By Jay Almond, Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 — Fire safety educators are working on an educational push to inform residents about the upside of sprinkler systems in single-family homes.
The ultimate goal is for sprinklers to be required in new homes to meet building code.
Firefighters from all across the state spoke before the Building Code Council at a meeting in Raleigh Dec. 10 in support of a related proposal.
The request was for new homes 3,600 square feet and larger as well as homes of three or more floors to be coded for sprinklers. It was hoped this would be a starting point for expanded code requirements.
But fire safety advocates were dealt a blow in their efforts at that meeting when the council denied the request.
So fire safety advocates and state home builders remain at odds about such systems, basically pitting personal safety against construction costs.
Stanly County Fire Marshal Michael Rourk said the decision was not the first of its kind.
“This isn’t the first time that a proposal like this involving sprinklers has been shot down,” he said.
“But it goes back to the importance of prevention and safety like the recent tragedy where seven kids were killed at Ocean Isle.
“I understand the concern about cost in building a new home, but sprinkler systems can be put in for one to two percent of the cost of the home, so what more has to happen to get this legislation passed?”
Rourk believes residential sprinklers are essential to increase firefighters effeciency protecting life and property.
“Sprinkler systems are one of the best life saving tools a building can have if a fire occurs,” Rourk said.
“In the history of sprinkler systems, in the United States, with the exception of the World Trade Center on 9-11, there has never been a multiple life loss as a result of fire in a fully sprinkled building.
“That speaks volumes to how effective sprinkler systems are.”
An example Rourk gave to illustrate his point detailed an optimum preparedness scenario for traditional fire response.
“You can have a Class 1 fire department with a full engine capacity, that’s a driver and three to four firefighters, geared up in a running truck at the station waiting for a call and they cannot make a difference in the first three or four minutes of that fire,” he said.
“They have to get there first.
“A fire can double in size every minute it burns so a burning 4- by 3-foot couch in one minute can spread to about 16- by 9-feet, two minutes later it can be up to 256- by 81-feet. Sprinklers usually kick on in the first minute or two, so the fire suppression response is almost instant.”
A common misconception regarding sprinkler systems is that they’re activated collectively, that if one sprinkler head activates, they all do.
That, however is not the case. Because sprinkler heads are heat activated, only those heads nearest the fire will activate and flow water.
Most fires in a residential setting are controlled with one to two sprinkler heads.
“Other voiced concerns are the fear of water damage but residents need to realize that everything dries out, nothing un-burns,” Rourk said.
For more information on residential sprinkler systems contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, or the Stanly County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Or go online to http://www.nfsa.org where The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition has launched a new interactive Web site called SprinklerSmarts.
Jay Almond can be contacted by email at snaponline21@yahoo.com.
