Madison’s Brat Fest is filled with music, food and fun—but on Saturday, the event also featured a more serious fire safety demonstration, displaying the necessity of home sprinklers.
This is the first year the demonstration, organized by the National Protection Fire Association (NFPA) and the Madison Fire Department, has come to Brat Fest.
The demonstration was set up with two identically furnished rooms, with one caveat: one room had sprinklers installed, and the other did not. Next, firefighters started what could be a wastebasket fire in each room, demonstrating how quickly it spread in each situation.
According to Guy Santelli, a Kenosha fire fighter and member of the NFPA Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, most homes are not equipped with sprinklers. Without fire sprinklers, chances for survival are limited, Santelli said. Firefighters typically arrive within eight to 10 minutes, but deadly conditions are typically reached much sooner.