When fire breaks out in a home, the smoke and heat intensify
quickly, leaving people just minutes to escape safely. Working
smoke alarms can alert them to the fire, but for the highest level
of protection, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends home fire
sprinklers.
When fire breaks out in a home, the smoke and heat intensify quickly, leaving people just minutes to escape safely. Working smoke alarms can alert them to the fire, but for the highest level of protection, the U.S. Fire Administration recommends home fire sprinklers. These sprinklers are an effective way to prevent damage caused by fire and to save lives.
Home fire sprinklers are like having a firefighter right in the home. If a fire breaks out, the sprinklers are activated only in that area, not the entire home. The sprinklers can contain the fire and prevent it from spreading until help arrives.
For homeowners, sprinklers are a wise investment. Not only can they contain or even extinguish a fire as soon as it starts, sprinklers can also minimize damage from smoke and fire. Home fire sprinklers are designed to be smaller than commercial or industrial sprinklers, and the sprinkler heads can be coordinated with a room’s decor.
Most importantly, home fire sprinklers reduce the likelihood of fire death by more than 80 percent. For families with young children, seniors and physically impaired people who have special escape needs, fire sprinklers add an extra measure of safety. When combined with working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan, home fire sprinklers protect lives and property.
Installing home fire sprinklers is easily done when building new homes and costs approximately one percent of a home’s total construction cost. Older homes can be retrofitted with sprinklers, but the cost may be higher than when installing them during the new-home construction process.
The U.S. Fire Administration urges homeowners to protect what matters most by asking builders to install fire sprinklers.
For more information, visit usfa.fema.gov/public/hfs/sprinklers.shtm.
