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| Fire Sprinkler Information: |
| In 2003, approximate loss due to fire was $14.5 billion.
The total cost of fire was between $226 and 272 billion, which roughly equates
to 2.5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). (NFPA October 2005)
Total U.S. annual fire cost in 2003 was more than the 30 Percent higher than the total GDP of the largest oil producing country in the world, Saudia Arabia. (NFPA, October 2005) Fire deaths in homes in 2005 totaled 3,030 or 82% of all civilian deaths. There were 396,000 residential structure fires and 13,825 civilian injuries (NFPA, September 2006) Installing both smoke alarms and fire sprinkler reduces the risk of fire death in a home by 82% relative to having neither (Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition) 90 % of fires in residence are contained by the activation of just one sprinkler head (Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition)Recent research has shown that fire in modern homes smolder longer, then burn hotter and faster than what was typical when smoke alarms were introduced. The study further concludes that because fire may grow more rapidly, the time needed to escape fire has been reduced from approximately 17 minutes to as little as three minutes. (NIST 2004) 2000-2004 National Fire Protection Association Survey showed that 96 % of households had at least one smoke alarm, yet no smoke alarms were present or none operated in almost half (46%) of the reported home fires. (NFPA, 8-13-2007) Fire hoses, on average, use more than 8 ½ times the water than sprinklers to contain a fire (175-200 gallons per minute) residential sprinkler (10-18 gallons per minute) (Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition) Nationally fire sprinklers add 1% to 1.5 % to the cost of construction (Residential Fire Safety Institute) No reported deaths in residences shown to have a properly operating fire sprinkler system (NFPA) A National poll conducted by Harris Interactive found that over two-thirds (69 percent) of U.S. Homeowners say having a fire sprinkler system increases home value. (Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition) |
| The who, what, where and why of waking to fire alarms: a review |
Dorothy
Bruck This review brings together
several different strands of research: (i) the sleep arousal literature
pertaining to auditory arousal thresholds (AATs), (ii) studies on factors
affecting responsiveness to auditory signals during sleep, (iii) literature
on responsiveness to smoke detector alarms during sleep and (iv) research on
fire fatality statistics and victim characteristics. The review discusses
the influence of age, sleep deprivation, signal frequency, background noise,
hearing loss, time of night, stage of sleep, sex differences, dream
incorporation, depression, signal meaningfulness, sleeping tablets, alcohol
and marijuana on responsiveness during sleep. Studies using smoke alarms
clearly suggest that an unimpaired sleeping adult will awaken quickly to a
55–60 dBA alarm (such as with a hallway installation), while the AAT
literature suggests higher thresholds (most likely due to differences in
signal frequency). However, it is argued that the level required to wake
such adults under the ideal circumstances of an experimental situation
should not be the minimum standard for pillow audibility. Such a level is unlikely to arouse children,
those on sleep inducing medication, people with high frequency hearing loss
(as may occur with age), those who are sleep deprived or those under the
influence of alcohol or marijuana. The responsiveness of the unimpaired
adults tested is not generalisable to the responsiveness of the people most
likely to be the victims of fire occurring while they are asleep (the very
young, elderly, intoxicated, or sick). The sound intensity of the
alarm at the pillow should have the highest chance of arousing those most at
risk of dying. It is, therefore, recommended that smoke detector alarms be
installed in the bedrooms themselves such that the signal intensity is at
the maximum level tolerable to the human ear, that is approximately 90 dBA. Ability of smoke alarms to waken children questioned
SLEEPY HEAD: Concern has risen over the effectiveness of smoke alarms to waken sleeping children. Growing concern that children can sleep through a blaring smoke alarm is an emerging issue in Canada and the United States. In the United States, the National Fire Protection Association responded to a news program that showed a simulated fire emergency in which children sleep through a smoke alarm sounding.
As a result, NFPA updated its fact sheet entitled `Home Fire Escape Planning and Practice'. It includes: "Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill. If children or others do not readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in a fire drill."
The majority of fatal fires in Ontario occur at night in people's homes. This is incorporated in the Ontario Fire Code: "Smoke alarms shall be installed between each sleeping area and the remainder of the dwelling area, and where the sleeping areas are served by hallways, the smoke alarms shall be installed in the hallways." Available Research
In Ontario, an experiment was conducted in 2002 by Fire Prevention Officer Derrick Ethridge from Loyalist Township Emergency Services to see if a group of local grade six children could hear the smoke alarm when they were sleeping.
The reasons why
children don't hear or react to a smoke alarm may vary. Parents won't know
how their children will react to the smoke alarm until they test their
responses. Children's safety is the responsibility of the caregiver.
Planning and practising a home escape plan is essential, along with working
smoke alarms on every level and outside all sleeping areas.
NOTE: This issue does not only affect children. If can affect adults and other adults. |
Two reports are available through request at the Fire Prevention office located at 300 Middlefield Rd in Menlo Park. Or call 650-688-8425. U.S. Experience with smoke alarms and other fire detection/alarm equipment. April 2007 U.S. Experience with sprinklers and other automatic fire extinguishing equipment. June 2007 |
The average number of gallons of water used by firefighters during a fire in a home without sprinklers Sources: Scottsdale Fire Department, Arizona Department of Insurance |
| Other Items |
From Scottsdale’s web site: Perhaps one of the most progressive aspects of public safety in the City of Scottsdale is our residential sprinkler ordinance. In 1986, Scottsdale became one of the first major metropolitan communities in the United States to implement an ordinance requiring residential fire sprinkler protection systems in all new and remodeled residences, including single family residences. With fire sprinkler systems in over 53% of single family residences and 75 percent of commercial structures, Scottsdale's fire fatality rate is less than half the national average. Better built-in protection saves lives and possessions and significantly enhances the safety for our firefighters. Occupancy Fires Deaths Injuries (in Millions) Residential, Excluding Board and Care* Home** 372,930 (72.1%) 2,958 (94.2%) 15,304 (86.3%) $5,383.4 (62.2%) One- or two-family dwelling 281,580 (54.5%) 2,447 (77.9%) 10,603 (59.8%) $4,266.6 (49.3%) Statistics on fire deaths by alarm time
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