September 7, 2011

To best prepare advocates with the information needed to move positive action on home fire sprinklers forward in their communities, NFPA has been conducting a number of surveys. These are the first of many that will be conducted with several key audiences in the sprinkler debate. Recently, attendees of the National Conference of State Legislators took part in a survey that gauged their understanding of the home fire problem and the role sprinklers can play in reducing the deadly consequences of fire. The respondents, comprising legislators, legislative staffers and the public, answered questions related to the topics of cost, environmental benefits, and general fire safety information. Overall, respondents felt that fire and life safety information was most accurate coming from the fire service - over building officials, design professionals, home builders or lobbyists.

• 70% of the respondents did not think smoke alarms were enough protection to home occupants in the event of a fire.
• 93% said saving lives was a key benefit. Other key benefits included protection of firefighters, and financial incentives.
• 69% were not aware that home fire sprinklers are now included in the national model codes for new one- and two- family construction.
• 63% of legislators surveyed thought home fire sprinkler minimum standards of safety should be mandated.
• 60% of legislators surveyed did not think home fire sprinkler mandates would negatively impact housing in their state.

Meanwhile, at the Fire Rescue International Conference, more than 70% of respondents believed that the fire service should be active in promoting home fire sprinkler requirements in their state. Eighty six people completed the survey, and nearly all (93%) are in favor of sprinkler mandates for new one- and two- family homes. It was clear there are competing advocacy demands: when asked what the most pressing legislative advocacy issue facing the fire service in their community was, 30% said mandating home fire sprinklers, 33% said preserving or expanding operations/services and 23% said protecting benefits/pensions. 

The misconceptions about cost and that mandates would price people out of the housing market ranked as the most compelling arguments against sprinklers. In two seperate research reports, such concerns are invalidated. The Home Fire Cost Assessment Report from the Fire Protection Research Foundation examined several communities that had enacted sprinkler requirements, and concluded that the average cost of installing sprinklers in these communities was $1.61 per sprinklered square foot. A seperate report by Newport Partners: Comparative Analysis of Housing Cost and Supply Impacts of Sprinkler Ordinances at the Community Level, found that the presence of a sprinkler requirement had no impact on housing starts. The study compared residential construction in four counties; and covered a wide geographic area containing a variety of housing stock and income levels, making them appropriate for comparing municipalities with and without sprinkler ordinances in place.