By Kaylyn Lucas, Deputy Fire Marshal
Fun fact about sprinkler systems, it is believed that they were originally designed by Da Vinci in the 15th Century and the first automated sprinkler system was designed by Godfrey in the 1700s. Automatic fire sprinklers have been used to protect property in the United States for over 150 years. Modern homes and furnishings burn much faster than legacy construction, which reduces time to evacuate. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home fire sprinklers reduce the risk of dying in a residential fire by 85%.
Common misunderstandings that we often get questions about include:
- If there is a fire, all of the sprinklers go off. Actually, sprinkler heads are activated by heat and will only flow water individually when exposed to temperatures above approximately 150 degrees F.
- Sprinkler systems are too expensive. Actually, according to the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the average cost of a home sprinkler system is $1.35 per square foot. This is often less than a kitchen remodel, wall-to-wall flooring, or attic insulation costs.
- Some insurance companies even offer reduced premiums when properties are protected by automatic sprinkler systems.
- Sprinkler heads activate accidentally more often than not. Actually, unintentional activation of sprinkler heads is not common, but when it does occur, it is often due to maintenance or building issues.
Requirements for automatic sprinkler systems are covered in Chapter 9 of the Fire Code of North Dakota (link). Section 903 includes information on where sprinkler systems are required, installation requirements, supervision and alarms, and testing and maintenance. Sprinkler systems are designed for various occupancies and purposes; there are three NFPA standards utilized in the design. NFPA 13 systems are designed to control and extinguish fires within a specific sized area. NFPA 13R systems are intended to control fires long enough for safe and effective evacuation of all occupants. NFPA 13D systems are designed to protect evacuation for one and two-family dwellings. These standards are referenced by the Fire Code of North Dakota. Free viewing access to the NFPA codes can be found here.
Additional requirements for sprinkler systems are also found in Section 901 of the code and include:
- Sprinkler systems need annual maintenance as defined in NFPA 25;
- All records of inspections, tests and maintenance must be maintained;
- Steps that must be taken if a sprinkler system is impaired, including the requirement of a fire watch until any out-of-service system is restored.
Sprinkler systems are a critical component of building and life safety. During your fire inspection, make sure the systems in your jurisdiction meet these minimum code requirements. If you or your fire department has any questions regarding automatic sprinkler systems, or any other types of fire protection systems, please contact our office at (701)328-5555 or infofm@nd.gov.