Credit image Discovery Fire Sprinklers Ltd
Introduction
Many thanks to Discovery Fire Sprinklers Ltd for reporting this positive news story demonstrating the benefits of installing sprinklers,as part of a package of fire safety measures protecting our communities from fire.
Background
The foresight of Dundee City Council committing to install sprinkler systems in all new build properties since 2016 was clearly vindicated following a fire involving a ground floor terraced flat which was extinguished by the activation of the premises sprinkler system which should be applauded, the outcome could have been so much different if sprinklers had not been installed. This major housing development was completed in October 2024 providing more than 298 affordable homes including a mix of modern flats, detached, and terraced homes installed with sprinklers.
The detail of this activation provides further evidence of the reliability and effectiveness of sprinkler systems and adds further weight to the recent report conducted by ¹Optimal Economics, commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council, National Fire Sprinkler Network into the performance, reliability, and effectiveness of sprinkler systems in controlling and extinguishing fires.
The report found that:
1.Sprinklers are 99% efficient in extinguishing or controlling a fire.
2. Sprinklers are 94% efficient in their ability to operate.
The Incident
Credit image Discovery Fire Sprinklers Ltd
Summary of Incident
The benefit of local knowledge to isolate the sprinkler system at the conclusion of the incident was clearly demonstrated, by coincidence as the incident was unfolding engineers representing Discovery Fire Sprinklers Ltd who installed the sprinkler system were driving pass the incident. Who had the foresight to stop and assist the fire service to identify the sprinkler isolation valve, returning the following day to reinstate the system.
This incident provides further evidence that the main functional objectives of a life safety sprinkler system were achieved.
Design & Install Sprinkler System Criteria
Advice For Building Managers, the following advice is intended for building managers, individuals who have responsibility for fire safety within a building. It is paramount that fire protection measures in buildings can function effectively in the event of a fire.
To achieve this: –
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, it is a requirement of the Order for the responsible person to implement the appropriate arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring of the preventive and protective measures.
Conclusion
This incident provides further evidence that the main functional objectives of a life safety sprinkler system were achieved
Sources/further reading.
If you want to make a difference working in the fire sector, we need your assistance……
To make sprinklers the norm and not the exception – we need the evidence. Encouraging FRS and those in the sprinkler community to promote, collate, report sprinkler activations to Sprinkler Saves UK which will help to create a central and comprehensive record of fire incidents where sprinklers played their role in containing/controlling or extinguishing the fire.
If you hear of a save report it using this link.
Credit to both Discovery Fire Sprinklers/SFRS for reporting this incident allowing the benefits of sprinklers to be reported to a wider audience raising awareness of the good work that sprinklers do and help in our continued campaign to lobby government to introduce tougher sprinkler rules making the installation and retrofitting of sprinklers mandatory in all buildings we are particularly concerned about: