Fighting Fire with Water: Fire Sprinklers the Ultimate Protection in Fire Emergencies
Fighting Fire with Water:
Fire Sprinklers the Ultimate Protection in Fire Emergencies
By Lindsey M. McKee
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The most precious commodity in a fire emergency is time. Unfortunately, such emergencies are when time is scarcest.
“We work in a very time-sensitive business,” said Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation (PFFWCF) Executive Director Mike Wos. “It takes time for people to call 911. It takes time to process that call and dispatch the fire department.”
Plus, modern electronics and home goods are literally adding fuel to the fire.
“Today, most everything is made out of plastics, which are derivatives of gasoline,” said Madison Fire Department Marshal Bill Sullivan. “Research showed in 1973 that you had about 17 minutes to exit if a fire started. Now that number is at 2-3 minutes.”
But there is hope. A critical aid to save time, lives and properties is the fire sprinkler.
A First Response
The smoke alarm is a critical first alert in a fire. And fire sprinklers offer a powerful extension to that initial warning.
“Smoke alarms are going to tell you it’s time to get out,” Sullivan said. “Fire sprinklers are going to give you time to get out.”
Once heat activates fire sprinklers, water dampens the flames, temperature, and toxic gases. Simultaneously occupants are afforded adequate reaction time, especially for those with mobility issues or even pets unable to seek safety without assistance.
“Having a fire sprinkler is like having a firefighter stand by 24/7, 365 days a year with a fire hose in their hand ready to go,” Wos said. “Time is the No. 1 thing that a fire sprinkler system saves.”
Wos said fire demonstrations by the National Fire Sprinkler Association show fires can flash over within 3-5 minutes. Fire sprinklers, however, can activate within 45 seconds.
“Fire sprinklers are going to put water on the fire quickly,” Sullivan said. “They’re designed to control the fire until the fire department gets there. And they have a tremendous success rate.”
Sprinklers can even be an asset when clean up begins. More control of destructive flames means less property damage.
“You can always dry something out,” Sullivan said. “But you can’t unburn anything.”
Making the Case
So why aren’t fire sprinklers standard in properties? Barriers can arise in government as well as in construction, but local organizations are already removing hurdles.
As a former fire sprinkler industry worker, former State fire protection plan reviewer, and now leader of fire prevention initiatives as Madison’s fire marshal, Sullivan knows well the role of fire sprinklers in fire safety. That knowledge has evolved into advocacy as Sullivan chairs the Wisconsin Fire Sprinkler Coalition (WFSC).
The coalition educates the public, contractors, homebuilders, as well as fire departments about the benefits of fire sprinklers. Additionally, WFSC works to remove obstacles to fire sprinkler use such as permit issues, cost barriers, or even infrastructure concerns.
WFSC and PFFWCF proposed updates to State of Wisconsin commercial and residential building codes. The proposals would better define and require key elements of fire safety. The result could mean higher fire sprinkler use in building projects and lower costs thanks to more frequent fire sprinkler installations.
“In other parts of the country, sprinklers are part of the code and done all the time. When that happens, the cost drops as well,” Wos said. “The cost is higher in Wisconsin, because not a lot of people do them on a regular basis, mainly because they’re not required by code.”
Wisconsin’s lacking fire sprinkler requirements in building codes tend to make their use a lesser priority for developers. So PFFWCF and WFSC are connecting with builders to educate and empower them with their customers.
“We sometimes forget that fire sprinklers are also protecting the property owner’s investment, their possessions and/or business continuity,” Sullivan said.
Driving the Demand
The ultimate issue is also the ultimate solution, demand.
“The most organic way we can implement fire sprinklers is to create demand,” Wos said. “Ask your homebuilder, ask your apartment building, ask your code officials. It takes a step beyond just creating awareness and puts things into action.”
Sullivan echoes the need for greater demand as well as greater attentiveness.
“We would love to get to a point where people are asking about fire sprinklers as an option and builders would be open to installing them without questions asked,” Sullivan said. “In America we tend to assume that bad things never happen to us. But, in reality, fires can happen to anyone at any time. We need to be more diligent about our safety.”
Fire Sprinkler Education Resources
Wisconsin Fire Sprinkler Coalition
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National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Fire Safety Initiative
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Wisconsin Chapter – National Fire Sprinkler Association
Follow for statewide updates and fire sprinkler news.