NYSAFC Partners with Fire Departments Across New York for Home Fire Sprinkler Demonstrations

On January 27, 2016, NYSAFC and Orchard Park Fire District conducted a dramatic demonstration in Erie County to illustrate the effectiveness of home sprinkler systems in saving lives and reducing damage from fire. This was the latest in a series of demonstrations conducted by NYSAFC across New York state to educate both the public and members of the emergency services on the affordability and benefits of home fire sprinklers.

Click here to view photos from the Orchard Park demonstration on NYSAFC’s Facebook page. View video footage from the demonstration here.

Previous presentations were held on October 10, 2015, with the Henrietta Fire District (Monroe County), December 3, 2015, with Plattsburgh Fire District 3 (Clinton County), and January 26, 2016, with the Baldwinsville Fire Department (Onondaga County).

At each demonstration site, two simulated residential rooms were set on fire – one protected by a sprinkler system and the other non-sprinklered. The live fire demonstrations showed that a room without sprinklers quickly reaches a temperature that causes flashover, or the spontaneous combustion of all the contents in the room. In a room protected by sprinklers, fire does not grow out of control, which gives residents time to safely escape, minimizes risks to the firefighters who respond, and significantly reduces property damage.

According to NYSAFC Executive Director Jerry DeLuca, "Statistics show that the United States has the highest rate of fire deaths of any industrialized country. Approximately 85 percent of all U.S. fire deaths occur in the home. Opponents of fire sprinkler systems will argue that the cost is too high, but that is not true – how can you put a cost on human life?"

A recent study found that the cost of installation of a sprinkler system in a new home was approximately $1.44 per square foot. In an average home this would be less than $3,000.

Modern home construction methods are presenting new challenges to firefighters. Homes are no longer built using timber and nails. Almost all of today’s homes contain composite materials, such as plywood or waferboard, and they are manufactured with highly combustible glues. Furthermore, many of today’s household products are made from synthetic materials that are more flammable than traditional materials, so the home’s contents will catch fire quicker and burn hotter than in the past. As a result of these changes, a resident typically has less than three minutes to safely escape from a burning home.

Orchard Park Fire District Training Chief Bill Hanrahan said, "It is clear to me that home fire sprinklers will save lives of citizens and firefighters. They will assist in controlling a fire, allowing residents time to escape and the fire department time to arrive before a building becomes fully engulfed in fire."

For more information on the benefits of residential fire sprinklers, click here to visit NYSAFC’s online Home Fire Sprinkler Advocacy & Awareness Toolkit.