U.S. Fire Administrator Greg Cade announced this week that his agency is officially adopting the position that all homes should be protected by residential fire sprinklers. Only fire sprinklers can detect fire AND automatically control it affording families the time to make a safe escape and protect valuables and property. Cade announced that in January and February alone, over 300 people have already lost their lives in home fires.
In its announcement the U.S. Fire Administration included the results of recent studies conducted by the Center for Fire Research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology which studied the impact of both smoke alarms and sprinklers in residential occupancies. The Center found that:
- When fire sprinklers alone are installed in a residence, the chances of dying in a fire are reduced by 69%.
- When smoke alarms alone are installed in a residence, a reduction in the death rate of 63% can be expected.
- When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82%, when compared to a residence without either.
For more information, please visit the USFA Web site at www.usfa.dhs.gov and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalitions Web site at www.homefiresprinkler.org.