Fire sprinklers protect your community

Eighty percent of fire deaths occur in homes. Fire sprinklers are the best defense against serious smoke inhalation and burn injuries if a fire occurs inside a home. They act quickly to direct water at or near the origin of the fire when it is still in its early stages.

Furnishings and other products inside our homes are extremely toxic during a fire. In as few as three minutes, the toxic gases and carbon monoxide released can quickly incapacitate people and pets. Depending on the type and amount of combustibles located near the origin of the fire, a flashover may develop within three to five minutes.

In most cases, a single fire sprinkler controls and stops the growth of the flames, allowing residents the needed time to escape. This fast action also helps to protect property from being destroyed by fire.

Fire sprinklers protect firefighters

Sprinklers protect residents and property, but they protect firefighters, too! They reduce the heat, flame and smoke from a fire, making the risk to you much less.

Installing sprinklers and smoke alarms in your home increases your chance of surviving a fire by more than 82 percent.

• Safer fire service: The risk to firefighters is much less. Sprinklers reduce the heat, flame and smoke from a fire.
• Fast response: Home fire sprinklers are more sensitive to heat than those found in businesses or industrial buildings. This means the fire will be detected much sooner.
• Can blend with your home decor: You can buy home fire sprinklers in different colors. Some can be installed flush with the ceiling, so you will hardly notice they are there.
• Reliable: Home fire sprinklers only spray when the temperature in the room rises quickly. The sprinkler above the fire is the only one that sprays.
• Investment protection: Sprinklers can prevent devastating home damage by putting out flames quickly. Sprinklers can limit the damage caused by smoke and fire. They are less damaging than water damage caused by firefighting hose lines.
• Easy installation: Installing a home sprinkler system in a home under construction or being remodeled requires a little extra piping and labor and greatly increases the safety of residents.
• Low water requirement: Home fire sprinklers can be connected to the home water supply. They require less water than business and industrial systems.
• Low cost: A sprinkler costs about $1.35 per square foot. This cost is about the same as upgraded cabinets or carpet.
• Lower insurance: Installing a sprinkler system has the potential to lower insurance rates by 5-15 percent by meeting code requirements.

Helpful links

https://homefiresprinkler.org

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/.../technology/home_fire_sprinklers.html