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‘Today’ Fire Sprinkler Segment Presents Bad Information
A segment on the benefits of home fire sprinklers that aired on “Today,” the NBC morning television show, has drawn the ire of NAHB members — and a letter to the show’s producers from NAHB Chairman Sandy Dunn.
The segment included a demonstration of two fires — one in a room with sprinklers, one without — and concluded that a home with sprinklers will prevent fire fatalities.
“The footage is quite dramatic, and might leave viewers with the impression that installing fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes will lead to an immediate and significant drop in fatalities,” Dunn’s letter said. “The problem is, that’s not true. And it’s simply irresponsible to imply otherwise.”
Participants in the demonstration included representatives from the local fire sprinkler installers union as well as the fire department.
Dunn noted that “mandating fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes will not make existing homes any safer, nor will they operate in all fires,” especially slow, smoldering fires, where there is not enough heat generated to activate residential fire sprinkler systems.
The segment failed to note that “smoke inhalation — not the flames themselves — kills the majority of men, women and children lost in house fires” and that the majority of reported home fires are too small to activate fire sprinklers.
“Home builders are dedicated to the safety of the communities in which they build. And as a society, we cannot afford to deny needed housing for the sake of new requirements without proven benefits. For that reason, NAHB disagrees with fire sprinkler mandates in one- and two-family homes and supports programs that encourage the installation and maintenance of smoke alarm systems in all homes,” the letter concluded.
For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
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