The Cost to Communities That Do NOT Protect Homes with Fire Sprinklers

The cost to install fire sprinklers in new homes is typically less than 3% of the total building cost. Yet cost is often the key argument to omit the requirement. The real concern should be the cost of NOT protecting homes. The actual financial burden of omitting sprinklers falls disproportionately on residents and the community. The cost associated with one house fire can far exceed the cost of installing fire sprinklers in dozens of homes.

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Community Impact—A New Tool from the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition

This online tool enables the fire service to compute the financial outlay associated with any fire within a jurisdiction. The cost determination process is tailored to the unique circumstances of each fire incident. Users can input local information and data including fatalities, injuries, property loss and displacement. Fire department resources can also be factored. This tool can be used to compare the costs between homes protected with fire sprinklers and homes that are not protected. National averages are provided for comparison in areas that do not have homes protected with fire sprinklers.

A Custom Presentation for You To Use

The Community Impact Tool automatically creates a PowerPoint presentation that you can use for local officials and other decision makers about fire codes. As you enter your local data you can choose which screens to include and which to exclude. You can create case studies with the data from your local jurisdiction.

*NFPA Fire Loss in the U.S. During 2022 **National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health