The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Sprinkler Initiative have announced that Home Fire Sprinkler Week will take place from May 12 to 18.
This annual event focuses on addressing the critical home fire problem and the importance of understanding the life safety benefits provided by installed home fire sprinklers.
As reported by the National Volunteer Fire Council, the initiative this year will include a series of themed messages for each day, aiming to educate the public on the effective role of fire sprinklers in enhancing fire safety in homes.
In the United States, home fires pose a significant threat, accounting for 78 percent of all civilian fire deaths.
The threat is increased by modern home designs that include open spaces and the use of lightweight construction materials.
Additionally, the prevalence of technologies like lithium-ion batteries has made home fires particularly dangerous, often becoming deadly in less than two minutes.
To combat this ongoing issue, fire departments and safety advocates across North America will collaborate to amplify the message that fire sprinklers are crucial in preventing fire-related deaths and injuries.
Lorraine Carli, Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA and President of the HFSC, emphasized the challenges of raising awareness about the benefits of home fire sprinklers.
She stated: “Educating and increasing awareness about home fire sprinklers can be a challenge.
“What thwarts progress is a lack of public awareness, rampant myths, and the influence of special interests.”
She noted that less than 10 percent of newly built homes are equipped with fire sprinklers, highlighting a gap in achieving community safety goals.
The Home Fire Sprinkler Week is set to counter this by offering various educational materials and resources through the new HFSC Studio, enabling communities to promote fire safety more effectively.
The National Volunteer Fire Council and its partners continue to stress the essential role of fire sprinklers in modern building codes, which mandate their installation in new constructions.
Carli further explained the importance of compliance with these codes: “That’s why all national building codes require sprinklers in new construction.
As a result, every new home built without fire sprinklers is, by definition, substandard.” She also pointed out that today’s homebuyers, when informed about the benefits of fire sprinklers, are often keen to have them installed, recognizing the added safety they provide.
The observance of Home Fire Sprinkler Week highlights a critical area of public safety—fire prevention through the use of sprinklers.
This initiative not only educates the public about effective fire safety practices but also addresses common misconceptions about the cost and installation of fire sprinklers.
By focusing on education and resource sharing, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the National Fire Protection Association play a pivotal role in enhancing fire safety awareness across North America, ultimately aiming to reduce the number of fire-related injuries and fatalities each year.
