In an effort to educate occupants and managers/owners of Chicago high-rises about fire safety and their buildings’ compliance with the City’s Life Safety Evaluation (LSE), the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) recently launched a high-rise fire safety education campaign. The campaign leads occupants and building managers/owners to NIFSAB’s www.HighRiseLifeSafety.com website to promote the installation of fire sprinklers as a method of complying with the LSE. Radio spots kicked off the campaign...
Read More »

Download a  sprinkler save report to record your fire department’s latest successful fire sprinkler activation.   February 2012 Multifamily Residence Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Fire sprinklers confined a fire to the area around a stove in one of the units, where unattended cooking had occurred. Two residents were home at the time, but one was sleeping and was unaware of the fire. Firefighters were able to remove them both safely without any harm. Jim French,...
Read More »

In response to the fatal high-rise fire that occurred at 3130 North Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) President John Viniello sent the following “letter to the editor” to Chicago media: To the editor: Elevators stopping at the fire floor…no fire sprinklers installed. Sounds more like the script from the film, “The Towering Inferno.” Yet sadly it happened once again in the City of Chicago. It becomes painfully evident that hundreds...
Read More »

According to the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), the high-rise fire that killed one resident and injured nine others including two firefighters on January 8, 2012, calls into question the effectiveness of the City of Chicago’s 2004 high-rise fire safety ordinance. It requires all residential high-rise buildings built prior to 1975 that do not have fire sprinklers to pass a City of Chicago Life Safety Evaluation. According to Tom Lia, NIFSAB’s Executive...
Read More »

A report that sheds new light on the lifesaving value of installing home fire sprinkler systems has been prepared for the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) by Fire Planning Associates, Inc., a comprehensive preplanning organization in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Bucks County Fire Marshals Association. The group studied life safety and property protection in homes with and without fire sprinkler systems and reviewed fire experience in nearly 7,000 sprinklered homes...
Read More »

Surrounded by fire safety officials from across the state, Representative Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley) of the 70th House District was recently presented an award for his dedication to the fire service and fire sprinkler advocacy at the Illinois Fire Inspector Association’s (IFIA) annual Fire Prevention Week Awards Luncheon. “Representative Pritchard has been a strong advocate for fire safety issues in Springfield and has been an active member of the General Assembly’s Fire Caucus,” said IFIA...
Read More »

This year, Fire Prevention Week (FPW), runs from Sunday, October 9, to Saturday, October 15. In line with the National Fire Protection Association‘s (NFPA) theme for this year’s FPW, “Protect Your Family from Fire,” fire departments across the nation will be visiting schools and hosting events to discuss the dangers of fire and how fires can be prevented. Perhaps the greatest ways to demonstrate fire prevention and safety is to host a live side-by-side...
Read More »

In late August, over 14,000 members of the fire and emergency service converged upon the annual Fire-Rescue International (FRI) show in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to the hundreds of exhibits and educational sessions, various awards were announced to recognize outstanding members of the fire service. Local fire marshal from the Buffalo Grove Fire Department and executive director emeritus of the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association (IFIA), George Michehl, was one of those recognized. Michehl was...
Read More »

The Sisters of St. Joseph have called La Grange Park home since the early 1900s and have been in the buildings of what is now called the Congregation of St. Joseph Ministry Center since the 1960s. The complex contains four interconnected buildings: a six-story mixed-use building with offices and residences; a single-story common building with cooking, dining, and meeting facilities; a three-story senior living structure; and a large chapel. In addition, Nazareth Academy, a...
Read More »

As part of a State Farm-funded grant program, the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) donated a residential fire sprinkler system to the residents of a home in the Brookmeadow Estates subdivision in Frankfort, Illinois. Owner of the home and former Wisconsin pipefitter by trade, Dan Turner, is paralyzed from the chest down and wheelchair-bound due to an automobile accident six years ago. His father-in-law, John Raiger, sought assistance through the HFSC project because...
Read More »

The nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) is the recipient of a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to underwrite a multifaceted U.S. educational program. The funding will help fire departments increase local activities that improve knowledge of the dangers of home fires and the value of installing home fire sprinkler systems. It will also educate homebuilders and others to refute common myths and increase interest in the life-saving sprinkler technology. The funding was awarded...
Read More »

The month of September has been recognized as “National Campus Fire Safety Month” since 2005. Colleges and universities across the nation hold educational sessions and demonstrations to inform students what they can do to ensure that they do not become victims of preventable fires. Governors across the nation sign proclamations annually and the U.S. Senate and House introduce resolutions to recognize the month. “September is the perfect time to recommit ourselves to campus fire...
Read More »

September 2011 Rockford Supportive Living (High-Rise) Rockford Fire Department Before fire sprinklers even arrived on scene, a fire sprinkler fully extinguished a fire in a second-floor apartment bathroom that was caused by a carelessly discard cigarette. “The only reason it was a small fire was because there was a sprinkler system,” said Fire Investigator Mark Marinaro. “Without it, there would have been loss of life or injuries for sure.” Daniel Smith, Captain – Fire...
Read More »

In mid-July, Pleasantview Fire Protection District‘s very own Dan Tholotowsky made his retirement official with other retiring members of the fire department. Tholotowsky’s served a total of 31 years with the fire department, 28 of which were spent as director of the Fire Prevention Bureau. “As fire marshal, Tholotowsky has been a key proponent of residential fire sprinkler protection and fire alarms as well as code enhancements,” says Fire Chief Kevin Doyle. “More specifically,...
Read More »

In the “From the Editor” section of the October issue of FireRescue magazine, Timothy Sendelbach discusses the current state of the national residential fire sprinkler movement. Talking to firefighters, Sendelbach says that “in cases of human error, criminal intent and accidents, the next best form of fire protection (after public education and prevention) is the automatic fire sprinkler.” Firefighters made the strong push to include residential fire sprinklers in the International Residential Code during the...
Read More »

  The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OFSM) released a statement in late July stating that NFPA 25 is enforceable (and should be enforced) by local units of government. Below is the full statement:         RE:  Ability of Local Enforcers to Apply Illinois Administrative Code Requirements with Specific Attention to Automatic Sprinkler System Inspection, Testing and Maintenance   To Whom It May Concern, The purpose of this correspondence is...
Read More »

As part of the Village of Alsip’s “National Night Out” events outside City Hall on in early August, the Alsip Fire Department offered the public a variety of ways to learn about residential fire sprinklers. Not only was there a residential fire sprinkler display with hangtags explaining the system and its benefits, but also the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) was in attendance with a fire sprinkler demonstration trailer. Deputy Chief Kevin...
Read More »

A fire that erupts in a home with no sprinkler system can blaze for critical, life-changing minutes, reducing a room to flames and smoke before firefighters can make it to the scene. Sprinklers can extinguish the blaze quickly on their own, often before emergency crews arrive. Harper College’s Fire Science Technology Department, along with assistance from the Palatine Fire Department, staged a live, public demonstration on September 8 to display that difference. The group...
Read More »

Excerpt from the August issue of International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) Public Management magazine: “As the decision whether to require residential fire sprinklers reaches state and local governments, passionate arguments are being made by proponents and opponents alike. Encompassed in this emotional debate are data and research—some more reliable than others—along with myths and unsupported assumptions. The challenge for managers and elected officials is determining the acceptable level of fire risk and making the...
Read More »

Since 1996, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) has created noncommercial educational resources and programs that educate consumers, homebuilders, local officials, the media and others about the lifesaving benefits of installing home fire sprinklers. HFSC is the only national nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that is focused solely on home fire sprinkler education. Who uses HFSC’s free materials most? Members of the fire service, especially public educators. HFSC helps fire departments meet their public safety...
Read More »

The Sprinkler Firewatch blog is live again after about a year-and-a-half hiatus. Supported by the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the Sprinkler Firewatch blog compiles the most recent online news articles that cover fire events throughout the United States and mention fire sprinklers. Maintained by the publisher of Campus Firewatch e-newsletter, Ed Comeau, the blog helps website visitors understand the impact that fire sprinklers have in preventing fire tragedies through the use of current events.
Read More »

The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), in conjunction with the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association and Northern Illinois Fire Inspectors Association, provide two demo trailers for use by Fire Services, Fire Brigades, and Public Information Officials. Sprinkler are provided by donations from the manufacturers. You supply the tow vehicle with a Class III hitch. Both are equipped with residential fire sprinklers, fire pumps, and a 200 plus gallon tank. If you do not...
Read More »

Thanks to Dynamic Fire Protection and Ferguson Fire and Fabrication, two training towers at the Frankfort Fire Protection District Training Center are now equipped with standpipes. The training center located at 24420 S. LaGrange Road, is used for various levels of training by the Frankfort Fire Protection District, their cadet program and as an area-wide training facility. One standpipe was installed in a three-story tower, the other in a four-story tower. According to Frankfort...
Read More »

Members from the Illinois fire service converged upon Washington, D.C. in April to attend the Congressional Fire Services Institute dinner. While there, Illinois fire service members met and lobbied with key officials to discuss legislation, including the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act. Among those officials the Illinois fire service met with were U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, and Congressman Joe Walsh, Robert Todd, Bobby Schilling, Adam Kinzinger, and Randy Hultgren. The fire service...
Read More »