Item 5 - Residential Automatic Fire Sprinklers AGENDA REPORT40
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CITY OF POWAY
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TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
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FROM: James L. BaaerswcCity
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INITIATED BY: William A. Toon, Director of Safety Services
Stewart W. Gary, Fire Marshal
DATE: September 4, 1986
SUBJECT: Residential Automatic Fire Sprinklers
ABSTRACT
Upon City Council request, staff has prepared this report on the feasibility of
requiring residential automatic fire sprinklers in all new residential construc-
tion. While the technology is available, there are not sufficient qualified
system installers in the San Diego area. Staff could prepare the necessary
implementation ordinance as an amendment to the City's adopted Fire,and Building
Codes, but suggest that it would be more appropriate to wait until it can prac-
tically be implemented.
BPC ID
The human and property loss from fire in residential occupancies is catastrophic
in this Country. Manual firefighting methods, sane of which are over 100 years
old, are not the only answer. A better way to attack the residential fire
problem, whether in multi or single family dwellings, is to limit the fire
growth where it occurs in the dwelling. The technology is now available to do
just that with a residential automatic fire sprinkler system.
The Nation's fire service realizes that almost all fires are a failure of fire
prevention. As such, a new approach to firefighting is being developed, that is
to get water to the fire faster instead of waiting for firefighters to arrive.
Using this approach, the residential sprinkler came into being. The biggest
obstacle is not cost, but public acceptance. Most people don't think a fire
will occur in their home.
Statistics compiled by the National Fire Protection Association (N.F.P.A. )
historically show that the majority of fire deaths occur in residential occu-
pancies. In 1983, 808 of the 6,000 people killed by fire died during residen-
tial fires.
ACTION: Directed staff to proceed with the preparation of an ordinance.
-` Marjor ie \x. wahlsten, City Clark SEP 4 1986 ITEM 5 /P
410 410
Agenda Report
September 4, 1986
Page 2
Knowing the history of sprinkler successes in commercial applications, the
N.F.P.A. , federal agencies, and private organizations began to combine their
efforts to apply this technology to family dwellings. Cannercial fire
sprinkler systems date back to 1878. They are now well accepted, being known as
the "silent sentinel." In commercial applications sprinklers have been shown to
be 95% effective. In 90% of commercial structure fires, only one or two
sprinkler heads need to operate in order to extinguish a fire during its early
stages. However, for residential use the commercial sprinkler head was not
effective as it was too slow to operate and applied too much water. What has
now developed is an all new sprinkler head for dwelling use.
Today's residential sprinkler has the following four performance criteria: 1)
prevention of flashover of the room of origin; 2) protection of lives and
property adjacent to the fire room; 3) containment of the fire to the roan of
origin; and 4) limiting future increases in fire suppression forces.
Life safety is dramatically improved with a quick response residential sprinkler
head. With faster delivery of water the roam is kept frau flashover so that a
tenable exit atmosphere exists. Additionally, in slow smouldering fires the
buildup of deadly carbon monixide gas is reduced, again allowing safe exiting.
The residential sprinkler heads are unlike their commercial counterparts in
that they flow less water and protrude into the roan only 1/2" to 3/4". They
cane in white, brass, or chrome, some with coverplates and all in overhead or
sidewall mounts.
The N.F.P.A. has also found that a large number of deaths occur in bed, during
sleep. This information prompted the development of the early warning smoke
detector. Since smoke detectors were placed in service in the early seventies
many lives have been saved. Unfortunately, smoke detectors have several
drawbacks, not the least of which is they only alert, they do not extinguish the
fire. They are a somewhat fragile electronic device, subject to periodic
cleaning and, if so equipped, battery replacement. Detectors connected to house
wiring will not alert the occupants during power failures - a period of poten-
tial fire loss from open flame emergency lighting. They may also be placed
incorrectly in the have and their warning may not be loud enough to waken a deep
sleeping person. In spite of their deficiencies, smoke detectors do have a
major role and are always installed with a residential sprinkler system to pro-
vide layered protection.
Residential sprinkler systems are affordable. Scottsdale, Arizona has
reported their new installation costs to be $00.69 to $00.75 per square foot.
San Clemente, California reports a cost of 1% of the construction cost of the
building structure. For a 2,000 square foot home at $00.75/foot, the
cost would be $1,500.00. Amortized over the life of the loan, the monthly
or annual cost would be very small. As a Scottsdale City Councilmenber put
it during their adoption ordinance hearing, "for that total price how can we
put a cost on saving lives?
SEP4 1986 ITEM 5
410 410
Agenda Report
September 4, 1986
Page 3
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The sprinkler industry in San Diego County has estimated the installation cost
for new construction at one dollar per square foot or less.
In addition, Scottsdale showed an approximate savings of 85% in property dollar
loss with residential sprinklers, even taking into account water damage.
Insurance companies and the Insurance Services Office (I.S.O. ) believe they can
give a 20-30% reduction in fire insurance premiums for sprinklered properties.
With regard to accidential water damage, a national testing laboratory has esti-
mated only one out of sixteen million sprinkler heads would accidentally set off
without a fire.
The City of Poway has historically been a leader in conserving costs and pro-
viding leadership in fire safety through ordinances amending the Fire Code.
Prior ordinances, such as prohibiting combustible wood roofs, weed abatement,
and a tough commercial sprinkler ordinance have all been enacted. Also, the
fire department annually inspects all commercial buildings and institutions for
fire safety as well as abating dangerous commercial buildings.
Poway is currently experiencing high building activity due to a favorable eco-
nomy. However, there is very little multi-family, residential apartment zoned
vacant property remaining. There is a 30 unit project underway on Oak Knoll
Road, as well as two other sites totaling 5 1/2 acres. At maximum density we
may see 140 new apartment units. In areas zoned residential condominium, there
are two sites totaling 6 acres remaining undeveloped. At maximum density, these
sites could support only another 72 units. Therefore, the maximum number of new
multi-family units to be built, is approximately 212.
There is a great potential for single family unit development within the City.
On maps already approved, over the next five years we could see approximately
1,003 homes built.
Attachment "A" lists those cities with a current residential sprinkler ordi-
nance and those cities who allow residential sprinklers as Code trade offs for
lack of water or access problems. Attachment "B" lists some common misconcep-
tions about residential sprinklers:
Two incidents from communities with a residential sprinkler ordinance
demonstrate how effective such sprinklers can be.
In the first, an intoxicated man turned on his electric stove and fell asleep.
A pan of grease sitting on a hot burner overheated and caught fire. At this
point the smoke detector activated, but the individual did not awaken. As the
fire developed the sprinkler activated, discharged water, and extinguished the
fire. The occupant escaped unharmed.
SEP4 1986 ITEM 5
410 410
Agenda Report
September 4, 1986
Page 4
Another notable illustration occurred on May 2, 1985. An early morning fire in
• a young girl's bedroom activated the sprinkler, preventing the child's death.
In addition, the sprinkler activation controlled the fire before it could
cnnpranise the safety of three adults who were in other bedrooms. By can-
parison, in another city a similar fire killed a young child. In that city
residential sprinklers were not required.
FINDINGS
Affordable residential sprinkler technology is available for use in new
construction. Poway is a relatively new, growing cammunity with a history of
fire safety leadership. This technology should additionally be utilized as to
the potential benefit of saving future expensive work force and equipment
increases in the Safety Services Fire Suppression unit.
However, because of the relatively recent effort to develop residential
sprinklers systems, there is a lack of sufficiently trained installation person-
nel available within the San Diego market. Therefore, before a mandatory
sprinkler ordinance is adopted, it should be determined that qualified
installers are available.
It is documented by the National Fire Protection Association that automatic fire
sprinklers have an outstanding record of saving property in business and that
the time has cane to begin their use for saving lives in dwellings.
RRC OHE DATIIN
It is recommended that the City Council direct staff to develop a residential
sprinkler ordinance for Council consideration to include both multi-family units
and single family dwelling units when it is feasible for implementation.
Attachments:
"A" - Rooidential Sprinkler Ordinance Survey
"B" - Residential Sprinkler Misconceptions
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SEP4 1986 ITEM 5
410 410
- ATTACHMENT "A"
The following cities have adopted corehensive residential sprinkler
ordinances:
Cobb County, Georgia
San Clemente, California
Scottsdale, Arizona
Salinas, California
Corte Madera, California
Sane of the cities who allow residential sprinklers as a trade off for some site
deficiences are listed below:
Poway, California
Vista, California
Oceanside, California
Santa Barbara, California
Palm Springs, California
Redwood City, California
Orange County, California
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Dallas, Texas
SEP 4 1986 ITEM 5
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M • A B O U T . SPRINKLERS
People say, "Sprinklers cause water damage. "
But in fact , tests by various fire departments and the U.S.
Fire Administration have proven that sprinklered properties
have far less damage from water than unsprinklered
properties . . . up to 85% less .
People say, "Sprinklers are too expensive to install. "
But in fact, installation of sprinklers will reduce the cost of
home owner's insurance to a point where the system will be paid -
for in as little as five years . Add this savings to reduced
building requirements and slower fire department growth, and
the citizen's sayings is ongoing .
People say, "Sprinklers all trip if one is activated by fire."
But in fact, 98% of all fires in homes are controlled with the
activation of one sprinkler head . In most commercial
buildings , three heads control the fire . •
People say, "Sprinkler heads trip for no reason, causing
unnecessary water damage. "
But in fact, only one in 16 , 000 , 000 trip without being damaged
by some means other than fire .
Some people say, "Sprinkler heads look bad in the home. "
But in fact, changes in sprinkler head design have resulted in
sprinkler heads that are small with no more than 3/4"
protruding from the finished wall .
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Some people say, "Piping may cause water leaks in their home. "
But in fact, piping systems for sprinklers are tested at 200
pounds per square inch for two hours . This is approximately
two to three times greater than the water pressure used in
homes or for the sprinkler system under normal conditions .
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SEP4 1986 ITEM 5
ATTACHMENT "B" 4
Some people say, "Smoke detectors will do the job, why
sprinkler?"
But in fact, smoke detectors and sprinklers can reduce the loss
of life by 98 : 5% . . . an increase of 48 . 5% over smoke detectors
alone .
Some people say, "Why do I have to place sprinklers in my home;
they might trip while I am on vacation?"
But in fact, sprinklers trip at 165 degrees . This temperature
can only be reached in a home 'with a true fire , not by any
other means .
Some people say, " If I have a fire and I am not home, the water
will do more damage than the fire."
But in fact, all systems will have a local alarm bell on the
outside of the building to alert people that the home has a
, water flow inside . The flow switch may also be monitored by an
alarm company that would notify the fire department of the
flow.
Some people say, "Bow can sprinklers save water?"
But in fact, water storage and pipe size can be reduced with a
savings of up to 50% of the water required in standard fire
hydrant systems .
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SEP4 1986 ITEM 5