Thoughts on Residential Fire Sprinkler Requirements
At Kauffman Co., we believe that fire sprinklers are the single most important thing you can have in your home. Especially as housing codes make homes more affordable (and more prone to fires), fire sprinklers can literally mean the difference between life and death. So far, only two states—California and Maryland—have taken steps toward mandating fire sprinkler installation in new construction. Everywhere else, the fight rages on.
Where’s the disconnect?
The biggest challenge faced by proponents of fire sprinkler regulation is proving the value of sprinkler systems in homes. Fortunately, a number of local fire departments and fire protection companies are moving forward with ways of promoting and marketing fire sprinklers in ways that encourage policymakers to realize their worth. For example, the NFPA is currently putting a great amount of effort and resources into developing local coalitions to spearhead the fight across the country. Some of these materials include the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), which we are a part of. The coalition has been around for years and is supported by a broad range of organizations, but their real value is that they have the tools necessary to help convince policymakers about the value of fire sprinklers.
Home Fire Sprinkler Demonstrations
One such tool is a powerful, side-by-side visual demonstration of two identical “burn rooms”—one with a sprinkler, one without. When both rooms are ignited, the results are startling (though unsurprising). The HFSC also has answers to common questions about how fire sprinklers work and why they are needed, as well as information that applies to certain localities (e.g. issues from some local water purveyors about the need for increased meter sizes to accommodate increased water flow).
One of the most challenging things to get across is the monetary value of fire sprinklers. While it’s clear that sprinklers do save lives and are an incredibly efficient way to keep homes protected from fires, one more difficult thing to demonstrate is the value of residential fire sprinklers in terms of community cost. How much can we save on our traditional firefighting expenses if we get every structure “under water” as it were? We may not be able to sell the value of fire sprinklers if we’re basing it on the fact that sprinklers save 3,500 people a year. Instead, there may need to be a more thorough analysis of how our communities can align themselves and fire protection efforts more cost-efficiently.
Until residential fire sprinklers become mandatory in all homes in Texas, Kauffman Co. will continue to install them in the homes of people who want to keep their families safe from fire at all times. If this includes you, call Kauffman Co. today for fire sprinkler installation in Houston.
