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A picture is worth a thousand words, Specialised Housing Sprinkler Save
27 October 2023
- Date of incident; 27 October 2023
- Location; London
- Use of building; Specialised Housing
- Location of fire; Kitchen
- Automatic Fire Suppression System; BS9251:2014 Residential Sprinklers
- 1x Residential concealed pendent sprinkler head actuated.
- Fire Rescue Service; London Fire Brigade
DPJ Sprinklers Ltd, leading from the front reporting the above sprinkler actuation, promoting the many benefits sprinklers bring protecting our most vulnerable residents from fire. The outcome of which will entice housing providers, local authorities, landlords, architects to install sprinklers making them the norm not the exception.
Kitchen Images
- The Kitchen image clearly identifies minor smoke damage on the walls, ceiling with no visible fire damage present.
- The sprinkler cover plate successfully detached from its housing allowing the sprinkler head to drop from its housing, activate.
Image credit DPJ Sprinklers Ltd,
The Incident
- A fire within a specialised housing retirement complex of 4 floors containing 38, 1-bedroom flats.
- The alarm was raised following the activation of one concealed pendent sprinkler head following a fire within the kitchen involving cooking on the electric hob of the cooker.
- The fire was contained to the room of origin, extinguished before the arrival of the LFB, no further firefighting was required.
- No injuries were reported, resident self-evacuated.
- From time of arrival of the engineer the system was reinstated within 2.5 hours.
This incident clearly identifies, reinforces that.
- A correctly designed and installed sprinkler system can detect and control a fire at an early stage of development and actuate an alarm.
- Operation of the system rapidly reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke.
- Allowing more time for the occupants to escape safely or be rescued.
Supporting the most recent UK research was commissioned by The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) and supported by BAFSA in the publication, “Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service Data”.
Across all premises types:
• Sprinklers are 99% efficient in extinguishing or controlling a fire.
• Sprinklers are 94% efficient in their ability to operate.
Sprinkler system
- Installed to BS9251:2014, category 2 system.
- Water supply: twin supply, dedicated external bespoke GRP Tank Room and plastic tank.
- Duty and St/by pump linked to the premises fire alarm system.
- UPS back up power supply.
- Coverage; dwellings.
- Isolation valves located on each floor level. (1 zone per floor)
- RFC49 Residential concealed pendent sprinkler heads
Image credit DPJ Sprinklers Ltd
Legislation
- Unlike Scotland and Wales, it is not mandatory to install fire sprinklers in new build specialised housing schemes in England.
- BAFSA, welcome’s the government’s recent proposal for sprinklers to be fitted in new care homes in England a change we have all been calling for in the fire sector for many years, we would also encourage government to look at fitting sprinklers in new specialised housing schemes following the lead of Scotland and Wales.
Newgrange Care Home Fire
Image credit HFRS
- When you compare this to the Newgrange care home fire, housing are most vulnerable residents of society, the outcome was so much different.
- The scene of a major fire in 2017 which broke out in the early hours of the morning. The home was occupied by 35 residents, sprinklers were not fitted. The fire resulted in 33 elderly and immobile residents being rescued by firefighters, sadly two residents died because of the fire.
- If sprinklers had been fitted the outcome could have been so much different, following the fire the coroner raised concerns that sprinkler systems are not mandatory in care homes. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) recommended sprinklers be installed.
- The home was rebuilt – without fire sprinklers.!!!!!!!!
To drive change, we need your support to make sprinklers the norm and not the exception, if you hear of a save report it.
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