Sprinklers part of “balanced” fire protection
“Clarifying the Issue of Fire Protection Balance” by Richard Licht (Fire Commentary, November 2003) is a poorly crafted promotion of the fire-stopping products industry at the expense of automatic fire sprinkler systems. Licht is business manager for 3M Fire Protection Products, and his and others’ association with the “Alliance for Fire and Smoke Containment and Control” reads like the who’s who of the fire-stopping industry.
Licht sacrifices the validity of automatic fire sprinklers by presenting archaic data from as far back as July 1970 (Figure 2, page 113). As an example, in the 34 years since that time, sprinkler systems have undergone more stringent supervision and maintenance requirements. In my state, we have seen the implementation of periodic inspections pursuant to the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code.
Licht paints a bleak picture of sprinkler failure by deducing that the remainder of incidents where sprinklers did operate are indicative of sprinkler failure in all other cases (Figure 1 on page 112 and text on page 113). Furthermore, the NFIRS data collected references the years 1989 to 1998, whereas the data collected relative to “Groups of Leading Reasons for Unsatisfactory Sprinkler Performance” (Figure 2, page 113) is described as that from the July 1970 issue of Fire Journal … a 19-year disparity.
We need not disparage one proven life safety technology, in this case automatic fire sprinklers, to promote another fire protection product. Automatic fire sprinkler system technology has grown in leaps and bounds since 1970, and new standards such as NFPA 25 will further enhance the reliability of automatic fire sprinkler systems. As a fire protection subcode official (AHJ), I agree that responsible fire resistive construction and fire stopping have their place in our built environment. However, I do not support the notion that sensationalized nonperformance of fire sprinkler systems should be the driving force to achieve this.
John Drucker
New Jersey Fire Protection
Subcode Official
“Clarifying the Issue of Fire Protection Balance” is misleading when it mentions that sprinklers did not operate 17.3 percent of the time. I contacted Dr. John Hall of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and asked if this statistic was correct. This is Dr. Hall’s reply.
“One-sixth is a statistical summary measure of how often sprinklers do not activate, which involves a wide range of circumstances, many of which cannot be fairly called ‘failure.’ For example, sprinklers may not activate because the fire is not near the sprinklers in a partially sprinklered property. Not all the fires that are too small to activate sprinklers are coded ‘fire too small.’ And even most of the real ‘failures’ are due to human error, including closing the valves in advance of the fire and changing the hazard under the sprinklers without changing the sprinklers to match.
“Just as important, the real issue is how performance and reliability combine to define the fire safety value of any technology. Loss per fire is reduced when construction is upgraded, regardless of whether sprinklers are or are not present. Loss per fire is reduced when sprinklers are installed, regardless of the type of construction. They both make a contribution. But if you have to choose, it is important to note that in most types of properties, the average loss per fire in an unsprinklered fire-resistive building is higher than in a sprinklered building with less fire-resistive construction. The same is true for life loss per fire.
“What this says to me is that construction features and sprinklers are both valuable in protecting lives and property, but sprinklers typically deliver more value if one forces the comparison. This takes nothing away from the value of construction features—which is considerable—but it warns against attempts to boost interest in construction features by unfairly underestimating the value of sprinklers.
“Also, when sprinkler performance disappoints, it is usually because of a failure to operate—a reliability problem that can be significantly reduced through inspection and maintenance and that even at current levels in no way undercuts the excellent performance record sprinklers have.
“Where I end up is that passive fire protection has a strong and persuasive case to make—it really does deliver substantial value in greater safety—but sprinklers do, too. For each technology—and any other fire safety technology—we need to use appropriate measures of performance, given reliability. Loss per fire measures, with and without the technology present, are the appropriate measures to use, because they reflect both performance and reliability.”
The report U.S. Experience with Sprinklers from the Fire Analysis and Research Division of the NFPA states that when sprinklers are present, the chance of dying in a fire and the average property loss per fire are both cut by one-half to two-thirds, compared with fires where sprinklers are not present. This comparison is limited to fires reported to fire departments. If unreported fires could be included, and if complete, well-maintained, and properly installed and designed systems could be isolated, sprinkler effectiveness would be even more impressive.
As Dr. Hall noted, the statement “one out of every six fire sprinklers failed to operate” is misleading. In reality, some of those sprinklers were not supposed to operate. For example, the sprinklers might have been located out of the fire area or the fire had been controlled prior to the operation of the sprinkler system, or the ceiling never reached temperatures that would have activated the sprinkler system. “Failure to operate” is different from “the system failed.”
Fire safety in buildings is improving. The fact is that fires and civilian fire deaths have declined over the past two decades. According to estimates derived from the NFPA’s annual fire department survey, U.S. fire department responses have decreased 42 percent since 1980, and civilian fire deaths have decreased 49 percent since 1980. The NFPA’s report U.S. Fire Service Fatalities in Structure Fires, 1977-2000 states that since 1977, the number of U.S. firefighter deaths annually at structure fires has dropped 59 percent and the annual number of structure fires declined by 54 percent.
Effectiveness of Fire Safety Components and Systems, by I. R. Thomas, published in the Journal of Fire Protection Engineering, concluded that sprinklers generally provide better protection than detectors and protected construction:
“It appears from the data and analysis presented that there is useful information contained in the available fire incident database in relation to the effectiveness of some fire safety components and systems. Based on the extent of flame damage data for all occupancies, it is generally significantly better (and never significantly worse) to have sprinklers alone than to have both detectors and protected construction. In all occupancies, there was an advantage (sometimes very small) in having sprinklers plus detectors plus protected construction compared with sprinklers alone.
“The limited data available makes it possible to estimate only effectiveness for three fire safety systems: sprinklers, detectors, and protected construction. Data on a greater range of components and subsystems would be very beneficial in that it would enable their effectiveness to be estimated also.
“Based on the data analyzed, it appears that sprinklers are generally more effective in reducing fire spread—and, to a lesser extent, civilian fatalities, firefighter injuries, and property losses—than either detectors, protected construction, or both detectors and protected construction.”
If we truly want to balance fire protection, then we need to increase the number of buildings with installed automatic sprinkler protection. A review of the 1.8 million fires that were studied in the report Effectiveness of Fire Safety Components and Systems shows that sprinklers were present in 5.5 percent of the buildings that reported a fire. Detectors were present in 40.2 percent of the buildings, and 42.8 percent of the buildings had protected construction. If the passive fire protection industry is sincere about its push for balanced fire protection, it must agree that we need to increase the incentives to install automatic fire sprinklers.
Kevin Kelly
Manager of Codes
National Fire Sprinkler Association
“Arson is terrorism”
“ARSON IS TERRORISM, SO SPEAK RIGHT UP” was a headline in the August 14, 2003, Idaho Spokesman Review newspaper. The article explained that “terrorist might seem an extreme word for an arsonist. But arsonists use many of the same diabolical skills. And they have the potential to cause untold death and destruction.” The author asked for public assistance in identifying, apprehending, and successfully prosecuting the person or persons responsible for a series of fires that resulted in the tragic death of firefighting pilot Randall Harmon on July 25, 2003. The author pleaded, “Fire terrorists destroy peace of mind. If you know people trying to burn down homes and businesses in your neighborhood or community, don’t hesitate to turn those puppies in. Stamping out this danger calls for tattletales. Forget the rules you learned in kindergarten about not being a tattletale. If you know something about the source of these fires, speak up. Your information could prevent the heartbreak that accompanies the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities after a fire races through.” On July 15, 2003, the Coeur d’Alene Press (Idaho) printed an editorial along that theme and added ” … whoever’s setting the fires must be stopped. We encourage anyone with information to call the … sheriff’s department.”
The unlawful use of fire and explosives has been the most popular tools of the trade for both domestic and international terrorists since the turn of the century in this country (Terrorism in the US, 30 years of Terrorism, DOJ, 1999). It is not the violent act of using an unlawful fire alone but the motive and target(s) the offender has in mind while committing the crime that will determine if the act is terrorist related.
Motive is defined as an inner drive or impulse that is the cause, reason, or incentive that induces or prompts a specific behavior (Rider, 1980, The Firesetter, A Psychological Profile). Extremist-motivated arson has long been recognized as one of the motive classifications for arson. These offenders may set fires to further their extreme social, political, and religious beliefs (A Motive Based Offender Analysis of Serial Arsonist, DOJ). Historical, high-profile targets for these arsonists were churches, cultural centers, abortion clinics, animal laboratories, slaughterhouses, fur farms, and federal buildings. More recently it appears that the arson targets for this motive classification have apparently expanded to include economic and symbolic targets such as ski resorts, car dealerships, destination resorts, real estate developments, retail sales stores, and public transportation and infrastructure.
An offender who sets an unlawful fire or uses explosive devices on these types of targets with an extremist motivation is now classified by the U.S. Department of Justice as a “domestic terrorist.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is authorized as the lead agency in crisis management in acts of terrorism by Presidential Decision Directive 39, dated June 21, 1995.
The domestic terrorist wants to instill fear in the public and erode public trust in our government. As emergency services providers, we need to work closely to provide vital, uninterrupted emergency services to the public, instill trust in the public, and assist law enforcement authorities in preserving evidence at a crime scene. If an incident involves a high-profile or symbolic target of arson, multiple arsons, or explosions, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency about the incident. While on-scene, identify, mark, and protect from disturbance any potential items of evidence. After the incident, prepare reports and submit them to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is anxious to be advised of all activity that might be determined as a threat to our nation’s security. The promptness of these reports is essential.
Whether or not your next incident is a suspected act of domestic terrorism or just a criminal act, work with your local law enforcement agency and your local media sources to co-develop a media campaign strategy to enlighten and educate the public to help make our communities safer. An effective media campaign can provide important public information such as a person’s description, a vehicle’s description, a composite sketch, suspicious activities to be aware of, rewards offered, and fire prevention information. One of the best arson prevention strategies is to catch the offender before he can strike again.
Arson, regardless of the motivation, is a behavior we should not tolerate in our communities. It is a common enemy to all emergency service providers. We must determine the origin and cause of every fire. Without vital origin and cause information, we cannot determine the nature of the fire or if something more sinister has occurred.
Glenn Lauper
Fire Inspector/Investigator
Coeur d’Alene (ID) Fire Department
Defining “insanity”
Thanks to Bill Manning for “The Definition of Insanity” (Editor’s Opinion, December 2003). I was flabbergasted when I moved to California, fresh out of college, to find wood shingle roofs as being the height of fashion in California housing design and construction. Most other places had outlawed them in the late teens or early ’20s.
My move was more than 40 years ago. Numerous conflagrations later, in which wood shingle roofs were a major contributing factor to the spread of fires, the message still hasn’t gotten through to people. Thanks to Bill Manning for sounding the alarm yet again.
Leonard W. Williams, CPA
President 1985-1986
International Fire Buff Associates
