NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative

Manhattan Fire Protection District honored as fire safe community

The Manhattan American reports that the Manhattan Fire Protection District (MFPD) was honored as a fire-safe community at the recent Illinois Residential Fire Sprinkler Symposium in Addison. The district was recognized for passing a fire sprinkler ordinance for newly constructed homes in 2012. MFPD is one of 91 jurisdictions in Illinois to have such an ordinance.

The award was presented by state fire service organizations; including the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, Illinois Fire Inspectors Association, the Illinois Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the nonprofit Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB).

"Congratulations to the Manhattan Fire Protection District for recognizing the important life-safety protection that fire sprinklers provide in homes," says Tom Lia, executive director of NIFSAB. "New homes in the Manhattan Fire Protection District will now have the ultimate protection for current residents and firefighters and future generations."

"The summit was extremely successful because it provided a great forum for various professionals from life-safety organizations, including fire and building officials, fire safety engineers and industry officials to share information and methods in support of residential fire sprinklers and their lifesaving value here in Illinois and across the nation," says Fire Chief Bob Tinucci, director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and chairman of the Illinois Fire Sprinkler Coalition.

Fire sprinklers become law for retirement homes in Ontario, Canada

As reported in Ottawa Citizen, Ontario will become the first province in Canada to make fire sprinklers mandatory “in all retirement and nursing homes and residences for the disabled.” These include 4,300 existing "care facilities" that are not currently protected with this life safety measure.

The province's technical advisory committee studied the issue and rendered its recommendations to include the change; considered “the most significant safety measure since the introduction of the smoke alarm.” Home operators will have five years to comply with the retrofit requirement from the date the legislation takes force, on Jan. 1, 2014.

The article points out that there are older residences that were built before fire sprinklers were mandated in new retirement homes and, more recently, in all new residential construction more than three stories in height.

Fire chiefs, including no fewer than three Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) presidents, have been fighting hard for years for the change.

The OAFC is also striving to make fire sprinklers mandatory for all new residential construction; including one- and two-family dwellings. They will continue to work to make this a reality.

Mesa uses federal dollars to help fund home sprinkler efforts

Scott Somers is Vice Mayor of the City of Mesa, Arizona and a 17-year veteran of the Phoenix Fire Department. The state prohibits local jurisdictions from requiring fire sprinklers in homes. The City of Mesa has taken an innovative approach to sprinkler advocacy by using federal grants to install home fire sprinklers in low- and moderate-income homes - designed to stabilize troubled neighborhoods and stimulate economic growth.

Mr. Somers spoke at NFPA's "Bringing Safety Home" Fire Sprinkler Summit in Chicago on April 16.

Video: Scott Somers explains how federal program dollars helped fund sprinkler effort.

Mr. Somers spoke about how Mesa is using federal money for sprinkler projects designed to stabilize troubled neighborhoods and stimulate economic growth in a recent issue of NFPA Journal®. Read the full article.

Related articles

Tom Lia named recipient of Fire Sprinkler Initiative's first Home Fire Sprinkler Champion Award

Read the March 2013 issue of NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter

Home fire sprinkler advocates gather in Chicago for NFPA summit

Fire service representatives and other safety advocates from across the United States have gathered in Chicago for a one-day home fire sprinkler summit. The event, sponsored by NFPA’s Fire Sprinkler Initiative, has brought together more than 100 attendees to network, share best practices, and learn more about efforts and strategies to require the installation of fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes.

Before dinner, attendees got a chance to meet each other at a reception. 

Mario Orangio of Massachusetts, NFPA President Jim Shannon, and Massachusetts State Representative Ruth Balser.

Dawn Bellis and Rusty Todd from Kentucky. 

NFPA Northwest Regional Manager Gary Honold, Jeff LaFlam and Greg Rogers of Washington.

John Hoffman of New Jersey, Tim Behlings of South Dakota, and Rich Broderick of South Dakota

Jim Yates of New Jersey, James Large of Florida, and Jack Glenn of Florida.

Ed Paulk of Alabama, AJ Martin of Alabama, NFPA Southern Regional Manager Randy Safer, and VJ Bella of Louisiana.

NFPA Western Regional Manager Ray Bizal and Casey Vorwaller of Utah.

Gregg Cleveland of Wisconsin and Bob Tinucci of Illinois.

NFPA’s Maria Figueroa and Bill Kirkpatrick of California.

Tom Lia and Bob Tinucci of Illinois, NFPA President Jim Shannon, and George Michehl of Illinois.

Marc Veilleux and Rich McCarthy of Maine, and Luke Stemmer of Minnesota.

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety supports fire sprinkler requirement

The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) is urging policymakers to support new residential construction standards that call for the installation of fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two- family home construction.

All national model codes now include the requirement. Several states have prohibited the adoption through legislation, or have left it up to local governments to adopt.

IBHS President and CEO Julie Rochman said there could be cases of legislators feeling apprehensive of the new design of the sprinkler systems. “There are people who are a little afraid of new technology, perhaps don’t understand how sophisticated it is, how well it works, how efficient it is...” said Rochman. Home fire sprinkler systems are vastly different from the commercial systems most are familiar with. Systems designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 13D standard are cost effective and efficient.

This action by IBHS is mainly due to NFPA’s U.S. Experience with Sprinklers report which reveals that the death rate in homes with sprinklers is 83% lower than homes without sprinklers. The direct property damage in homes with sprinklers is 69% lower than homes without sprinklers. Fire sprinklers respond quickly and effectively to control and often completely extinguish a fire, providing occupants with additional escape time, and a safer environment for responding fire crews.

NASFM introduces free guide for implementation of residential fire sprinklers

The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) and the NASFM Foundation recently announced the release of "Bridging the Gap: Guide to Implementing a Residential Sprinkler Requirement." The updated guide is available for free.

The guide is “intended to provide a roadmap for jurisdictions that have adopted residential sprinkler system requirements to help implement the regulation" based on the implementation experiences of other jurisdictions

Included in the guide are sample policies, procedures, and checklists to assist jurisdictions in formulating their own best practices. These samples are a compilation of those from successful implementations across the country, and are considered "open source" so that anyone can copy, modify, and use them as they see fit.

A new on-line course has been included as part of the update. Additionally, a new on-line virtual help-desk has been created.

 

Westminster, CO adopts home fire sprinkler requirement

Denver Post reports that fire sprinklers are now required in all new single-family homes built in the City of Westminster, CO. The new rule went into effect January 1 and applies to new construction only. This city joins numerous other individual communities throughout the U.S. that adopted the fire sprinkler requirement in all new home construction before it was required or adopted by their states. California and Maryland have adopted the requirement statewide.

The article quotes Bob Hose, fire marshal for the Westminster Fire Department: “With the addition of residential sprinklers, it allows the property really to be saved before our arrival…It’s safety for the residents and our firefighters.” Hose also said the requirement fits well with the Westminster City Council’s strategic goal to be a safe and secure community.

According to the Post, Dave Horras, Westminster’s chief building official, said city officials decided to adopt the rule in keeping with the recommendation of a statewide committee made up of building officials, fire officials, industry representatives and homebuilders.

Kenmore, WA Fire Marshal Jeff LaFlam talks about adopting a residential fire sprinkler ordinance

Jeff LaFlam speaks at NFPA's Home Fire Sprinkler Summit in Chicago, April 2012

Jeff LaFlam, Fire Marshal for the Northshore (WA) Fire Department, spoke about adopting a residential fire sprinkler ordinance in his community at NFPA's Home Fire Sprinkler Summit in Chicago in April 2012. His experience is documented here and includes steps that are vital for success. He
also offers a summary of the residential sprinkler adoption process that was used in Kenmore, Washington.

Jeff says that the adoption of an ordinance requiring the installation of fire sprinkler systems in residential occupancies can be a long and difficult process. The first step in the process is to become extremely knowledgeable about these systems. This includes technical, historical, research and data. Developing a network of resources and experts in the field will pay substantial dividends throughout the education and adoption process.

According to Jeff these are essential steps:

• Educate fire department personnel at all levels
• Gain the support of the fire chief and board of commissioners (if applicable)
• Educate the community
• Work closely with water purveyors
• Educate city officials

Read the Case study: Adopting a Residential Fire Sprinkler Ordinance in Kenmore, WA for more information

 

Vernon Hills becomes 82nd community in Illinois to require fire sprinklers in all new homes

Countryside FPD Fire Marshal Mike McNally, stands with 13D fire sprinkler display

The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) announced that on October 16, Vernon Hills, Illinois, updated its fire and building codes to include fire sprinkler protection in all new one- and two-family home construction effective 30 days from adoption.

In 2005 Vernon Hills adopted a requirement which applied only to two-family dwellings and excepted single family homes.

The update, which coincidentally occurred during Fire Prevention Month, makes Vernon Hills the 82nd jurisdiction in Illinois to require home fire sprinklers. Two other jurisdictions also took action later in the month, for a total of 84 communities in IL now requiring fire sprinklers in new homes.

The inclusion of home fire sprinkler requirements was done by upgrading the residential building code. In addition to fire sprinkler protection in one- and two-family homes, the code also requires fire sprinkler protection in new townhomes, which Vernon Hills has already instituted in the past.

The education provided to the building department and the Village Board, through a joint effort by fire officials at the Countryside Fire Protection District - which serves the majority of Vernon Hills - and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District - which serves the remainder of the Village - was vital to the inclusion of fire sprinkler requirements.

Read the NIFSAB article

Sprinkler task force highlights teamwork, stakeholder education in California

California is one of two states to mandate fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes. Early on in the process, the Office of the State Fire Marshal set out to bring stakeholders together in order to ease the implementation of the requirement. Part of the process involved the creation of the CAL FIRE Residential Fire Sprinkler/Water Purveyor Task Force.

In addition to the participation of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, other members of the task force included members of the California fire service, building industry, building officials,water Purveyors, American Water Works Association (AWWA), public health officials, state agencies, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and the League of California Cities.

Obtaining buy-in from water purveyors is a critical step in the home fire sprinkler requirement progression. Citing how “diverse groups and professionals with a universal interest of public protection will work together on common goals,” the Office of the State Fire Marshal, under the leadership of then Acting Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, facilitated the work of the task force and published a published a final report documenting the work and issuing sound recommendations “essential to the successful understanding of the statewide residential fire sprinkler adoption movement within the California Building Standards and will be used as part of that decision making process.” Chief Hoover has since been appointed CAlifornia State Fire Marshal

Chief Hoover's leadership and the work of the CAL FIRE task force is truly a case study in how successful collaboration with major stakeholders is the key to successful implementation of the home fire sprinkler requirement. It is a model to be emulated.

Read the report.