Fire Sprinkler Demo Confirms: Fire Is Fast & Fire Sprinklers Are Faster

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Oct 07, 2015, 04:31 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two rooms built the same size and furnished exactly the same with new furniture were burned as part of a training and demonstration exercise. The difference was one room was equipped with a smoke alarm and home fire sprinkler system and the other room with only a smoke alarm. The outcome was eye opening to those in attendance. The room with fire sprinklers had very little fire damage, no smoke damage and minimal water damage.

Flashover occurred in 3 minutes. Fire is fast, and no one survives flashover.

The fire sprinkler activated in 28 seconds to extinguish the fire!

Pictured left to right: NFSA's Southeast Regional Manager Wayne Waggoner, NFSA President Shane Ray, NFSA Director of Outreach & Government Relations Vickie Pritchett, and Tennessee Deputy Commissioner of Commerce & Insurance Gary West pause prior to the live burn demo at Tennessee's Bicentennial Mall on Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

There is a difference between damaged and destroyed, noted Shane Ray, President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. The room without fire sprinklers was totally destroyed and none of the contents were salvageable.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) partnered with the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, the Tennessee Fire Service Coalition, the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association, the Tennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association and Tennessee Fire Sprinkler Contractors Association to showcase the difference between rooms with and without fire sprinklers. This demonstration occurred on a beautiful, sunny Tuesday morning, October 6^th, as part of the weeklong celebration of National Fire Prevention week.

The Tennessee State Capitol stood proudly on the hill in the background and it seemed very appropriate as those gathered celebrated lives saved and proactive leadership at the local and state level. Approximately 100 people attended the event. The crowd included fire service leaders from across the state, as well as citizens, state employees and local officials.

"The Office of the State Fire Marshal is proud to partner in this educational event," added Chief Gary West, Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. "This opportunity highlighted the importance of smoke alarms, fire sprinklers and the fire department. When citizens and businesses in Tennessee have a complete fire protection package and are prepared, lives and property are saved."

The demonstration showed how fire sprinklers work and also gave attendees the chance to see flashover in the un-sprinklered room.

"Flashover kills citizens and firefighters alike, no one survives flashover," continued West, "Today flashover occurred in 3 minutes and that's not much time to escape."

"We wanted to make sure that Tennesseans understood how fast fire is and the role that fire sprinklers play in keeping families safe and preserving the economic viability of the community," explained Chief Shane Ray, former Fire Chief of the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department and current President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. "We hope Tennessee lawmakers understand the importance of locals having the ability to decide the level of fire protection that is best for their community. This approach has worked in Tennessee, and the proactive leaders who support local rights should be commended."

Several Tennessee cities and counties require fire sprinkler protection above and beyond that required by the state. Those include, Nolensville, Ashland City, Pleasant View, Kingston Springs, Cheatham County, Franklin, Brentwood, Germantown, Collierville, Springfield and many more. The communities have exercised their right to determine the level of fire and life safety in their community. Fire sprinklers protect commercial property and limit fire loss, while home fire sprinklers ensure that you have more time to escape if fire breaks out in your home. It was also noted that fire sprinklers are key in providing protection for pets while their owners are at work. The environmental benefits of fire sprinklers were also noted.

"Fire sprinklers buy time and time buys life, today's demonstration saw the fire sprinkler activate in 28 seconds," adds Vickie Pritchett, NFSA's Director of Outreach & Government Relations, "We hope everyone will consider fire sprinklers if they are building a new home or remodeling an existing home and as we celebrate National Fire Prevention Week, we also celebrate the fact that fire sprinklers are saving lives everyday."

For more information about fire sprinklers, how they work and access to additional resources and information, visit www.nfsa.org for the latest material, statistics and a dedicated team of fire safety advocates ready to serve all stakeholders in order to fulfill the vision of a safer world.

Contact: Vickie Pritchett
Phone Number: 615-533-0305

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SOURCE National Fire Sprinkler Association