to address North America’s home fire problem
May 9, 2018 – In the U.S., home fires claim the lives of seven people each day and injure 13,000 annually. Home fire sprinklers can help eliminate these tragedies, but legislative barriers and a general unawareness of this technology have prevented its use in new homes. Safety advocates across North America will be taking collective action on the same day to raise awareness of these challenges and a fire sprinkler’s life-saving ability.
The National Fire Protection Association's Fire Sprinkler Initiative and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) are initiating Home Fire Sprinkler Day on Saturday, May 19, 2018. This project tasks safety advocates with hosting events that promote home fire sprinklers. While raising awareness of the home fire problem, these events will also underscore the life-saving impact of fire sprinklers and legislative barriers to its use. Research has proven that home fire sprinklers can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 80 percent.
“The alarming number of home fire deaths and injuries each year should serve as a call to action,” says Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy and HFSC’s president. “On Home Fire Sprinkler Day, we hope to illuminate the fire problem and its solution. Taking collective action will send a powerful message that fire sprinklers are widely accepted and must be required in all new homes.”
On May 19, safety advocates in the U.S. and Canada will be hosting a variety of events, including side-by-side fire sprinkler demonstrations and fire department open houses featuring fire sprinkler information. Please visit NFPA.org/FireSprinklerDay for more information and a map that highlights where local events are taking place.
For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.
About the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC)
HFSC was formed in 1996 to inform the public about the life-saving value of sprinkler protection in one- and two-family homes. HFSC is a purely educational, nonprofit organization and the leading resource for independent, noncommercial information about home fire sprinklers. For more information about HFSC and home fire sprinklers, visit www.homefiresprinkler.org.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.