Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service encourages residents to install home fire sprinkler systems

Released: June 11, 2012 at 1 p.m.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, in partnership with the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association, is encouraging residents to install home fire sprinkler systems to protect their families and first responders.

Sprinkler systems control fires, protect families and first responders

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, in partnership with the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association, is encouraging residents to install home fire sprinkler systems to protect their families and first responders.

Home fire sprinklers save lives and reduce property loss by containing and extinguishing a fire in less time than it takes emergency crews to arrive on-scene.

âœEvery year, more than 300 Canadians are killed in home fires,â said Chief Reid Douglas, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. âœWhile every household needs working smoke alarms and a well-rehearsed fire escape plan for basic safety, only fire sprinklers can automatically control a fire. Installing fire sprinklers saves lives and protects property.â

âœInstalling both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system reduces the risk of death in a home fire by 82 per cent,â said Sean Pearce, Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association. âœOnly the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire. 90 per cent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.â

Fire sprinkler system facts:

  • Fire sprinklers are supplied by household water - usually off the water main. Just like ordinary plumbing, sprinkler system piping is hidden behind walls and ceilings.
  • The sprinklers are positioned along the piping and can be seen in ceilings or up high along certain walls.
  • Sprinklers are activated only by the high temperature of a fire - typically between 57 and 74 degrees Celsius.
  • Burned toast or other smoke cannot set off a sprinkler; neither can a smoke alarm that activates.
  • By operating while a fire is still small, a sprinkler controls or extinguishes a fire, slowing the spread of poisonous smoke and deadly heat, giving family members more time to get out safely.

The Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association (CASA) represents the fire sprinkler industry in Canada. CASA is dedicated to working collaboratively with all levels of government, the fire service and all other stakeholders to help educate Canadians on the public safety value of fire sprinklers.

For more information on home fire sprinkler systems, visit: http://casa-firesprinkler.org/home.html

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