To further the life-saving impact of home fire sprinklers, the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Sprinkler Initiative today announced the launch of a new grant program to help fund sprinkler advocacy campaigns across North America.
The Bringing Safety Home Grant Program will assist as many as 10 selected U.S. state sprinkler coalitions and other safety advocates with up to $10,000 grants to support activities that showcase the importance of home fire sprinklers. Sprinkler advocacy is gaining momentum as more residents and policy-makers understand the value of the devices in new homes. Home fire sprinklers can reduce home fire deaths by about 80 percent and direct property damage by about 70 percent, according to NFPA research.
The vast majority of U.S. fire deaths occur in homes. In 2013, home fires caused nearly 2,800 deaths out of more than 3,000 total fire deaths and injured more than 12,000 others in the U.S. The life-saving capability of home fire sprinklers is the reason why all model building codes require sprinklers in all new, one- and two-family dwellings.
“At NFPA, we are committed to doing all we can to make sure that more people are protected by sprinklers at home,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “To help save lives, the Fire Sprinkler Initiative’s Grant Program supports the great ideas of sprinkler coalitions and other safety advocates across North America.”
Grant applicants throughout the U.S. and Canada can apply for up to $10,000 to fund a proposed home sprinkler campaign or project in their state or province that underscores the necessity of sprinklers. The grant program spurs innovative thinking for sprinkler advocacy, with questions including: How can this grant help further the message in your state or region that sprinklers in new homes save lives? Is there a new way to educate the public and decision-makers on the value of home fire sprinklers? How can you expand on a tried-and-true method of sprinkler advocacy? NFPA has also developed a number of campaign options to help inform applicants’ proposed ideas.
Applications, available at firesprinklerinitiative.org/grant, must be submitted to firesprinklerinitiative@nfpa.org by April 20, 2015.
About the Fire Sprinkler Initiative®
The Fire Sprinkler Initiative®, a project of the National Fire Protection Association, is a nationwide effort to mandate the use of home fire sprinklers and the adoption of fire sprinkler requirements for new construction. Visit the Fire Sprinkler Initiative website atwww.firesprinklerinitiative.org.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at ww.nfpa.org/freeaccess.