Home Owners & Builders
Public Service Announcement
Statistics
A home catches fire in the United States every 79 seconds. Tragically, on average, 82% of all fire deaths occur where most people feel the safest - in their home.
In 2006 Alone:
- More than 396,000 home fires claimed the lives of more than 3,000 men, women and children
- An additional 13,825 were injured
- Property damage totaled more than $6,875,000,000
Smoke Alarms Aren't Enough:
Smoke alarms are excellent at detecting smoke and alerting homeowners of a fire, and they should be installed in every home. However, only a fire sprinkler can control or even extinguish a fire. A recent study found that only 72-76%* of people wake up when a smoke alarm (60dBA) is sounded. The combination of working smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers, however, reduced the liklihood of death from a fire by more than 80%.
- One in four U.S. home fire fatalities occurred in homes with working smoke alarms. **
* US Fire Administration (National Fire Data Center Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 5- Issue 1, March 2005)
** NFPA Fire Loss Data 1999-2001
Sprinkler Successes
Scottsdale, AZ
One of the most famous examples of sprinkler successes, the city of Scottsdale, Arizona has had a sprinkler ordinance for all newly built homes since January 1, 1986.
Today, more than 50% of homes in Scottsdale are protected by fire sprinklers. The table below compares fire deaths and the average dollar amount of property damage from fire events in homes with and without fire sprinklers from 1986 through 2001.
| Unsprinklered Homes | Sprinklered Homes | |
| Fire Deaths | 13 | 0 |
| Average Cost of Fire Damage | $45,019 | $2,166 |
Success stories like Scottsdale, AZ have prompted the increase of home fire sprinkler installations in new home construction across the country.
Prince George's County, MD
As of January 1, 1992, all new residential structures in Prince George's County, MD, are required to be sprinklered. The success of this endeavor has lead to many jurisdictions in Maryland to adopt the mandatory sprinkler ordinance.
Below is a table demonstrating the impact sprinklers have made on residential single family homes in Prince George's county.
| Unsprinklered Homes | Sprinklered Homes | |
| Average Cost of Fire Damage | $45,019 | $2,166 |
| Fire Deaths | 13 | 0 |
| Injuries | 46 | 7 |
Over 200 communities around the country also require fire sprinklers in all new homes. In fact, national building and safety organizations are also recognizing the benefits of home fire sprinkler systems and are including requirements in their building and safety codes.
Home Owner's Ads & Literature
Click images below to view/download PDF files:
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Consumer Brochure (PDF - 1.7MB)
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Home Owner's Guide (PDF - 1MB)
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Home Owner's Quick Reference Guide (PDF - 156KB)