The USFA and national fire protection professionals, who met recently to develop a national residential sprinkler strategy, have agreed to advocate localized fire suppression in high-risk areas of the home — such as the kitchen — and develop an aggressive plan for advocating residential sprinklers in buildings supported by the federal government.

The recent meeting, held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Md., was intended to bring fire professionals together with a goal of developing and implementing policies that identify and remove barriers to the acceptance and use of residential sprinkler systems.

Specifically, the proposed national strategies are:

• To develop an aggressive strategy for advocating residential sprinklers in occupancies influenced or supported by the federal government;
• To advocate localized fire suppression in high-risk areas such as kitchens for retrofit applications;
• To provide advocacy and informational support among stakeholders including state and local decision makers; and
• To ensure that the USFA continues to support research and development in residential fire sprinkler technology.

“We know how important residential sprinkler systems are,” said U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “Every year, more than 3,000 people lose their lives in home fires, and most of those deaths are among the elderly, the disabled, the low income and the very young. Sprinkler systems are one way to reduce that number and to save the lives of community residents served by the nation's fire service.”

The USFA advocates the installation and use of automatic fire sprinklers to save lives, reduce injuries and protect property and believes that, based on a history of proven success, sprinklers should be used in all residential occupancies.