2014 – Issue 2 – April-August

During Fire Prevention Week, which extends from October 5-11, several Chicagoland fire departments are stepping up their education efforts with live fire and sprinkler burn demonstrations that will be open to the public. The demonstrations will showcase the tremendous speed of typical home fires and their potential for deadly destruction in relation to a...
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This July, long-time National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) President James M. Shannon retired from his position after an incredibly successful career. Shannon served as the NFPA president since 2002, but had been with the organization for 23 years total. He joined NFPA as vice president and general counsel in 1991 after previously serving as...
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After 11 years of serving as the executive director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA), Bob Buhs stepped down from his position effective August 1. Buhs has served on the organization since 1988 having held various executive board positions including two years as president of the board. “Former IFCA Executive Director Jerry Burke...
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Courtesy of NFPA’s “Fire Sprinkler Initiative” blog: This may come as a surprise to fire sprinkler opponents, but the website Grassroots Change has named the home fire sprinkler movement “one of the most successful public safety efforts” in America within the past three decades. According to a recent study in the American Journal of Public...
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In a new national Harris Poll survey conducted on behalf of the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), 74% of U.S. homeowners said they would be more likely to buy a home with fire sprinklers than one without. Seven in 10 said a sprinklered house has more value and nearly 8 in 10 (78%)...
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Download a sprinkler save report to record your fire department’s latest successful fire sprinkler activations.   June 2014   Grimm Metal Fabricators Lombard Fire Department The fire sprinkler system in the building controlled an early morning fire in the rear portion of the warehouse. No one was in the building at the time. Damage...
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More than $84,000 was raised for burn-injury survivors at the Illinois Burn Prevention Association’s (IBPA) 19th Annual Burn Prevention Golf Invitational on June 3rd at Willow Crest Golf Club at the Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook. One hundred and thirty-four golfers participated in the event. Money raised from the event was donated...
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In the early morning on June 11, a fire tore through a home in an unincorporated area of southwest suburban Mokena, killing an elderly couple before they were able to escape their home. In addition, a Mokena police officer was treated for smoke inhalation after trying to rescue the occupants. Tom Lia, executive director...
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On Wednesday, May 7, a single fire sprinkler extinguished a kitchen fire in the Spinning Wheel Apartments high-rise building in Hinsdale. The fire occurred on the sixth floor of the 17-story building when a frying pan was left on the stove while the stove was left in the “on” position. According to Tim McElroy,...
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Gregg Huennekens, CEO of USA Fire Protection, Lake Forest, received the Golden Sprinkler Award, the highest honor awarded by the National Fire Sprinkler Association at its Annual Meeting in May. The Golden Sprinkler Award recognizes individuals for their dedication to NFSA and the entire fire sprinkler industry. Huennekens has been involved with the NFSA...
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Early in the morning on May 8, the Chicago Fire Department reported that a fire sprinkler system in the Esplanade Apartments high-rise at 900 N. Lake Shore Drive activated to contain an automobile fire in a basement parking garage. Smoke was able to reach its way into the high-rise building above due to a...
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Attend the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance‘s (IFSA) Fire Prevention Week awards luncheon from 10am-1:30pm on October 9 at Bobak’s Signature Events in Woodridge. Members of the fire service from throughout the state and other fire safety advocates will be in attendance. Keynote speaker John Raymond, survivor of the Our Lady of the Angels school...
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Tom Lia, executive director of the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), is now a contributing blogger for the NFPA Fire Sprinkler Initiative. Lia will regularly post about the challenges and successes he experiences in Illinois. Here’s an excerpt of Tom’s first blog post: When I left the Orland Fire Protection District to...
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On March 21, 2014, a fire at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Peru, Illinois, was caused by an air conditioning/heating unit shorting out in one of the rooms. Thanks to the successful activation of the motel’s fire sprinkler system, the fire was contained to the room of origin. The quick response of...
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When a new home is built in an area where codes do not require fire sprinklers to be installed, and the homebuilder does not offer sprinklers as an option, many homebuyers are not aware that they can ask for fire sprinklers. Every time a new home is built without fire sprinklers, generations of families...
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If you enjoy reading the Fire Sprinkler Times to hear about the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board‘s (NIFSAB) latest news and events, you’ll also enjoy NIFSAB’s Facebook page. Connect with us socially through wall posts and join the conversations about fire sprinklers in Illinois. Also, we are able to post more pictures from...
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