West Midlands Fire Service is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Sprinkler Week campaign, from 19 to 24 May.
NFCC and the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) research into sprinkler systems’ effectiveness and reliability found that they operate on 94% of occasions and extinguish or contain the fire virtually every time. The evidence also demonstrated that in both converted and purpose-built flats, sprinklers are 100% effective in controlling fires.
Installation Of Sprinklers And Other Suppression Systems
Sprinklers are very effective and provide strong fire safety protections as part of a fire safety package"
NFCC lead for sprinklers, Chief Fire Officer Terry McDermott, said: “The evidence speaks for itself. Sprinklers are very effective and provide strong fire safety protections as part of a fire safety package. Wales and Scotland recognise this and have implemented measures to make their communities safer from fire. We want to see the same changes in England and Northern Ireland as a matter of urgency. Fire does not discriminate and is just as dangerous in England as it is in the rest of the UK.”
Station Commander Dave Hodgkins, of West Midlands Fire Service’s Fire Safety team, said: “Sprinklers not only save lives, property and businesses but also enhance firefighter safety. We wholly support the installation of sprinklers and other suppression systems, where appropriate, which can only help to make the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier.”
Automatic Fire Suppression Systems
West Midlands Fire Service encourages the installation of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS) where people or premises are identified as being ‘high risk’ in our Integrated Risk Management Plan. AFSSs include:
- Commercial and industrial sprinkler systems
- Residential and domestic sprinkler systems
- Water mist systems
- Foam systems
- Wet chemical
- Inert gas systems
- Powder extinguishing systems
