Test Your Fire Sprinkler Knowledge!
Sunday
Test Your Home Sprinkler System's I.Q.
Here are five statements about home sprinkler systems. Are they true or false?
1. When one sprinkler goes off, all the sprinklers activate.
False! Only the sprinkler over the fire will activate. The sprinkler heads react to temperatures in each room individually. Thus, fire in a bedroom will activate only the sprinkler in that room.
2. A sprinkler could accidentally go off, causing severe water damage to a home.
False! Records, which have been compiled for well over 50 years, prove the likelihood of this occurring is very remote. Furthermore, home sprinklers will be specifically designed and will be rigorously tested to minimize such accidents.
3. Water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage.
False! The sprinkler system will severely limit a fire's growth. Therefore, damage from a home sprinkler system will be much less severe than the smoke and fire damage if the fire had gone on unabated or even the water damage caused by water from firefighting hose lines.
4. Home sprinkler systems are expensive.
False! Current estimates suggest that when a home is under construction, a home sprinkler system could cost less than 1% of the total building price.
5. Residential sprinkles are ugly.
False! The traditional, commercial-type sprinklers as well as sprinklers for home use are now being designed to fit in with most any decor.
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Labels: Fire Safety News, Fire Safety Resources, Fire Sprinkler Options
Sprinkler Smarts - Fire Safety Education
Friday
ConstructionDeal.com Update: The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition has a great new website called Sprinkler Smarts to help educate everyone about the value of having fire sprinkler systems in the house. It's got cartoon graphics and characters to appeal to various age groups. Captain Splash and the Drop-lettes give a fun twist to fire safety education.There are interactive games for kids from Kindergarten to Two and from Three to Five. The site also has sections for teachers and parents, as well as a resources area for links to additional info.
Check out the Parents section for a list of downloadable PDF files that include planners, worksheets, and fire safety details.
It's a wonderful, interactive site that can help children of all ages learn a little something about protecting themselves, their families, and their home.
DON'T FORGET:
If you feel that you're ready to retrofit your home with a fire sprinkler system, Construction Deal.com can help!
Simply post your residential fire sprinkler request online and we'll have as many sprinkler installers call you as you would like. Look over the bids, find the best one at the right price, and get started on protecting your most valuable assets! There's no obligation and there is no charge to find local, qualified sprinkler companies.
Labels: Fire Safety, Fire Safety Resources
Fire Sprinklers Proven to Prevent Major Fires
Thursday
According to the Lake Zurich Fire/Rescue Department, at approximately midnight, March 29th, a fire started in a cardboard box where oily rags, thinner and paintbrushes had been discarded after woodwork was stained the previous day. The fire sprinkler closest to the fire activated and prevented it from spreading until the fire department arrived.
"The automatic fire sprinkler system prevented a serious fire from developing," said Chief Terry Mastandrea, Lake Zurich Fire/Rescue. "If the system wasn't there, the fire would have spread out of control and we would not have received notice of the emergency until the fire broke out of the building," he said. "Because the building was protected with a fire sprinkler system, there was no damage to the unit, its contents or any of the other units."
NIFSAB maintains a record of successful activations based on information submitted to the non-profit organization by fire departments and from stories reported in local newspapers. Other activations include a Michigan Avenue high-rise building in Chicago, two hotels in Matteson and Lincolnshire, a department store in West Dundee, a chemical plant in Bourbonnais, an apartment building in Rockford and a high school in Chicago.
A fire sprinkler also prevented a fire from spreading in a single-family home in Streamwood caused by an electrical appliance. In 2002, Streamwood passed an ordinance requiring fire sprinkler systems in all new homes. That fire was the first successful activation in a Streamwood single-family home since the ordinance was passed.
According to NIFSAB, 73 communities in Illinois require fire sprinkler systems in all new commercial construction. Fifty-four communities require fire sprinkler systems in new homes.
For a list of those communities and a list of successful activations in the Chicago area, visit NIFSAB's Web site http://www.firesprinklerassoc.org.
Labels: Fire Safety Resources
