Sprinklers for Home Safety

Firefighting crews can’t sit outside homes waiting for them to burst into flames. But there is an alternative that can snuff out flames immediately--ceiling sprinklers.

The idea of fire sprinklers in residences is not new to Orange County. About five years ago San Clemente became the first city in the nation to require their installation in all new homes.

Many homes in other communities protected by the Orange County Fire Department have sprinklers, too, because the department has been accepting sprinklers as a trade-off and waiving special construction requirements in remote areas and areas with limited water supplies.

Other homeowners, aware of the protection that sprinklers provide at relatively low cost (about $1,000 or less for an average-sized house), are installing sprinklers as insurance--a wise decision that more people should make.

A public information program on the lifesaving value of fire sprinklers in homes is being pushed by the nonprofit Coalition for Home Fire Sprinklers in Anaheim. It stages demonstrations to show how quickly sprinklers react (20 to 40 seconds after a fire starts) to a fire before it can get out of control.

La Habra Heights, just across the county line, recently decided to require sprinklers after city officials saw the demonstration.

Some Orange County cities may be following suit--actions that would be both sensible and reasonable, especially if city building regulations are changed to allow builders to offset the costs. But we prefer the voluntary approach in which cities provide the economic incentives for sprinklers by pushing trade-offs that reduce construction costs, such as allowing more distance between fire-hydrant locations and easing water-pressure requirements.

No matter how they approach it, more communities must start considering the greater use of residential fire sprinklers. They are already required in large commercial and industrial buildings, and they have proved their value in saving lives. But the greatest loss of lives in fires occurs in residential blazes. That’s where the added protection of sprinklers should be.