Learning About Residential Fire Sprinklers

[x635 4,066]

Has anyone come across a situation where a fire was extinguished in a private, detached residence by a fire sprinkler system?

Has anyone responded to a call with a malfunction of these systems?

I hope to see a residential home fire sprinkler law passed in the future, and this is something that's going to have to be added to the curriculum of a firefighters continuing education.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

International Code Council (ICC) is including it in their fire codes for 2011 I believe. Firehouse magazine's website made a big deal about it. ICC codes are applied in Connecticut, so that means every new residential property WILL be sprinklered. See how the water companies and insurance companies like that though. Remember, insurance companies don't see fire damage or water damage, they just see money that has to be paid out. I wouldn't be suprised if we continued to see resistance on this issue, even if it is a smart move.

[eckyphats 0]

its another way the government is controlling us. is it a good idea sure

but what gives the government the right to tell me that I HAVE to have a sprinkler system in my PRIVATE home.

and now I have to pay more money to get it installed

imagine how many more alarms we will be going to with these sprinkler systems

Edited October 26, 2008 by TR54

[CFI609D 119]

NFPA 13D residential sprinklers have been around in Greenburgh since 1987 for many many years with positive results: no fire fatalities in homes equipped with residential sprinkler systems since!

A good website for more information is:

http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/

A few fun facts:

=> Home sprinklers combined with smoke alarms reduce risk of death by fire by 82%

=> Provide a safe means of egress in a fire’s earliest stages

=> Home sprinklers catch and control residential fires in their incipient stages, thus reducing potential damages

=> Home sprinklers activate earlier and use less water, on average only 341 gallons to control a residential fire with sprinklers as compared to 2,935 by the fire department

Scottsdale, Arizona, was the first US municipality to adopt NFPA 13D in 1986 and it has tracked the impact of sprinklers since:

=> Over 50% homes now have residential sprinklers

=> No deaths in sprinkler equipped homes since 1986

=> Lower property losses

=> Average fire loss per single family sprinklered fire incident: $2,166 (in 15 yrs, 49 fires)

=> Average fire loss per unsprinklered residential incident: $45,019 (1998-2001 86 fires)

[antiquefirelt 994]

imagine how many more bullshit alarms we will be going to with these sprinkler systems

Maybe none. Residential sprinklers are less prone to false alarms than commercial ones, as they are used in conjunction with smoke detectors but not necessarily interconnected. And residential smoke detection in 1 and 2 family is not required to report to the FD. Many newer residential sprinkler systems are interconnected with the regular plumbing making flow indicators impossible and do not require air as they're wet systems.

This is a significant milestone for the fire service in making homes safer. Any firefighter worth his salt ought to be able to speak with some authority on the subject to allay peoples fears and help them understand the value.

[Bnechis 3,961]

its another way the government is controlling us. is it a good idea sure

but what gives the government the right to tell me that I HAVE to have a sprinkler system in my PRIVATE home. and now I have to pay more money to get it installed

Define Government.

The fire service has been trying to get this past for 30 years. Its a consensious standard that state governments have adopted, because the insurance industry, the fire service, safety experts, etc. have shown it saves lives, property and in the long run $$$$.

[SteveOFD 176]

International Code Council (ICC) is including it in their fire codes for 2011 I believe. Firehouse magazine's website made a big deal about it. ICC codes are applied in Connecticut, so that means every new residential property WILL be sprinklered. See how the water companies and insurance companies like that though. Remember, insurance companies don't see fire damage or water damage, they just see money that has to be paid out. I wouldn't be suprised if we continued to see resistance on this issue, even if it is a smart move.

As a Firefighter who had the priviledge of attending the International Code Conference's Convention in Minneapolis and voting for these residential sprinkler requirements I want to clarify a few points.

Yes, the ICC through it's 2009 edition of the International Residential Code will require Sprinkler Systems in one and two family dwellings and townhomes, see IRC - R313 (2009). The effective date for this requirement is January 1, 2011. This date was set so that building and code officials, and the construction industry could become familiar with what is required to comply with this requirement.

Sage - ICC codes are a model template that States can adopt as their law. The adopting State can modify these templates to fit their States requirements. CT's IRC will be slightly different from NY's IRC because each State can modify their Code. The issue here is that if a State feels they do not want to mandate Residential Sprinkler Systems they can delete or modify this section to their liking. This is where we, as the Fire Service, need to be involved at the State level and make sure that these requirements are not modified out. During the testimony prior to the voting at the ICC many opponents stated that Residential Sprinkler Systems were already part of the current IRC. The problem was that this requirement was in the appendix, which meant that if you wanted a Sprinkler System this is how to do it, just that as an appendix it was not mandatory.

For additional information from the ICC Convention click here.

eckyphats - the "Government" will only require you to install a Sprinkler System if you build a NEW one or two family dwelling or townhome.

"but what gives the government the right to tell me that I HAVE to have a sprinkler system in my PRIVATE home."

This Code, if adopted, by your State gives your State the same right to require a Residential Sprinkler System (in your NEW construction) home as they have now to require Smoke Detectors, Stair Railings, GFCI/AFCI electrical outlets and almost every other feature of Residential Structures.

[eckyphats 0]

Maybe none. Residential sprinklers are less prone to false alarms than commercial ones, as they are used in conjunction with smoke detectors but not necessarily interconnected. And residential smoke detection in 1 and 2 family is not required to report to the FD. Many newer residential sprinkler systems are interconnected with the regular plumbing making flow indicators impossible and do not require air as they're wet systems.

This is a significant milestone for the fire service in making homes safer. Any firefighter worth his salt ought to be able to speak with some authority on the subject to allay peoples fears and help them understand the value.

thank you for clarifying, I guess I associate sprinkler systems with the same kind of set up as in a commercial building