Fire Sprinklers Save Lives & Money!

If you watch the news, often one of the first stories you will see is a fire breaking out, mostly from lithium-ion batteries.  Legislation has just been passed, which will undoubtedly lead to a crackdown on bicycle retailers selling cheap and illegal aftermarket lithium-ion batteries. 

FDNY Chief Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn recently told the NY Post that fires related to e-bike and mobility device lithium-ion batteries have gone up nearly nine-fold in 2024.  There have been more lithium-ion-caused blazes through February than ALL of 2019!

Deaths from home and building fires have been exacerbated by the construction on the exterior of many buildings here in the USA and Europe in particular.  Recently, I saw a story about a building fire in Valencia, Spain which triggered this column.  A building resident said, “I looked out the window and saw the flames engulfing the building within a matter of minutes. It was as if it was made of cork, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!”

A Valencia-based engineer explained how the fire spread so quickly because the building was covered with highly combustible polyurethane cladding!  Cladding is defined as a metal coating bonded onto another metal under high pressure and temperature. It is a protective or insulating layer fixed to the outside of a building.  It was an American company called “Arconic” that manufactured the cladding.

Is it worth it to install and properly maintain Fire Sprinklers for Insurance Purposes?

Businesses often install Fire Sprinklers to reduce costly insurance premiums; however, the impact of sprinklers goes way beyond commercial considerations. 

There are 2 main types of sprinklers, “Wet Pipe” and “Dry Pipe” sprinklers. The “Wet Pipe” sprinklers actually hold water to extinguish any fire that occurs.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the following 6 statistics support the facts that Fire Sprinklers Save Money AND Lives!

1. Civilian Deaths per 1000 Fires: 0.8% in buildings with sprinklers and 6.3% in properties with no sprinklers.
2. Civilian Injuries per 1000 Fires: 23% in properties with sprinklers and 31% in those without sprinklers.
3. Firefighter Injuries per 1000 Fires: 20% in properties with sprinklers and 61% in properties without sprinklers.
4. Residential Properties: The majority of structure fires and deaths occur in residential properties.  Only 8% of the reported residential fires were in properties with sprinklers.
5. Sprinkler Malfunctions: Studies have shown that in 3 of every 5 incidents in which sprinklers failed to operate, it’s because they were shut off by humans for a variety of reasons.
6. NFPA Research Suggests: 10% of sprinklers fail due to a lack of regular maintenance, 7% due to damaged components, 73% of “dry” systems have significant corrosion issues after about 12 years!

Most insurance companies offer premium discounts for installed Fire Sprinklers, assuming they meet the National Fire Protection Association standard called NFPA13!

Insurance carriers (notorious for trying to “wiggle” out of claims), mandate that your sprinkler systems must be fully operational.  They typically add wording, such as “Protective Safeguards” or similar wording to your policy, which protects THEM from paying claims when the sprinkler system is NOT fully functional! 

Examples of this include knowing a sprinkler system is NOT working and neglecting to notify the insurance company.  A 2^nd example is the failure to maintain the “Protective Safeguard” by not keeping it in working order.

Fire Sprinklers require monthly inspections, quarterly testing and annual maintenance.  Only purchase a service contract from a “licensed contractor” that provides all three requirements for peace of mind!

In conclusion, there are many risks managing commercial and residential buildings and homes!  A good way to minimize some of those risks and get an insurance policy premium discount is to install and regularly maintain a Fire Sprinkler system!