Re: Automatic fire sprinklers

[Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@xxxxxxxxx>]

In article <5qednQCgQrTCWbDQnZ2dnUVZ_oidnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
 "Ed Pawlowski" <esp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> ?
> "Shaun Eli" <missingchild@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote .>
> > It's a pretty small cost to add sprinklers to new construction. Fires
> > are rare but they're expensive as hell. And you can rebuild a house;
> > you can't rebuild a burned-to-death person.
> >
>
> I'd like to see if they really save lives.  How many people are killed by
> smoke inhalation before a sprinkler would activate?  I'm thinking of a
> smoldering sofa or mattress that can kill you long before a flame gets hot
> enough to set off a sprinkler head.   In the case of a heater fires, it may
> make a difference as the fire is in another area of the house.


  According to the NFPA records there has never been a multiple fatality
fire in the US. Their records go back to around 1900. Most of the
fatalities have been things like smoking in bed where the smoker was
cooked, but nobody else, which would seem to answer your question. This
includes hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, etc., in addition to
residences.

>
> As for property damage, it does save fire damage, but can replace it with
> water damage.
>
> I'm not for or against, I just want to see more facts before deciding.

--
"Even I realized that money was to politicians what the ecalyptus tree is to koala bears: food, water, shelter and something to crap on."
 ---PJ O'Rourke