Resources for Local Officials

Resources for Local Officials

The non-profit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) is the leading resource for independent information about residential fire sprinklers. HFSC develops a wide range of fire safety educational materials that are provided at no charge and can be downloaded or ordered on HFSC’s website, HomeFireSprinkler.org.

Protecting Your Community with Home Fire Sprinklers videoProtecting Your Community With Home Fire Sprinklers

This video for building officials includes interviews with experts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL). They’ve conducted fire tests and research showing why fires in new single-family homes are more dangerous and how fire sprinklers protect occupants and firefighters.

Watch the video.

Order the FREE DVD

Prince George County Residential Fire Sprinkler ReportPrince George’s County 15-Year History with Its’ Single-Family Residential Dwelling Fire Sprinkler Ordinance

A detailed history of the effects of the automatic sprinkler code in Prince George’s County, MD.

Download a PDF of the Prince George’s County MD Report

The Scottsdale Report on Automatic SprinklersThe Original Scottsdale Report

Automatic Sprinklers; A 10-Year Study

A detailed history of the effects of the automatic sprinkler code in Scottsdale, Arizona

Download a PDF of The Scottsdale Report

Scottsdale Report 15-Year Data Now Available

In Scottsdale, Arizona, a sprinkler ordinance was implemented on January 1, 1986. Ten years after the ordinance was passed, the Rural/Metro Fire Department published the Scottsdale Report. The study has now been updated to include five additional years of data.

More than 50% of the homes in Scottsdale (41,408 homes) are protected with fire sprinkler systems.

Download a PowerPoint presentation with highlights of the 15 year data. 44.00 Kb

Lives Saved

in the 15 years there were 598 home fires. Of the 598 homefires, 49 were in single-family homes with fire sprinkler systems:

  • There were no deaths in sprinklered homes.
  • 13 people died in homes without sprinklers.
  • The lives of 13 people who would have likely died without sprinklers, were saved

Download a PowerPoint presentation with details about fire fatalities and lives saved.

Less Fire Damage

There was less damage in the homes with sprinklers*:

  • Average fire loss per sprinklered incident: $2,166.
  • Average fire loss per unsprinklered incident: $45,019.
  • Annual fire losses in Scottsdale (2000-2001) were $3,021,225 compared to the national average of $9,144,442.

Download a PowerPoint chart with details about fire losses. 57.00 Kb

Reduced Water Damage

Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire. Ninety percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.

According to the Scottsdale Report, there was less water damage in the homes with sprinklers:

  • Sprinkler systems discharged an average of 341 gallons of water per fire.
  • 2,935 gallons of water per fire were released by firefighter hoses.

Cost

Recent technology breakthroughs make sprinklers more affordable and easier to install in homes. On a national average, they add only $1.35 per fire sprinklered square foot.

Download a PDF of the report

  • In Scottsdale, the average cost is less than $0.80 per square foot.

*Based on fires 1998-2001. 15-year data did not separate residential fire damage from all structures with fires.