Sprinkler Awareness Week

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Sprinkler Week campaign. The campaign will run from Monday 18th to 24th May and will raise awareness of the benefits of sprinkler systems in keeping people and buildings safer from fire as we encourage people to #ThinkSprinkler.

Fire sprinklers are widely recognised as the single most effective method for fighting the spread of fires in their early stages. Research by the NFCC and the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) found that sprinkler systems operate on 94% of occasions so are very reliable and when they do operate they extinguish or contain the fire on 99% of occasions. The result is sprinklers reduce injuries by at least 80%, reduce property damage by 90% and substantially reduce damage to the environment from fire.

This also means that sprinkler systems help to protect the lives of firefighters and that is why they are fully supported by fire services. Despite this there is some disparity in building regulations and sprinkler systems across the UK. Sprinkler laws in Wales and Scotland are stricter meaning their communities have more fire protection than those of England and Northern Ireland.

Derbyshire’s Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson, who is also the NFCC lead for Sprinklers, said: “The evidence speaks for itself, our research proves that sprinklers are very effective and provide strong fire safety protections as part of a fire safety package.

“Wales and Scotland recognise this and have implemented measures to make their communities safer from fire; we want to see these same changes in England and Northern Ireland as matter of urgency.

“Fire does not discriminate and is just as dangerous in England and Northern Ireland as it is in the rest of the UK.”

Since 2010, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service has been at the forefront of Sprinkler promotion, with support from the Fire and Rescue Authority to provide match funding with local authorities and housing providers to fit sprinklers where possible under its ongoing Think Sprinkler campaign.  

Chief Fire Officer Tomlinson went onto say: “The Service has worked closely with Chesterfield Borough Council, Derby Homes, Rykneld Homes, South Derbyshire District Council and Bolsover and North East Derbyshire District Council, successfully fitting over 1200 new and retro fitted sprinkler units into properties of people who are most vulnerable to fire across Derbyshire.

“Thanks to the continued support of the Fire and Rescue Authority, our match funding initiative has been one of the most successful sprinkler schemes across the UK. 

“Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service will continue to work with housing providers to fit sprinklers and also work to promote sprinklers as an effective fire safety measures and dispel many of the myths that surround their use.”

To find out more about the campaign follow #ThinkSprinkler on social media.

Think Sprinkler - Sprinkler Awareness Week 18-24th May 2020 (pdf 242.52 KB)