NYSAFC Works with BOCES on Sprinkler Awareness Project

NYSAFC will be conducting live fire demonstrations during Fire Prevention Week 2017 to highlight the effectiveness of home fire sprinklers. These demonstrations will be held in communities statewide and will feature a side-by-side burn of two "pods" – one with a sprinkler system and one without.

The pods are being built by construction technology students in local Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) programs. The task gives students practical construction experience; it also educates them about the importance of home fire sprinklers and shows them how a home fire sprinkler system is installed and works. Students in the BOCES programs learned about home fire sprinklers in April and May, at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Pods will be constructed as part of a classroom activity in September, when students return to school for the 2017-2018 academic year.

The side-by-side demonstrations will be held in cooperation with local fire departments that will be on hand to provide fire suppression. In some communities, the live fire demonstration will be held at the fire department. In other communities, the burn will take place at the BOCES site. Pod construction will be completed at the demonstration site due to the large size of the pods and difficulty transporting them once assembled. NYSAFC staff and local fire department educators will narrate the activity to explain the importance of the sprinkler system in controlling a fire.

Local media will cover the demonstrations, which will expand the impact of the initiative. NYSAFC will also integrate the demonstrations and coverage with its own social media activities to further enhance the reach of the activity.

This activity is supported by a grant award from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which paid for the construction materials. NYSAFC would also like to acknowledge the National Fire Sprinkler Association for the generous donation of sprinkler components.

For more information about NYSAFC’s Sprinkler Awareness Project, please email NYSAFC Grants Administrator Sue Syzdek.