Help iciurceptance irnthe new buildin•

3 Next steps to take for adoption ofcodes with sprinkler requirements

3 How to talk to the media andother groups about fire sprinklers

3 Leading the sprinkler adoptioneffort in your community

3 Fire sprinkler myths debunked

3 Where to find educationalresources about fire sprinklers

3 Why you should get involvedin NFSA and the 'AFC's Fire& Life Safety Section

This pull-out-and-saveresource sponsored byPartners in Progress:

ONFSA

How Did We Get Here?In fall 2008, the International Code Council (ICC) voted with a 2/3 majority torequire fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family dwellings. This historicvote was a long time in coming. Sonic major milestones along the way include:

1930sGrinnell Company first publiclypromotes residential firesprinklers, but the systems werenot widely installed.

March 1968The United States Congresscreates the National Commissionon Fire Prevention and Control.

May 4, 1973The commission issues itscomprehensive report, "AMERICABURNING," which points outthat almost seven of every 10 firesoccurred in residential occupanciesand that 84 percent of the firedeaths in building fires occurredin residential occupancies. Thecommission voices support forautomatic extinguishing systems.

1975NFPA 13D: Standard for theInstallation of Sprinkler Systems inOne- and Two-Family Dwellingsand Mobile Homes is adopted andpublished.

1980As a result of multiple researchstudies and full-scale fire tests, NFPA13D is rewritten to require the use offast-response residential sprinklers.Subsequent editions have resultedin changes to the rules relating todesign and installation. Communitiesacross the U.S. begin mandatingthe installation of automatic firesprinklers in residential occupancies.

2006Three major NFPA codesare changed to include therequirement for fire sprinklers innew construction of one- and two-family dwellings (NFPA 1, NFPA101 and NFPA 5000).

2007A vote that would have requiredfire sprinklers in all new one- andtwo-family dwellings fails to pass atthe ICC hearings.

The problem:Most jurisdictions don'tadopt the latest fire andbuilding codes. That's whyyou must get involved.

2008The ICC again votes on thesprinkler issue and this time, a 2/3majority is achieved. Fire sprinklerswill be required by ICC'sInternational Residential Code(IRC) in all townhouses uponthe adoption of the 2009 MC,and all new one- and two-familydwellings, effective Jan. 1, 2011.

In December, the ICC Ap-peals Board unanimously deniedthe National Association of HomeBuilders' claim that there wereimproprieties and/or proceduralviolations involved in the vote. Itsdecision clears the way for the codeimplementation and reinforces theICC membership's recognition ofthe integral role sprinklers play inhome fire safety.

!AFC leaders join Common Voicesadvocates and other organizations in Wash-ington, D.C. in January 2008 in support ofthe Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act.

National FireSprinklerAssociation40 Jon Barrett RoadPatterson, NY 12563845/878-420www.nfsa.orginfo@nfsa.org

InternationalAssociation ofFire Chiefs4025 Fair Ridge Drive,Ste. 300Fairfax, VA 22033-2868703/273-0911www.iafc.org

Common Voices/Fire Team USA108 Centre St.Pleasant View, TN 37146615/533-0305vickiepritchett@aol.comwww.fireadvocates.orgwww.fireteamusa.org

The Fire Chief's RoleFire protection initiatives will not succeed without the support and advocacy of thefire chief and the fire department. As the head spokesperson for fire protection in thecommunity, you must be able to speak fluently about the importance of fire sprinklersand to educate key stakeholders. Sure, your fire marshal may be the lead technicalperson on this matter, but never forget you are the leader and the big-picture person inthis battle for life safety.

Invest the time to familiarize yourself with:

• The requirements in the new codes• The reasons behind the new codes• The process for getting your local

jurisdiction to adopt the latest NFPAand IRC codes

• How growth and economic timeswill affect your community's need forand ability to adopt fire sprinklers

• How residential sprinklers will affectfire department staffing levels andresponse times

ABOUT THE COVER: Fire Marshal David Kerr of the Plano (Texas) Fire Department dis-cusses the features of the sprinkler system installed in his home. Photo Glen Ellman

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Debunking the Myths:Fire Sprinkler Talking PointsWhen you're in front of the media, citycouncils, homebuilders' associations orhomeowners, you need to know the factsabout fire sprinklers and how to respond tocommon arguments. Following are just afew points these groups may make and howto rebut them.

Point: Mandating sprinklers for all homesnationwide or in any jurisdiction has notbeen demonstrated to be a cost-effectiveimprovement to fire safety in homes meetingtoday's residential building codes.

Counterpoint: Fire sprinklersinstalled in one- and two-family homes areexceptionally cost-effective. For example,data from Scottsdale, Ariz., shows an averageloss with fire sprinklers present at $2,166and non-sprinkler losses at $45,019. Statedanother way: When sprinklers are present,there's a 95.2% reduction in loss.

placing a fire sprinkler next to the smokedetector, fire deaths in our nation wouldreduce by 83%. And since this report, firesprinkler technology has only advanced.

Point: The National Association of HomeBuilders supports fire safety educationprograms for consumers coupled withcost-effective residential fire protectiontechnologies that are required by currentcodes. NAHB believes this to be the mosteffective and reasonable means of preventingresidential fires and reducing death, injuryand property loss.

Counterpoint: Fire sprinklers are lowcost systems. According to a 2008 HomeFire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report bythe Fire Protection Research Foundation,the cost to the home builder to install afire sprinkler system averaged $1.61 persprinklered square foot.

Point: Maintenance adds additional costs,though this is difficult to determine becausethe sprinkler industry has not been clear onexactly what maintenance is required, itsfrequency and how it must be performed.

Counterpoint: There is no substantivemaintenance for a residential fire sprinklersystem. The owner is responsible formaintaining the system's readiness, just asthey're responsible for maintaining otherappliances in their homes. The simple taskof periodically observing the water pressuregauge—if it reads zero, call a contractor—isneither onerous nor expensive.

For more, see the guidebook "Residential FireSprinklers: A Step-by-Step Approach forCommunities," available through the NFSAand the IAFC.

Point: There have been significantimprovements to the fire safety of homesover the past few decades leading to adramatic and continued decrease in fireincidents, injury, death and property loss.There is no data to suggest that sprinklerswill significantly improve this decline.

Counterpoint: While the successof smoke detection devices has beenremarkable, smoke detectors are effectiveonly to the point where the occupants arecognitively and physically capable to respondin the very limited timeframe of rapid firegrowth. National statistics have showndisproportionate fire deaths for the youngand the elderly for decades. A detailed studyby the non-stakeholders National Institutefor Science and Technology (NIST)reported more than 20 years ago that by

Fire Sprinkler Facts• Eight out of 10 fire deaths occur in the home.

• Fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and can even help cuthomeowner insurance premiums.

• Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in lesstime than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.

• Installing both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system reduces'therisk of home fire death by 82 percent, relative to having neither.

• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying waterdirectly on the fire. Ninety percent of fires are contained by theoperation of just one sprinkler.

• The national average for home fire sprinkler systems costs is 1-1.5percent of the total building cost in new construction.

• Home fire sprinklers use only a small fraction of the water used by firedepartment hoses.

• Modern residential sprinklers are inconspicuous and can be mountedflush with walls or ceilings.

Common Voices is here tb help you!Looking for additional ways to spread the fire sprinkler message in yourcommunity? Common Voices can help put a personal face on the need forresidential fire sprinklers.

Common Voices is an Advocates' Coalition sponsored by the NationalFire Sprinkler Association. The advocates use their personal experienceswith home fires to illustrate the need for residential fire sprinklers. Andthey're available to help you be proactive with fire sprinkler legislation.

Common Voices has developed five new public service announcements(PSA) that are available fordownload at www.fireadvocates.orgor on YouTube.

Members of the Coalition arealso available to speak and providetestimony where needed. If youwould like to request an appearanceof a Coalition member, pleasecontact us at 615/533-0305 or viae-mail at vickiepritchett@aol.com.

Common Voices has recently released fivenew PSAs, available at www.fireadvocates.org.

aNFSAThe Voice of the Fire Spookier Industry

JOINTODAY!www.nfsa.org/departments/membership

Get Involved!rIn the fight to reduce home fires and associated losses, fire chiefs won't be

successful without the right information and relationships to help themspread the fire safety and sprinkler message. That's why you should considergetting involved in the IAFC's Fire & Life Safety Section and the NationalFire Sprinkler Association.

The IAFC's Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS)The FLSS is specifically tailored to meet your needsand keep you in-the-know on critical industry issuesconcerning fire prevention and public safety education.Currently the FLSS is monitoring such criticalissues as fire-safe cigarettes, residential sprinklers,smoke detectors, new smoke characterizationstudy, lightweight and wood-truss construction,CC) detectors, ethanol safety issues, biodiesel, fireretardants and more!

FLSS' mission is to provide leadership and visionto chief fire officers and managers to reduce therisk of injury and loss of life and property in theircommunities through effective fire-prevention efforts.

The National Fire Sprinkler AssociationSubscriber MembershipAnother membership with direct value for thosewho care about fire prevention: Subscribermember of the NFSA. Membership is $85 peryear and includes the following benefits:

• Engineering Services. I lave a code question?Call the expert of the day for a direct answerto your specific question.

• Sprinkler Quarterly. Published six times ayear, this four-color magazine is packed witharticles and information from leading firesprinkler experts.

• Sprinkler Technotes. Published bi-monthly, this publication keepsmembers up-to-date on changes and proposed changes to fire sprinklercodes and standards, as well as the rapidly developing fire protectiontechnology.

• Grass Roots. This monthly newsletter covers the local, state, regional andnational activities of the NFSA.

• Regional Reports. Every month our regional operations team will keepyou informed of local and national legislation, updates in codes andstandards and other updates.

JOINTODAY!

www.iafc.org/joinor 866/385-9110

published–Spring 2009

Looking foradditional resources?Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition - www.homefiresprinkler.orgProvides supplies to help you educate stakeholders within your community, includingthe fire service, building officials, homebuilders, policy makers, realtors, water purveyors,and insurance agents. Order online today!

Home Safety Council –www.homesafetycouncil.orgVisit www.mysafehome.org to view a virtual realityhome that demonstrates the advantages of homefire sprinklers. ro1 1-10ME

q--) 1 SAFETYCOUNCIL

Fire Team USA – www.fireteamusa.comOffering workshops across the country.Register today! 2009 confirmed dates include:

• Mississippi, Jan. 28-29• Illinois, Feb. 3-4• Texas, March 18-19• West Virginia, April 15-16• Florida, May 6-7• Kansas, June 17-18• Delaware, June 17-18• Virginia, TBA

National CodesBoth International Code Council (ICC) and National Fire Protection Association(NFPA) codes now include residential sprinkler requirements.

History was made in September 2008, with RB64 and RB66 passing with 2/3 majorityvotes. RB64 includes the installation of fire sprinklers in new construction of one- andtwo-family dwellings with an implementation date of Jan. 1,2011.

RB66 includes the installation of fire sprinklers in townhomes with no delayedimplementation date. For more information, visit www.iccsafe.org

NFPA codes have included fire sprinklers since 2006 in NFPA 1 and NFPA 101.For more information, visit www.nfpa.org.

Community Fire Protection Timeline ...Proactive Leadership Includes Fire Sprinklers!

The Second Edition of Residential FireSprinklers: A Step-By-Step Approach forCommunities and the updated CD/DVD set,Look Up For Safety, are available now!

The updated resources were releasedin December 2008 and build upon theoriginal editions. "We are pleased to once again partner with the IAFCto bring this important document to both fire service and communityleaders across America," says NFSA President John Viniello.

The revised guide brings togetherall of the latest information for

j community leaders who wish topass fire sprinkler legislation oradopt a national code. Successstories from communities acrossthe nation highlight specific stepsand how-to advice from those whohave successfully led fire sprinkleradoption efforts.

Get your copy now!Visit www.nfsa.org or www.iafc.org

011FSA

R12" A STEP-BY-STEPAPPROACH FORCOMMUNITIES

"We as fire chiefs possess a unique capacity to shape the lives of those we serve.If we don't seek the reduction of fire deaths and injuries through residentialfire sprinklers, then we will continue to live in a country that suffers needlesslyfrom fire. Our journey must not be determined by the will of others, but bythose who see the impact fire has on our daily lives. Won't you help us helpothers by joining the effort to bring residential fire sprinklers to every com-munity? Get involved—The time is now!"

—Alan PerdueDirector, Guilford County (N.C.) Emergency Services

International Director, IAFC Fire & Life Safety Section