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Every day, firefighters arrive at house fires to find individuals trapped because there weren’t working smoke alarms or sprinklers. Or a fire has spread from one home or building to another, causing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in lost property because the only working sprinklers were outside to keep the lawn green.

And it’s not just the occupants who are in jeopardy; the firefighters arriving to help are also in harm’s way. But incidents like these don’t need to happen.

Few people—including lawmakers, the public and those opposed to mandating sprinklers in new construction—understand the devastation fire can cause in a matter of minutes. The fire service has known for decades that sprinklers are the best way to keep the public and firefighters safe from fire. It’s an undeniable fact. Proof comes from jurisdictions that have long required sprinklers in all new construction. Yet the people who lobby against sprinklers deny that’s the case. They tell the public and politicians that there is no such proof and falsely claim sprinklers do more harm than good.

The fire service must lead the charge in educating the public, policymakers and the media about sprinklers. Two of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives (FLSI) clearly express this:

• Initiative #14—Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
• Initiative #15—Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers. 

Last year, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) brought together fire service leaders and fire safety advocates to look for new ways to reach the public and politicians about the realities of fire. The goal for Leading and Living Life Safety Lessons Learned was to make FLSI #15 a greater priority and develop a blueprint for addressing the issue on the local, state and national levels.

Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci emphasized education as critical for helping local and state politicians, developers, builders and the public understand why sprinklers are imperative. Geraci believes that hosting side-by-side burns to demonstrate how quickly fire spreads and how drastically fire dynamics have changed in modern homes is one of the most effective methods to reach all audiences.

Many opposed to sprinklers claim they’re an unreasonable expense. But the average installation cost currently is $1.44 per square foot. For a 2,500-square-foot house, that’s a one-time cost of $3,600. Many cosmetic upgrades, such as kitchen cabinets and countertops, cost far more. In all likelihood, those features will be replaced within a few years to follow the latest trends as seen on popular home improvement shows or in magazines. A sprinkler system is meant to remain in place.

Geraci suggested talking with real estate appraisers about offering credit for new homeowners who install sprinklers. Since homeowners get credit for upgraded countertops, baths and cabinets—which are purely cosmetic—why not sprinklers?

We also have internal issues with firefighters who fear that sprinklers will put them out of a job. Let’s consider one city: Since 1985, Scottsdale, AZ, has required sprinklers in all new construction. Currently, more than 90 percent of all fires in the city are controlled by one or two sprinkler heads. This means more people escape, fewer firefighters are injured, and property loss has been reduced by nearly one-third.

Scottsdale firefighters have not lost their jobs. According to Jim Ford, fire marshal of Scottsdale, the number of firefighters has nearly tripled over the past 25 years. He pointed out that because firefighters are now battling all kinds of hazards—not just structure fires—most departments are still responding to the same number of calls. Fortunately, the property loss has decreased thanks to the effectiveness of sprinklers.

We have the facts, the experience and, hopefully, the trust of the community on our side. If we aren’t consistently strong advocates for residential sprinklers, we fail in our lifesaving mission as firefighters. We know better than anyone that mandatory residential sprinklers mean fewer deadly fires. It’s our job to make sure the public knows the truth as well.