Residential Fire Sprinklers .com

Protecting Your Home & Family

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards Council has banned the use of antifreeze solution in residential fire sprinkler systems for new construction until further action by NFPA consensus standards committees, and NFPA has issued a follow-up to its July 2010 safety alert to provide updated guidance on the use of antifreeze in residential fire sprinkler systems. The council action and updated alert follow new research that was conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential fire sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a single fatality and serious injury to another person.

“Fire sprinklers are one of the most effective ways to save lives and property from fire,” said James M. Shannon, president of NFPA. “We have acted quickly to conduct additional research in order to provide the public and our technical committees with as much information as possible regarding the use of antifreeze in sprinkler systems.”

According to NFPA, the home is the place where most fire fatalities occur, and when sprinklers are present, the risk of dying in a home fire decreases by 83%.

Shannon said the key findings from the new report were:

* Antifreeze solutions with concentrations of propylene glycol exceeding 40% and concentrations of glycerin exceeding 50% have the potential to ignite when discharged through automatic sprinklers.

* Both the 40% propylene glycol and 50% glycerin solutions demonstrated similar performance to that of water alone for fire control throughout the series of tests.

* Based on the results of this research, antifreeze solutions of propylene glycol exceeding 40% and glycerin exceeding 50% are not appropriate for use in residential fire sprinkler systems.

* Consideration should be given to reducing the acceptable concentrations of these antifreeze solutions by an appropriate safety factor.

New Systems

NFPA standards prohibit the use of antifreeze in residential fire sprinkler systems in new construction following the August 16, 2010 issuance of tentative interim amendments (TIA) to NFPA 13, 13D and 13R. If you are putting in a new residential fire sprinkler system (including all NFPA 13D applications and the dwelling unit portions of NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R systems), refer to the latest editions of NFPA 13, 13D and 13R, as amended by TIA numbers 1000, 995, and 994.

Existing Systems

* Fire sprinklers are extremely effective fire protection devices, significantly reducing deaths, injuries and property loss from fire. These systems should not be disconnected.

* Residential fire sprinkler systems, whenever possible, should not contain an antifreeze solution.

* If you have, or are responsible for, an existing residential occupancy with a fire sprinkler system, contact a sprinkler contractor to check and see if there is antifreeze solution in the system.

* If there is antifreeze solution in the system, determine if other means, such as insulation, can be used to provide adequate freeze protection.

* If there is no viable alternative to antifreeze solutions, NFPA recommends the following:
- Use only propylene glycol or glycerin antifreeze solution.
- The antifreeze solution should be the lowest possible concentration required for the needed freeze potential but under no circumstance should the antifreeze solution exceed a maximum concentration of 40% of propylene glycol or a maximum concentration of 50% of glycerin. Consideration should be given to reducing these concentrations by an additional safety factor.
- The antifreeze solution should only be a factory pre-mixed; use of factory pre-mixed solutions is essential to ensure the proper concentration level and solution integrity.
- Antifreeze solutions should only be used with the approval of the local authority having jurisdiction.

The full NFPA Safety Alert Regarding Antifreeze in Residential Sprinkler Systems and more information on this topic can be found at http://www.nfpa.org/antifreeze.

The Commonwealth Court of PA has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the PBA and other petitioners against the PA Department of Labor and Industry (L&I). The lawsuit, filed last year, was an attempt to stop the enforcement of the adopted 2009 IRC requiring fire sprinklers in one- and two-family homes and townhomes. The court had previously denied an injunction filed by the PBA to stop the enforcement.

In an opinion issued on August 25, 2010 the court cited The Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (PCCA) enacted by the General Assembly in 1999 and its application to “construction, alteration, repair and occupancy of all buildings in Pennsylvania. “ The court affirms that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code (UCC) is “an effort to insure uniform, modern construction standards and regulations, and to promote safety, health and sanitary construction throughout the Commonwealth.”

In its lawsuit the PBA claimed that “the new and amended provisions of the 2009 codes, especially the sprinkler requirements, have the effect of increasing the cost of an average newly-constructed home by approximately $15,000.00 and that “the additional costs will have a significant impact on the demand for their home building and remodeling services, and will adversely affect the availability of financing of homes.” Their claim additionally asserted that the PCCA action is unconstitutional.

Citing the intent of the PCCA, the court ruled that “ultimately, the rules, regulations and standards of the regulatory agency must be reasonable, understandable, available, and must not violate the constitutional rights of any citizen.” The court found that “petitioners were represented at each stage of the process of L&I’s adoption of the 2009 version of the UCC. The fact that their input failed to carry the day…does not make the process unconstitutional.” They found “their argument disingenuous.”

This action by the court represents a great victory for the people of PA. All new homes will be built to meet the standards of life safety now included in all model codes.

View Court Document

Maria Figueroa, NFPA
www.firesprinklerinitiative.org

On September 21, 2008 the International Code Council (ICC) adopted amendment RB64-07/08 to the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC). This amendment mandates that beginning January 1, 2011 all new one and two family residential dwellings along with townhomes be equipped with fire sprinklers.

First and foremost, I have to admit that I’m a passionate fire and life safety guy who believes these changes are long overdue. The fact of the matter is that the fire losses in the United States are staggering in terms of the lives and property we lose each year. Because the losses occur in one’s and two’s every day, rather than a few catastrophic events each month, they go largely ignored by the national media and under the radar of most Americans. Over a decade ago I heard a keynote speaker address a sprinkler trade association’s annual convention where he noted that the national yearly losses caused by fires in single family dwellings alone is the same number of people we would lose if two 747 jet airliners collided over the U.S. every month. He asked rhetorically if we thought there would be a change in the way flights were scheduled or flown if that actually happened twice in a year, let alone every month for years. You could have heard a pin drop.

In my twenty plus years lobbying for and promoting fire sprinkler installations, I’ve heard opponents talk about the cost versus the benefit and focus on the fact that today’s construction is safer than older homes with more electrical outlets and better circuit breakers, etc. Let’s be clear and factual, the three greatest causes of fires in the home are men, women and children. Yes, there are electrical fires and they account for about 15% of fire ignition sources according to statistics. However, unattended candles, smoking materials and cooking equipment account for the lion’s share of ignition sources; In other words people driven, not mechanical.

At some point along the way, society accepted the fact that we were going to wear a seat belt while driving our cars. Many of us hated that and some people still don’t buckle up today.

Regardless, our laws caught up with the financial reality that way too many people were dying or injured beyond where they would be had they just buckled up. The cost was too great not to impose this new law in the face of proven factual data. There can be no mistake that we are at the same point with residential fire sprinklers and all of the fighting, legal wrangling and attempts to roll-back the codes to avoid accepting the inevitability of this new mandate are ridiculous. Fifty years from now, no one will want to live in a home without fire sprinklers.

Pennsylvania has been a leader in this effort, becoming one of the first states to adopt the 2009 IRC, which includes the residential fire sprinkler requirements that will take effect January 1, 2011. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) have made several attempts to block the sprinkler requirement. When voted on by the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) Review and Advisory Council the sprinkler requirements were upheld. Further legislative attempts by NAHB and PBA have been denied. The latest attempt is PBA’s filing of an application for summary relief which will be heard during a June session. Despite these attempts, the 2009 IRC is in effect today in Pennsylvania and the residential fire sprinkler requirement is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2011.

Realistically, we should expect the majority of these systems to be plumbing systems as opposed to stand alone fire sprinkler systems in the traditional sense of the term. By that I mean that many piping systems will be multipurpose piping systems supplying water to plumbing fixtures and fire sprinkler nozzles, through a shared plumbing system. As such, the work is more likely to be performed by the residential plumbing contractor than a stand-alone fire sprinkler contractor.

With the current state of our economy and the market conditions, most plumbers will be happy to accept the challenges and opportunities this new legislation brings to their doorsteps. But, what is it they say about no free lunches? Business related considerations such as licensing and insurance must be addressed and proper training must be obtained to ensure this work is performed correctly. Fire Smarts and Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) association are working together to deliver training programs geared to take experienced plumbers and add the skill set for residential fire sprinkler installation. As you consider this opportunity for your business invest in training to understand these systems and the codes that govern them. While these systems are pipe and fittings, there life safety application includes requirements and liability beyond typical domestic plumbing.

Bob Caputo is a Fire Smarts Faculty member with more than 25 years experience in the fire protection community. He has been an instructor since 1989, teaching seminars for NFPA and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He holds a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) designation, fire sprinkler contracting licenses in multiple states, and serves on the NFPA 13 Installation and NFPA 25 Committees.

Officials say two firefighters died while battling a house fire in Connecticut.

Bridgeport Deputy Fire Chief Robert Petrucelli says the two men were found unconscious Saturday on the top floor of the three-story house after they sent out mayday calls.

Steven Velazquez and Michael Baik were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Officials say Velazquez and Baik were searching for people in need of rescue and ventilating the house.

No residents were injured. Officials say three or four other firefighters were treated at hospitals for their injuries and released.

The state fire marshal’s office will investigate the cause of the fire and examine the equipment used by Velazquez and Baik.

Mayor Bill Finch says Baik had been a firefighter for two years and Velazquez became lieutenant in February.

To read the full article click here.

Police say an early-morning Indiana house fire killed three teenagers trapped on an upper floor despite efforts by an officer who spotted the blaze and tried to rescue them.

Officer Josh Prater saw a fire at the home in Wabash shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday. Police say he reported it to dispatch and tried to get inside to rescue the teens, but was turned back by smoke, flames and heat.

A statement from police says 17-year-old Caitlin D. Burke, 15-year-old Jacob J. Johnson and 13-year-old Jared R. Johnson died in the blaze. Their parents, Jared and Martha Johnson, escaped. They had told Prater the teens were trapped.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.

To read the full article click here.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today issued a safety alert recommending that residential fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze should be drained and the antifreeze replaced with water. The alert follows a research study and an initial set of fire tests conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a single fatality and serious injury to another person.

“Fire sprinklers are one of the most effective ways to save lives and property from fire,” said James M. Shannon, president of NFPA. “Until we can provide further information based on additional research that is currently underway, we are urging the public to continue the use of sprinklers but to follow our interim safety guidelines by removing antifreeze if it is in their sprinkler systems.

According to NFPA, the home is the place where most fire fatalities occur, and when home sprinklers are present, the risk of dying in a home fire decreases by 83%.

Shannon said based on testing conducted, 70/30% glycerin and 60/40% propylene glycol antifreeze may provide an unacceptable risk of harm to occupants in certain types of fire scenarios, in particular kitchen grease fires. There were successful tests where kitchen grease fires were extinguished or contained with a 50/50% glycerin solution but it was felt there should be additional testing to more fully understand if there is a risk associated with 50/50% glycerin solution.

NFPA offers the following interim guidance on residential sprinklers

Fire sprinklers are extremely effective fire protection devices, significantly reducing deaths, injuries and property loss from fire.

These systems should not be disconnected.

Until the results of further testing on antifreeze are available, NFPA recommends the following:

* If you have, or are responsible for, a residential occupancy with a fire sprinkler system, contact a sprinkler contractor to check and see if there is antifreeze in the system.
* If there is antifreeze in the system, as an interim measure, drain the system and replace it with water only. Problems associated with freezing of sprinkler pipes can be mitigated by alternative measures such as insulation. NFPA hopes to provide further guidance based on additional testing before the winter freezing months.
* If you are putting in a new residential sprinkler system, design and install a system that does not require antifreeze.

“We are providing this safety alert as interim guidance based on the information we have right now,” said Shannon. “As soon as more information is available, we will update the public.”

NFPA also reminded the public about basic fire safety tips for kitchen fires. All consumers should take important fire safety precautions regarding kitchen fires.

* Have and maintain smoke alarms in your home.
* Pay attention when you are cooking.
* Should you have a grease fire on your stovetop, smother the fire by sliding a lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until the pan cools completely.
* Never put water on a grease fire or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
* Never attempt to carry a flaming pan across the kitchen.

The NFPA Safety Alert Regarding Antifreeze in Residential Sprinklers and more information on this topic can be found at www.nfpa.org/antifreeze.

On June 24, 2010, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined Council President Bernard “Jack Young, Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke (District-14), Councilman Warren Branch (District-13) and Fire Chief James Clack to sign into law City Council Bill 10-0437, Residential Code – Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems. Beginning July 1, 2010, all new one and two-family homes built in Baltimore City will be required to have residential fire sprinklers. The City Council passed the landmark legislation on June 21, 2010. Baltimore becomes the largest city in the United States to require these life saving devices in all new residential construction.

“I would like to thank Councilwoman Clarke for her continued efforts to increase fire safety in Baltimore,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. “With this legislation, combined with other efforts, including reduced rotating firehouse closures effective July 1 and continued outreach to provide free smoke alarms to City residents, we can continue to reduce fire related deaths.”

Residential fire sprinklers have proven their effectiveness in saving lives across Maryland. Since the early 1990’s when state law mandated sprinklers in new multi-family homes and townhouses, there have been no fire deaths in these protected structures. More than half of Maryland’s municipalities and nine counties have adopted similar requirements for one and two-family homes.

“Sprinklers save lives,” added Councilwoman Clarke, the lead sponsor of the bill. “This bill is a step in the right direction of safer homes for all our citizens.”

“Home blazes are the leading cause of fire death in our city, and residential fire sprinklers will give our citizens crucial time to escape,” said Fire Chief James Clack. “Working smoke alarms only alert occupants to a fire, but residential sprinklers act quickly to control blazes before they become deadly.”

The Mayor also announced that the City is increasing its funding for the Fire Department’s free smoke alarm program. Funding was increased from $80,000 last year to $100,000 for this upcoming year. The smoke alarms installed by the Fire Department have lithium batteries that last 10 years.

The Fire Department has installed over 15,000 lithium battery smoke alarms as part of this program. Residents can request a smoke alarm for their home by calling the Smoke Detector Hotline at (410) 396-7283.

Webinar presentation will educate plumbing contractors on piping and sprinkler material requirements and acceptable options for residential fire sprinkler systems.

A new webinar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC) to educate plumbing contractors across the nation on the types of sprinklers and types of piping available for fire sprinkler systems. The webinar is part of the online training offered by the PHCC.

The “Types of Piping and Sprinklers for Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems” webinar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Stephen Leyton, on May 19, 2010 at 3:00pm EST. Mr. Leyton will educate participants about the differences between commercial and residential material requirements as found in the NFPA 13/R/D standards, the acceptable residential material choices available, their preferred application, and the cost impact considerations when selecting the most appropriate sprinklers and piping type for a particular residential sprinkler system.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “There is a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Skip Pfeffer, PHCC’s President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register for this webinar visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/938041146 . This webinar is another residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunity that is being offered by the PHCC in partnership with Fire Smarts.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

Fire Smarts seminar presentation at the PHCC West Convention in Napa Valley, CA on May 13, 2010 will educate plumbing contractors on the recent adoption of residential fire sprinkler requirements in California.

A live seminar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) to educate plumbing contractors on the recent adoption of the 2010 California Residential Code which includes the 2009 International Residential Code with fire sprinkler requirements. This seminar is part of the educational training being offered at the 2010 PHCC West Convention in Napa Valley, CA.

The “California Residential Fire Sprinkler Requirements” live seminar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Stephen Leyton, on May 13, 2010 at 10:45am PST. Mr. Leyton served as Chair of the installation committee for the California State Fire Marshal’s Residential Sprinkler Code Adoption Task Group and Co-Chair of the ICC Ad-Hoc Committee on Residential Fire Sprinklers. Mr. Leyton will educate participants on the residential fire sprinkler code changes in California and provide an understanding of the process that led to these changes. Participants will also hear from Uponor and Lubrizol representatives about the piping material options being used for one- and two-family residential dwellings.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “There is a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Skip Pfeffer, PHCC’s National President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Convention registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register for the 2010 PHCC West Convention visit http://www.caphcc.org/phcc-west-convention . This seminar is another residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunity that is being offered by the PHCC in partnership with Fire Smarts.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

Training seminar being presented on April 27-28th in Hanover, PA and on April 29-30th in Camp Hill, PA will educate participants on the NFPA 13D and IRC P2904 requirements for designing and installing fire sprinklers in one and two family homes, including townhomes.

A live 2-day residential fire sprinkler training seminar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC to educate participants in Pennsylvania on the IRC P2904 and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D standard that covers the installation of sprinkler systems in one and two family homes. This seminar is being hosted by R.F. Fager & Company at their Hanover, PA and Camp Hill, PA training facilities.

This Residential Fire Sprinkler 2-Day Training will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Bob Caputo, CFPS, CET, on April 27-28th in Hanover, PA and on April 29-30th in Camp Hill, PA. Mr. Caputo will educate participants on how IRC P2904 applies to multipurpose residential sprinkler systems and provide a chapter-by-chapter discussion on the NFPA 13D standard to gain an understanding of water supply requirements, system layout options, system component requirements and installation tips and best practices for residential fire sprinkler systems.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “Pennsylvania was the first state to adopt these new requirements and now proper training is critical to ensure that these life safety systems are designed and installed correctly.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. This applies to sprinkler system designers, installers and the fire/building officials responsible for enforcing the code requirements.

“There has been a lot of interest from our customers in the emerging residential fire sprinkler market,” said Barry Wiseman, Branch Manager of R.F. Fager & Co. “We are proud to host this event and bring this important residential fire sprinkler training to our customers and the surrounding community.”

Training registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register visit:

April 27-28, 2010 – Hanover, PA – http://www.firesmarts.com/training/rfs-pa-4-27-2010/

April 29-30, 2010 – Camp Hill, PA – http://www.firesmarts.com/training/rfs-pa-4-29-2010/

This training will involve extensive use of the NFPA 13D Standard. This open enrollment event is subject to minimum registration. Please do not make travel arrangements until your registration has been confirmed by Fire Smarts.

About Bob G. Caputo, CFPS, CET: Bob Caputo is a Fire Smarts Faculty member with more than 25 years experience in the fire protection community. He has been an instructor since 1989, teaching seminars for NFPA and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He holds a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) designation, fire sprinkler contracting licenses in multiple states, and serves on the NFPA 13 Installation and NFPA 25 Committees.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.