I am writing in reply to the letter from Anthony Graciano regarding residential fire sprinklers. I have over 45 years in the fire service, the majority of them in New York. I worked in a jurisdiction that had required sprinklers in all residences, including single-family homes, for over 20 years. I have recently moved to Delaware and have become actively involved in the fire service here. I would like to address a few of his questions.
Installation and maintenance of sprinklers in single- and two-family homes is governed by NFPA 13D. The only requirement for maintenance of these systems is a periodic visual inspection that can be performed by the homeowner at no cost. It is no different than ensuring that your regular plumbing is in working order. He alludes to the possible issue of the system freezing in the winter. NFPA 13D requires installation only in living areas. Unheated areas would not have sprinkler piping. If the homeowner was going to leave the entire residence unheated for the winter, NFPA 13D does allow for the draining and winterizing of the system. I can unequivocally state that fire sprinklers do save lives.
He states that “smoke detectors work when in place and properly maintained.” That is mostly true, but we have seen countless situations where smoke detectors are not maintained, batteries have been removed, etc., and they did not function during a fire. In addition, in older houses with mostly natural furnishing, you have upwards of 15 minutes to safely get out of the house during a fire. With today’s lightweight construction material and modern furnishing, a house can become fully engulfed in flames and unsurvivable in as little as three minutes. Having seen the alternative, I am 100% sold on residential fire sprinklers.
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