Residential Fire Sprinklers

From Chief Frank J. "Skip" Sylvester,
NYSAFC President

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 1, 2012, tragedy struck the Hudson Valley. A fast moving fire claimed the lives of four members of the Sullivan family of Carmel, N.Y. Their house was completely engulfed in flames and collapsed within 10 minutes, preventing firefighters from entering and searching for anyone trapped within.

Carmel Fire Chief Robert Lipton stated the house was, "New lightweight construction, it burns very fast, very rapidly." Experts described many of the home’s supports as engineered wood products; several pieces of wood glued together or fastened with metal plates. New Rochelle Deputy Fire Chief Robert Benz, also a New York state fire instructor, describes engineered wood products as very strong in their intended purpose, "But if there is a fire it weakens much faster than conventional lumber."   

Eight out of 10 fire deaths occur in the home, usually at night, when you and your family are asleep. The unfortunate loss of life in the Sullivan family most likely would have been prevented if a residential fire sprinkler system had been installed during home construction. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that the risk of dying in a home protected by "sprinklers" decreases by about 80 percent and loss of property by about 70 percent.   

Opponents to residential fire sprinklers cite the excessive cost of installation. Yet research by the NFPA states the cost to install fire sprinklers in a new home is $1.61 per square foot, less than the cost to install upgraded kitchen cabinets.

  Home fires, especially in new construction, are often fast moving, going from a tiny flame to total destruction in as little as three minutes. Residential fire sprinklers can suppress and often extinguish a fire before the fire department arrives, giving your family valuable time to escape.

I truly believe the Sullivan family would have survived this tragic fire if only residential fire sprinklers were present in their home. I urge everyone to ask Governor Cuomo to support the International Code Council’s proposal for residential fire sprinkler systems in all new single and two-family homes.