included sprinkler provisions for new construction in its building code.

Myths vs. facts about home fire sprinklers

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

When considering home fire sprinkler requirements for your community, it is important to address key myths often raised by sprinkler opponents. The fact is, because automatic sprinkler systems have been commonly used in structures for many years, the evidence is clear that such systems are a proven way to protect lives and property against fires. Sprinklers also respond quickly and effectively to the presence of a nearby fire, and function well, without creating problems for homeowners.

Register now for Supression Detection and Signaling conference in Orlando

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

You’re invited to SUPDET 2011, the Research Foundation’s annual Suppression, Detection and Signaling Technical Working Conference.

Home fire sprinklers offer environmental benefits and reduce water infrastructure demand

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Fire Protection Research Foundation’s (FPRF) new report, Residential Fire Sprinklers – Water Usage and Water Meter Performance Study, finds that the amount of water used in fighting fires in homes without fire sprinkler systems can be many times higher than the amount discharged by a fire sprinkler system with a 10 minute operation. In addition to saving lives and property, sprinklers have added environmental benefits, including water conservation and the potential to reduce water infrastructure demands in communities, according to this study.

NFPA report: statistics on performance, usage and reliability of sprinklers

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

NFPA's new report, "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers and Other Fire Extinguishing Equipment", by John R. Hall, Jr. includes statistics on how often sprinklers (or other automatic extinguishing systems) are reported in fires, by property use, and their estimated impact in reducing the average loss of life and property per fire. The report also includes statistics on performance, usage and reliability of sprinklers and other automatic extinguishing systems, as well as leading reasons when system fail to operate, or operate but are ineffective.

Advocacy goup promotes fire sprinklers with new PSAs

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Common Voices, an advocates' coalition determined to create a Fire Safe America, released a series of six new Public Service Announcements (PSA) that tell the stories of women who have lost family members in fires and explain the need for fire sprinklers in homes. Each PSA has a personal message from Common Voices advocates, but many with a twist.

Overall value and impact of home fire sprinkler incentives underscored in new Fire Protection Research Foundation study

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The installation of sprinkler systems in US homes is becoming increasingly common due to building codes and ordinances, and in recognition of the life safety benefits these systems provide. A new study takes a look at incentives used across the country. “Incentives for the Use of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems in the U.S.,” an October 2010 study was released today by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The report - which is the second part to a study released in 2008 that looked at the costs associated with home fire sprinklers - underscores the considerable influence incentives can have on building costs and the overall cost of a sprinkler system.

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:13:12 -0400