HFSC Increases Stipend Offer. Now 60 U.S. Fire Departments Will Receive $500 For Local Home Fire Sprinkler Education

Burn Demonstration

Stipends can be used to build or refurbish a side-by-side burn demonstration.

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The deadline to apply is March 6, 2020.

February 17, 2020, Frankfort, IL – The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) has increased the number of $500 stipends offered to U.S. fire departments thanks to additional donations from HFSC founding members American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). The original program offered 20 stipends through grant funding from State Farm. HFSC’s founding members stepped up their contributions to further support the fire service. The stipends will be awarded to qualifying fire departments to support local community outreach.

The stipends are being rolled out ahead of Home Fire Sprinkler Week, which will take place across North America May 17-23, 2020. Co-Sponsored by HFSC and the NFPA Fire Sprinkler Initiative, the week emphasizes the dangers of home fires to residents and firefighters and promotes the importance of building new homes with automatic fire sprinklers.

The stipends will help fire departments of any size or type conduct educational demonstrations. The funds can be used to build a portable, full-scale home fire sprinkler riser display, build or refurbish a side-by-side home fire sprinkler and flashover unit or produce an educational banner. HFSC has comprehensive online guidelines that describe materials, construction and outreach strategies to create these powerful and reusable teaching resources.

“With fire service activities concentrated on these important points during a single week each year, we are able to significantly boost interest and awareness among the public, the media and local officials,” says HFSC President Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. “This is essential because eight of 10 fire deaths in the U.S. occur in home fires.”

Although the number of reported fires has decreased over the past 40 years, you are more likely to die in a fire today than you were in 1980. “Today’s home fires burn hotter and faster yet loss can be significantly reduced with sprinklers,” Carli adds. “We could practically eliminate fire deaths in future years if every home had sprinklers.”

To qualify, applicants must be current members of the free Built for Life Fire Department Program (BFLFD), developed by HFSC in the 1990s to help the fire service improve local home fire sprinkler education. They will also be required to describe their plan to use and evaluate their awards. Join the BFLFD Program and apply for a stipend. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2020.

A similar stipend program is under way in Canada, with underwriting from HFSC’s Canadian partner The Co-Operators.

Now in its third year, Home Fire Sprinkler Week has become popular with fire departments in the US and Canada and HFSC anticipates widespread participation again in 2020. “The public education work the fire departments will do with these valuable stipends is essential and it will help make Home Fire Sprinkler Week 2020 an educational and motivational success,” Carli says. “We are appreciative of the strong support of the fire service, the HFSC Board of Directors, and our partners State Farm and The Co-Operators.”

Learn more about Home Fire Sprinkler Week and follow HFSC activities on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HFSCorg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homefiresprinklercoalition/

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/HFSCorg and in Canada https://twitter.com/HFSCinCanada

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2023-06-22T14:41:59-05:00February 17th, 2020|Comments Off on HFSC Increases Stipend Offer. Now 60 U.S. Fire Departments Will Receive $500 For Local Home Fire Sprinkler Education
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Preventing Fire Sprinkler System Freeze-Ups in Cold Weather Months

freeze-up-prevention-flyer

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From the National Fire Sprinkler Association

The designers and installers of water-based fire protection systems, like automatic fire sprinkler systems, take into account seasonal variations in temperature. In cases where water-filled pipe cannot be protected from freezing, alternative methods are used. But most of the time, even in the coldest climates, the assumption is that the normal precautions taken to keep the building warm will, in turn, keep the fire sprinkler system from freezing.

NFPA 25, the Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, published by the National Fire Protection Association, is required by code to be followed in most areas of the country. Because of the importance of adequate heat, the standard requires that the owner of the property maintain at least a 40 degree temperature in all areas containing water-filled piping.

Although rare, freeze-ups can and do still occur. Allowing water-filled components of a fire suppression system to freeze can lead to a catastrophic event like a rupture or even worse, the failure of the system to operate in a fire. The time to prevent this from happening is before cold weather strikes. But even during cold weather, there are still important steps that anyone in buildings with fire sprinklers can take to avoid these costly and potentially tragic freeze-up from occurring:

  • Obviously, most important is to make sure heating systems are in good working order and the thermostat is set high enough to prevent freezing temperatures in all areas of the building.
  • In buildings with drop-ceilings, sometime removing a few tiles in each room will allow heat to travel into otherwise cold areas.
  • If cold drafts are noticed, locate the source and take steps to remedy them. Sometimes doors or windows don’t close tightly because of snow or ice, or cracks open up around other openings and need caulking. Doors leading to poorly heated vestibules may need to be left open at night to allow heat into that area.Remember, freeze-ups are not failures of the fire sprinkler system, but the results are just the same. A lack of adequate heat provided to the water-filled components of the fire sprinkler system can be avoided by taking these simple precautions. The qualified sprinkler contractor who does the routine inspection, testing and maintenance on your system can provide you with additional guidance. You can usually find their contact information somewhere on the system riser (where the main control valves are located).
2023-10-05T11:25:17-05:00December 9th, 2016|0 Comments
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Fire Sprinkler System Saves Taxpayers Money in Wheaton Public Works Facility Fire

According to fire reports from November 14, the fire sprinkler system in the Wheaton Public Works facility held a fire in check that began in the bed of a dump truck in one of the maintenance garage bays. Firefighters arrived to find only minor smoldering material and smoke. As a direct result of the sprinkler’s quick response to the fire, no injuries were reported and the building was open again the next morning.

“Thanks to fire sprinklers, this is a great success story for the city of Wheaton,” says Tom Lia, executive director of the nonprofit Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board. “Had the city’s public works facility not been protected with fire sprinklers, the fire could have caused major damage. The public works department would have lost valuable resources and it would have created a burden on taxpayers, who would end up paying for the loss.”

“Wheaton city officials lead by example, protecting their own public buildings according to the national model codes. The model codes ensure that communities are able to protect their infrastructure, housing stock, citizens and employees, and first responders such as firefighters and police,” adds Lia.

Century Automatic Sprinkler, a licensed National Fire Sprinkler Association contractor from Gurnee, Illinois, installed the fire sprinkler system in the Wheaton Public Works facility.

2023-10-05T11:34:03-05:00November 15th, 2016|0 Comments
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Register: NFSA Annual Seminar (May 3-6)

2016-nfsa-annual-seminarThe National Fire Sprinkler Association’s 2016 Annual Seminar and Business & Leadership Conference will be held May 3-6, 2016, in Dana Point, California. The event will include national speakers who will provide valuable resources and information.

It’s also important to note that capacity is limited, so reserve your spot while there is still availability.

Register for the annual seminar (early bird registration has been extended through March 14), check out Sponsorship Opportunities,  and make your hotel reservations at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott.

Also, the annual seminar will feature the 1st Annual Common Voices Golf Classic. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Common Voices, a coalition of advocates who put personal voices to the tragedies of fire. Register separately for the golf classic.

2023-10-05T11:27:31-05:00February 26th, 2016|0 Comments
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ABOUT US

Northern Illinois
Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board
7605 185th Street
Tinley Park, IL 60477
Phone: (708) 403- 4468
Fax: (708) 403- 4771

OR CONTACT US HERE

The Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board is a Not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting progressive legislation, raising public awareness, educating code officials and governmental policy makers by demonstrating the proven performance of fire sprinklers in saving both lives and property.

©2023 Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board
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