House fires have changed over the years, putting residents and firefighters at higher risk. Many modern single-family homes are constructed with lightweight construction materials that burn far more quickly than the tried-and-true lumber used long ago. House fires are hotter, faster and more deadly because today’s homes are filled with products that burn quickly and produce toxic smoke. These include synthetics, plastics, lithium-ion batteries and more.
The impacts of an increase in hotter, faster residential fires extend well beyond the loss of one’s property, as individuals may have a more difficult time escaping their homes quickly enough. Firefighters who are dispatched to these calls face a greater risk of toxic smoke exposure, injuries from structural collapse and health challenges down the line.
In some communities, the answer to residential fire prevention has been the installation of home fire sprinklers, although the concept is often fiercely met with opposition from builders. While home fire sprinklers are in IRC and NFPA codes, decision makers have been persuaded by the building industry to omit the requirement based on claims that installing home fire sprinklers is costly and makes new homes unaffordable.
However, some fire agencies have worked with local developers, offering trade-ups as incentives, which have resulted in cost savings when entire developments are protected.
A fire department ahead of its time
In 1984, much of what is known today as Scottsdale, Arizona had not yet been developed. The city passed an ordinance requiring fire sprinklers in all new construction. Because fire sprinklers were required, the city allowed “design freedoms” that resulted in developer cost savings. These included doubling the distance between hydrants and the water distribution system at the city level could be developed at a smaller scale.
At the time, the city didn’t have its own fire department and instead contracted these services out to Rural/Metro Corporation. The company had a reputation for innovative fire prevention tactics and believed that if you prevent fires and protect citizens, the overall cost of maintaining fire services is less.
Kerry Swick, assistant fire chief of Scottsdale Fire Department’s Prevention Services, had just joined the department that year and recalls seeing the evolution of home fire sprinklers in the area. The water system benefits were based on the fact that home fire sprinklers quickly extinguish a fire, therefore reducing the water flow needed compared to when a fire crew is dispatched to a scene. Builders could also increase home density as the space required between houses was also reduced. These design freedoms ultimately allowed home developers to offset the cost of sprinkler system installation and worked to boost community and firefighter safety.
According to Swick, a technological turning point came with the introduction of quick response sprinklers, he says, along with the replacement of metal piping with CPVC, a material that doesn’t melt when exposed to fire.
Sprinklers make a difference on the West Coast
Kevin Bergstrom, deputy fire marshal at the Camas/Washougal Fire Department in Camas, Washington, shares a similar story. The terrain his department covers is rugged with a lot of hills and newer, higher-end homes.
“Our thought was that residential fire sprinklers can buy residents some time to get out of those homes while our responders were working to get there,” Bergstrom said. “Our office took a run at trying to initiate a local fire sprinkler ordinance, but it was met with a lot of opposition from builders and developers.”
Much like what occurred in Scottsdale, Bergstrom and his crew helped developers see the value of home fire sprinklers through a process of trade-ups.
“If sprinklers exist, we don’t necessarily need aerial truck access in front of every home and maybe we can reduce the street width,” he explained. “Maybe we can have a longer distance before the cul-de-sac turn around on a dead-end run because we’re not going to be accessing those streets and having to turn around very frequently because we’re not going to have fire calls with a significant response need in that area.”
In some Camas home developments, builders were able to reduce the number of required entrances into the area and were able to carve out more buildable lots by placing homes closer together. Bergstrom says developers were concerned that installing home fire sprinklers would add time during installation and inspection, but his department worked with them to inspect the systems quickly.
“We kept the ball rolling to keep them motivated to support the sprinkler concept and it’s done well in our community,” he said. “I think we’ve reached 5,000 homes.”
How to shift the sprinkler conversation
Both Swick and Bergstrom have found it helpful to focus on total community impact instead of cost alone when having conversations with developers. While it’s important to demonstrate how design freedoms or trade-ups can help offset the expense of home fire sprinkler installation, it’s equally beneficial to talk about how nonsprinklered homes can lead to an increase in property loss, citizen displacement and firefighter injury.
The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition offers a free online tool designed to do just that. The Impact Tool allows departments to enter local fire data such as injuries, deaths, equipment used and more to show local officials at code hearings and community meetings the differences in outcomes between homes with and without sprinkler systems.
“It can help influence elected officials to understand the value and then start the conversation,” said Bergstrom.
While these conversations are essential in any community, Swick notes that rapidly expanding areas may find more success when speaking with developers.
“An emerging community that has a lot of growth can do it and they can reap the benefits of the design freedoms. If there’s going to be a lot of construction, those design freedoms pay off for the developer and the city in the long run,” he said.
Through the use of the Impact Tool, along with learning gathered from other departments that have been through the process, fire agencies can make significant impacts in their communities by advocating for home fire sprinklers.
“Camas has become kind of the standard by which a lot of communities model their approach to these systems,” said Bergstrom. “Our biggest success has been six home fire sprinkler saves. The most recent was a lithium-ion battery in a charger. One fire sprinkler extinguished the fire. I get phone calls and emails on a regular basis from other agencies across the country asking how we got here. It’s a long road – it’s not an overnight thing, but if you’ve taken the right steps, I think every community can be successful in protecting their citizens.”
Visit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition for more information.
