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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 1999-10-06, Page 9page 9 OCTOBER 3 - 9 /,kork/ k v - Cost offlre sprinklers in house about the same as a jacuzzi When a fire sprinkler head•activated and extinguished a fire in its early stages at the Bethany Care Centre in Cochrane in February. an elderly resident's life was saved. A potential disaster at the S6: million .care centre. which houses 117 residents and, 15 staff members. wast averted. "This is tt clear example of the value. of a quick acting fire sprinkler system ." said Brian Winter. . Cochrane's Fire and Ambulance Chief. When the ,fire department arrived on scene. the fire . had already been extinguished. • Automatic fire sprinklers are not new. The basic technology is over 100 years old. Today's sprinkler systems are more sophisticated. effectiveand. more affordable 'and have been d'gsigned to meet home owe per's, needs. Whether building or renovating you ma want to consider installing. a fire sprinkler system in your home. Here are some. questions and about home fire sprinklers. x What are home fire sprinklers? Automatic fast -acting. devices that put out fire by spraying water.. A residential fire sprinkler system consists fof_sprinkler heads. mounted on ceilings or walls. connected to a network of pressurized water pipes. How does a residential fireisprinkler activate? • During a fire._ the heat raises the air tempet iture around the sprinkler head. •When the temperature rises above a pre- determined level. such as 70; C. a. solder. link will melt or a liquid -filled glass -bulb. will shatter to open -the sprinkler head. which responds with a direct spray of water onto the tire. • An alarm sounds automatically. The fire is put•out.quickly to minimize :the threat of topic smoke. flames answers and heat, Depending on the size of the fire, a residential fire sprinkler head will activate in as little as one minute or less. Only heads . that are over the fire will activate, thereby releasing water directly on the flames. • Why are residential sprinklers /Important for fire safety? Most (72%h) fire. deaths occur in homes. On average 25 people die and 254 are injured in approximately 1,800 home fires - each year. These fires also cause :$38 million, in property loss. A disproportionate number of fire victims are persons unable to help themselves-- children, the elderly and those unable to escape on their own. . Sprinklers don't rely upon human factors such as familiarity with escape routes or •emergency assistance. They work. immediately to reduce danger and prevent fast developing fires of, intense heat which are capable, of trapping and killing occupants. Consider this: Four to five •minutes is typical for an uiban''fire department to respond uS-a fire and fire response times are often much longer -- 1071.5 minutes or longer -- in rural areas.. A fast -acting residential sprinkler Will activate in less than a minute to put out a. fire in its early stages or ke{ep it from spreading. As one, fire service spokesman put it, "It is like having firefighters oniguard 24Lhours a day." x Why are sprinklers so effective? _ Smoke alarms .can provide early warning of smoke and fire danger but cannot putout the fire or protect those physically unable to escape on their own (children; handicapped or the elderly). 'For best protection the fire service recommends a combination of smoke alarms, fire sprinklers and well -rehearsed escape plans. Deep frying can lead to fire Flow does deep frying lead to fires? The answer lies in the over -heating of - cooking oil. The usual frying temperature for foods range between 140i to 190 C. Cooking'oil becomes a fire hazard when heated above 2(X)•, C. Hot oil vapours that tom, in this dangerous temperature zone can catch tire easily; A flaming. pot or pan sets the' stage fora fire -that mayspread to - cupboards. ceilings and nearby combustibles, The usual reason �+•hs cooking oil overheats. is unattended cooking. A pot of oil left unattended on a stove and heating at a high heat setting is an invitation to disaster. Inattention may be due to many reasons: the. prinrary ones being leaving thestove area while attending to a child. - answering the phone. forgetting about the pot or falling asleep. . Improper reactions to the flames can further worsen the • situation.- Carrying the pot to the sink or outside. are dangerous actions to take. The flames and hot oil may intlict severe bums to hands and face. Throwing _water on a flaming pot of:oil is extremely dangerous as water is instantly superheated to steam tat temperatures above 200 degrees C) resulting in a steam explosion. The explosion • carries with it enough hot flaming oil droplets to fill a medium size kitchen and spread the tire further. The safe way to deep-fry is to use a thermostatically -controlled deep -fat fryer or skillet. The maximum temperature on these devices is set at 200;C to prevent overheating of cooking oils. If using an ordinary pot or pan for frying. keep a tight fitting lid nearby. in case flames erupt. cover the pot with the lid. The flames. starved of oxygen. will go out: SEAFORTH PLUMBING & HEATING 527-0505 SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. 527-1610 WHITNEY RiBEY FUNERAL HOME 527-1390 x Can sprinklers go off accidentally? The chances of this happening are very, very rareunless a sprinkler is subject to freezing. overheating or mechanical damage. Studies show accidental sprinkler discharge due to a manufacturing defect is only about 1 in 16 million per year. x How reliable are sprinklers? , Experience in Australia and New Zealand show that 99.7 per cent of all fires in sprinklered buildings were controlled by. thesprinklers. x Aren't sprinklers just too expensive to install? For a home, the cost of a sprinkler system is only about one to two percent of the total construction price. Retrofitting an older home would be about 50 per cent more than a new home installation. These costs are comparable to installing a fireplace, carpeting or a jaouzzi. More importantly, there are numerous cost -savings such as home insurance discounts, and savings from the modifications of fire safety requirements in construction codes, when sprinklers' are installed. Also, sprinklers may increase the resale value of homes. Critics who oppose residential sprinklers often argue that the cost is prohibitive. They quote exorbitant dollar figures to persuade. government and the public, to take no action. Similar opposition delayed such widely accepted modern developments as seat -belts and shatterproof window glass for automobiles. For more information on residential fire sprinklers. please contact your local fire department. tit LOOKING GLASS 527-1783 PROGRESSIVE TURF EQUIPMENT INC‘ 527-1080 McKILLbP MUTUAL.. 527-0400 SEAFORTH VETERINARY CLINIC 527-1760 KEATING PHARMACY 527-1990 PROVINCE OF ONTARIO SAVINGS OFFICE 527-0210 DIVA'S GRAPHICS & EMBROIDERY 527-2055 HOMETOWN FINANCIAL Tony Arts & Jason Dietz 527-0794 SUNYS GAS BAR & VARIETY STORE 527-2225 SEAFORTH SEWING CENTRE 527-1900 1111/1)EBRItNI) t•'i.O\\ I"R4' & (:11'- 527-0555 STEDMANS v&s/ TRAVEL 527-1950 Fremeer Commercial Printers 527-1640 527-2291 .. 'F(E . TOWN F •::FORTH SF.LAFORTH C. Public Utility Commisssion S :A CRTH AUTOMOTIVE 527-0880 "e SIriZ.LER 527-2911 MEAT.SHOP 527-0036 PAPER CLIP. 527-1681 M1DEEGAAAL POOLS & __,S_PORTS 527-0104 527-0770 NIFTY KORNERS 527-1680 4