The flat-out truth is they save lives!
Fire sprinklers often get played for comic relief. The hapless character in the movie, after a particularly sad moment in their life thinks “what else could go wrong?” only to have the sprinklers go off, drenching them and their dreams in a fine rain shower while the alarms ring in the background. Poor sap.
In reality, fire sprinklers are part of a fire safety system that includes exit paths, alarms, and AES (automatic extinguishing systems) like water-based sprinkler layouts. Together, they reduce deaths and injuries from fires. Additionally, AES can keep small fires from spreading, saving property as well.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has studied the effectiveness of sprinklers. In July 2017, research analyst and the Manager of Fire Analysis Services at the NFPA, Marty Ahern, released a report detailing the many ways water-based fire sprinklers save lives.
According to that report:
- The civilian fire death rate of 0.8 per 1,000 reported fires was 87% lower in properties with sprinklers than in properties with no AES
- The civilian injury rate of 23 per 1,000 reported fires was 27% lower in properties with sprinklers than in properties with no AES. Many injuries occurred in fires that were too small to activate the sprinkler or in the first moments of a fire before the sprinkler operated.
- The average firefighter fireground injury rate of 20 per 1,000 reported fires was 67% lower where sprinklers were present than in fires with no AES.
- Sprinklers operated in 92% of the fires in which sprinklers were present and the fire was large enough to activate them. In three of every five (59%) incidents in which sprinklers failed to operate, the system had been shut off.
- Sprinklers were effective at controlling the fire in 96% of fires in which they operated.
The data is clear. Fire sprinklers are an incredibly effective way to control fires while they are still small, and to help save lives of your customers, employees, and fire fighters. The full NFPA report can be found on their website.
If you’re ready to find this kind of safety and security for your next building project, Elite Fire can help you with a high-quality design. Contact us today.
