Q: How
long have fire sprinklers been in existence?
A: Automatic fire sprinklers have
been in use since 1874.
Q: How effective
are fire sprinklers?
A: The National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) has no record of a fire killing more than two
people in a completely sprinklered public assembly,
educational, institutional or residential building
where the system was working properly. Cases in which
fatalities occur in a building equipped with fire sprinklers,
the deceased are almost always in intimate contact
with the fire and were burned severely before the sprinkler
activated (i.e., smoking in bed, explosions, etc.),
Sprinklers typically reduce chances of dying in a fire
and the average property loss by one-half to two-thirds
in any kind of property where they are used.
Q: Do any studies exist that document
the effectiveness of fire sprinklers?
A: "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers" (September,
2001) by Kimberly Rohr provides an excellent study
of the use and experience of automatic fire sprinklers.
This report was produced by and is available from the
National Fire Protection Association. (see: http://www.nfpa.org/Research/nfpafactsheets/sprinkler/sprinkler.asp)
Residential sprinklers have been required by the City of Scottsdale,
Arizona for over fifteen years. A comprehensive report on its experience
with residential fire sprinkler systems is available from the Home Fire
Sprinkler Coalition at: http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/hfsc.html
Q: Are fire sprinklers prone to
accidental discharge?
A: The odds of a sprinkler activation
due to a manufacturing defect are about 1 in 16 million.
Fire sprinklers have a long history of proven dependability
and reliability. Although sprinklers can be damaged
and activated through intentional or accidental abuse,
this is rare. Sprinkler piping is no more likely to
leak than existing plumbing piping in every home and
building.
Q: Don't fire sprinkler activation
results in a lot of water damage?
A: No, fire sprinklers are designed
to control a fire in its early stages where less water
is required. Most fires are completely controlled with
the activation of only one or two sprinklers. Fire
hoses, on average, use more than 8 times the water
that sprinklers do to contain a fire. According the
the Scottsdale Report, a residential fire sprinkler
uses, on average, 341 gallons of water to control a
fire. Firefighters, on average, use 2,935 gallons.
Reduced water damage is a major source of savings.
Q: How much does a fire sprinkler
system cost?
A: The cost per square foot can vary
widely due to great differences in installation requirements
so this question can be answered effectively only after
a review of the occupancy. A system installed in a
warm-climate area with ample water supply and good
water pressure will cost much less than a system installed
in a cold-climate area with poor water pressure or
an undependable/inadequate water supply. New installations
will cost much less than retrofit installations. Generally
speaking, most new construction will be in the range
of $1-$2/sq.ft., while retrofits will be in the range
of $2-$3/sq.ft.
Q: How many sprinklers are installed
each year?
A: For the past five years, domestic
sprinkler shipments have averaged about 38 million
sprinklers per year.
Q: Why are fire sprinklers required
in some areas, and not in others? Why are there variations in sprinkler
requirements?
A: Fire sprinkler systems are installed
in accordance with consensus standards developed through
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These
standards are very specific in defining how sprinklers
are to be installed in different types of occupancies
and different hazard classifications. The three primary
standards that define the installation requirements
are NFPA-13 (Installation of Sprinkler Systems); NFPA-13R
(Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies
Up to and Including Four Stories in Height); and NFPA-13D
(Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One and Two-Family
Dwellings and Manufactured Homes). The standards adopted
by NFPA represent the best recommended practices, but
the standards by themselves are not "law." Development
of the consensus is a dynamic process and the standard
is changed to reflect new technologies, science, and
experience. Every three years a new version of the
standard is issued that contains changes and updates.
The requirements for the installation of fire sprinklers are adopted
as law by state or local jurisdictions as a part of their building code
or local ordinance. At times jurisdictions may vary some of the requirements
contained in the NFPA documents. Differences in requirements will vary
from city to city based on local changes made to the NFPA standards,
or the year of the standard adopted by the local jurisdiction. For example,
if one city adopts the 1999 NFPA 13 standard, and another city adopts
the 2002 issue of the same standard, there will be differences.
Q: Aren't fire sprinklers required
in all high-rise offices, public assemblies, and hotels/motels?
A: No, they are not always required.
Many buildings were built prior to modern-day standards
are were "grandfathered" so a retrofit was
not required. Some local jurisdictions have seen the
many advantages of fire sprinklers and required building
to be retrofited over a period of years.
Q: Are there any federal laws
that require automatic fire sprinklers?
A: The Hotel and Motel Fire Safety
Act of 1990 (PL101-391) was passed into law by Congress
to save lives and protect property by promoting fire
and life safety in hotels, motels and other places
of public accommodation. The law mandates that federal
employees on travel must stay in public accommodations
that adhere to the life safety requirements in the
legislation guidelines. PL101-391 also states that
federally funded meetings and conferences cannot be
held in properties that do not comply with the law.
PL101-391 is applicable to all places of public accommodation,
and requires that such properties are equipped with
hard-wired, single-station smoke detectors in each
guest room and an automatic sprinkler system, with
a sprinkler head in each guest room. Properties three
stories or lower in height are exempt from the sprinkler
requirement.
US Fire Administration has been charged with carrying out FEMA's responsibilities
with respect to the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990. In addition
to compiling, maintaining and publishing the National Master List, USFA
is also responsible for taking steps to encourage states to promote the
use of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic smoke detection systems.
The USFA list of hotels and motels meeting the requirements can be viewed
at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/hotel/
Q: Who installs fire sprinklers?
Can a homeowner install a system in his/her own home?
A: A fire sprinkler system must be
installed in compliance with the appropriate standards
and local codes, and ordinances. Fire sprinkler system
design and layout is based on a variety of issues related
to the occupancy. This is not a job for the homeowner
as a weekend project! In fact, local laws may prohibit
the homeowner from installing such a system. Fire sprinkler
systems are installed by contractors who know and understand
the requirements defined by the installation standards.
Many states require contractors that install fire sprinkler
systems be licensed and demonstrate competency in the
trade.
Sources of Information on Fire Sprinklers:
American
Fire Sprinkler Association
National
Fire Protection Association
U.
S. Fire Administration
Home
Fire Sprinkler Coalition
Residential
Fire Safety Institute
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