Fire Sprinklers

What's the benefit of having a fire sprinkler system?

Fires kill more people in the United States every year than all natural disasters combined.*

Almost 80% of all fire-related deaths occur in the home. The single most effective way to prevent fire-related deaths is the installation of a residential fire sprinkler system. Combined with smoke alarms, a fire sprinkler system can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 82% compared to having neither.

Fire sprinklers can save money for developers, builders, homeowners, and communities.*

Through the use of trade-ups, developers and builders can achieve reduced construction costs while providing higher value homes for their customers. In the event of a home fire, homeowners can expect their financial losses to be 90% lower than those that occur from fires in homes without fire sprinklers. Communities can deploy emergency services resources more effectively by reducing the burden caused by home fires.  

Installing both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system reduces the risk of death in a home fire by 82%, relative to having neither.*

• Sprinklers typically reduce chances of dying in a fire and the average property loss by one-half to two-thirds compared to where sprinklers are not present.
• NFPA has no record of a fire killing more than two people in a completely sprinklered public assembly, educational,
  institutional or residential building where the system was working properly.
• In 2002, 79% of fires occurred in the home, resulting in 2,670 fire-related deaths.
• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire.  Each sprinkler is individually activated by heat. Despite "sight gags" on TV sit-coms, smoke does not trigger sprinkler operation. The rest of the sprinklers in a house will not activate unless there is also a fire in that location. 90% of all home fires are contained with a single sprinkler.

*From NFPA's U.S. Experience with Sprinklers and NFPA's Fire Loss in the United States, November 2003, Kimberly D. Rohr.

Forms and Guidelines

All maintenance and repairs of automatic extinguishing (fire sprinkler) systems shall comply with the OSFM automatic extinguishing system (AES) program and NFPA 25 (2011). Only properly completed forms will be accepted by the Newport Beach Fire Department. These forms may be found on the OSFM website: https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/

Due to the marine environment in Newport Beach, we enforce NFPA 25, in particular the following:

1. Any sprinkler showing corrosion has been replaced NFPA25 - 5.2.1.1.2.   
2. Sprinklers subjected to the corrosive salt water atmosphere have been tested or replaced every five-years, NFPA25 - 5.3.1.1.2. 
3. Gauges have been replaced or tested every five years NFPA25 - 5.3.2.1.
4. Paint on system assemblies and piping is OSHA Safety Red and in good condition (exclusive of brass):

• Paint (polyurethane or alkyd enamel within ½ mile from ocean). 
• Paint Primer – high percentage of zinc designed for salt water corrosion NFPA25-10.2.4.1.

The following reports shall be mailed to the Fire Prevention inspector within seven days of the first service/test, and again after all the required retesting/repairs and certification:

• AES 1 Inspection, Testing, Maintenance Cover Sheet
  • AES 2.2 Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler System Five Year
  • AES 2.4 Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler System Five Year
  • AES 2.6 Pre-action Sprinkler Systems Water Five Year
  • AES 2.8 Deluge Sprinkler Systems Water Spray Five Year
  • AES 3.1 Standpipe and Hose System Five Year
  • AES 7 Water Spray Fixed Systems
  • AES 8 Foam-Water Sprinkler Systems
• AES 9 Continuation Sheet
• AES 10 Corrective Action and Repairs Performed

~ Safety, Service, Professionalism ~

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