Underway: The Impact of Home Fire Sprinklers in Reducing Fire Injuries (PDF, 132 KB)
Since the widespread introduction of home fire sprinklers, a significant amount of statistical data has been collected and analyzed showing their impact in reducing rates per fire of fire deaths and property damage. However, the same analysis has not shown reductions in rates per fire for fire injuries. This aggregated analysis may mask significant sprinkler impacts for certain types of injuries and certain victim and fire characteristics (for example, victim proximity to fire origin, fire size). There may be opportunities to apply the significant body of statistical and experimental research studies that demonstrate the impact of fire sprinklers on fire growth and development, combined with data on injury costs relative to injury type, size and severity, to a more detailed model of sprinkler impacts on injuries.

Underway: Fire Flow Consumption in Sprinklered and Unsprinklered Buildings: An Assessment of Community Impacts (PDF, 90 KB)
Over the past 30 years, selected municipal water authorities have implemented strategies, including stand by fees and other policies, to recover costs for water consumed in fires in sprinklered buildings. Typically these fees are not directly related to sprinkler fire flows but rather are recognition of the fact that these flows are not metered and not accounted for in conventional water cost recovery mechanisms. With the growing adoption of residential sprinkler ordinances in communities across the country, the Fire Protection Research Foundation is conducting a study on the community impact of fire flow water consumption in both sprinklered and unsprinklered buildings. The report will assess the fire flow fee structure in six U.S. communities.

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Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment (PDF, 634 KB)
NFPA Research Foundation, September 2008
A national perspective on the cost of installing residential fire sprinklers is examined in this report released by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of NFPA. According to the report, the cost of installing sprinkler systems to the home builder averaged $1.61 per sprinklered square foot. Sprinklered square feet is the total area of spaces with sprinklers.

U.S. experience with sprinklers (PDF, 337 KB)
John R. Hall, Jr., May 2011
Includes statistics on how often sprinklers are reported in fires, by property use, and their estimated impact in reducing the average loss of life and property per fire. Includes statistics on performance, usage and reliability of sprinklers, as well as leading reasons when system fail to operate or operate but are ineffective. Also includes special study statistics on non-fire sprinkler activations.

Fire Flow Water Consumption in Sprinklered and Unsprinklered Buildings: an Assessment of Community Impacts (PDF, 90 KB)
NFPA Research Foundation, 2011
The Fire Protection Research Foundation is currently working on a project to assess the community impacts of fire flow water consumption in sprinklered and unsprinklered buildings. The objective is to evaluate the prevalence and structure of fire flow fees against the community impact/water usage at both types of properties.

Residential Fire Sprinklers – Water Usage and Water Meter Performance Study (PDF, 2 MB)
NFPA Research Foundation, February 2011
When mandates for sprinkler requirements in one and two family dwellings are discussed at a local or state level, a number of issues come up with respect to water supply requirements. Often, these issues are true barriers to residential sprinkler requirements because the water authority is not knowledgeable about residential sprinklers systems and how they are different from commercial fire sprinkler systems. There are two related issues: one is total water usage during sprinkler actuation at a fire scene (fire flow) in comparison with water usage by the fire service; the other is conventional water meter performance during sprinkler actuation. This report describes the results of a study on water usage and water meter performance during residential sprinkler system actuation in residences, designed to provide guidance information on this topic in a format suitable for water utilities and local jurisdictions. It includes the results of a survey of fire departments on their average use of water at fire scenes at single family homes; fire flow calculations for a variety of single family home fire sprinkler systems and a study of the performance of conventional residential water meters in maximum and minimum fire sprinkler flow scenarios.

Incentives for the Use of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems in U.S. Communities (PDF, 882 KB)
NFPA Research Foundation, October 2010
The use of residential fire sprinkler systems in new U.S. homes is becoming increasingly common due to building codes and ordinances, as well as recognition of the life safety benefits which these systems provide. As a mechanism to expand the installation of fire sprinkler systems in homes, the presence of “incentives” in a jurisdiction can potentially have a considerable impact on the building market and the overall cost of a sprinkler system. To evaluate the nature and impact of incentives, this research identified, characterized, and estimated the approximate value of sprinkler system incentives found in communities across the U.S. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 communities that each offered one or more incentives to encourage the use of sprinkler systems in new single-family homes.

Integration of Residential Sprinklers with Water Supply Systems (PDF, 842 KB)
NFPA, September 2009
The purpose of this research was to develop objective data which characterizes the manner in which residential fire sprinklers are integrated with local water supply systems in communities with a sprinkler ordinance. This study explored these issues in detail through interviews with 20 communities where residential sprinklers are required in all new homes.

Comparative Analysis of Housing Cost and Supply Impacts of Sprinkler Ordinances at the Community Level (PDF, 414 KB)
NFPA, June 2009
The purpose of this research was to investigate whether the imposition of sprinkler ordinances within a jurisdiction had a measureable impact on the housing construction or prices in that municipality relative to comparable nearby communities without such an ordinance.

Reports from other organizations

Communities with Home Fire Sprinklers: The Experience in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Produced in collaboration with the Bucks County Fire Marshals Association for the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
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.

The Environmental Impact of Automatic Fire Sprinklers
FM Global and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, April 2010
The findings of a groundbreaking study show that greenhouse gases released by burning buildings can be reduced by 98% when automatic fire sprinklers are installed. The study, a collaborative effort of FM Global and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, also found that automatic fire sprinklers: reduce fire damage by up to 97%; reduce water usage to fight a home fire by upwards of 90%; and reduce the amount of water pollution released into the environment.

Prince George's County 15-Year History with its Single-Family Residential Dwelling Fire Sprinkler Ordinance (PDF 397 KB)
Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, August 2009
Through a partnership with the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Prince George’s County Fire Department, and the University of Maryland University College, this study review Prince George’s County’s (MD) experience with an ordinance mandating the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in new one- and two-family structures over the 15-year period of 1992-2007.

ISO Residential Sprinklers fact sheet (PDF, 35 KB)
ISO is an independent statistical, rating, and advisory organization that serves the property/casualty insurance industry. ISO offers the following regarding how residential sprinklers are reflected in ISO's advisory residential property programs such as premium discounts, sprinkler "leakage" coverage, and building code effectiveness grading schedule.

A Technical Analysis: The Performance of Composite Wood Joists Under Realistic Fire Conditions (PDF, 4 MB)
Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products, 2008

Fire Performance of Houses. Phase I. Study of Unprotected Floor Assemblies in Basement Fire Scenarios (PDF, 820 KB)
Institute for Research in Construction, 2008

Guide for Water Utilities Managers and Governing Bodies on Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems (PDF, 63 KB)
Washington Water Utilities Council, 2008