Fire chief leads calls for sprinklers to be fitted in high-rise homes and buildings
A leading fire chief has made an urgent call to change the law and see sprinklers fitted in all domestic buildings – and is also encouraging companies to start fitting the safety devices in hotels and offices.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime, Matthew Ellis has said the move will "help save lives".
His comments come just weeks after a devastating hotel fire across the border in Walsall – which reduced the Holiday Inn to rubble.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been lobbying for many years to change the law around sprinklers and domestic buildings – which currently doesn’t require residential properties up to nine storeys to install sprinkler systems – and the commissioner is keen to add his support to ensure the subject stays firmly on the national political agenda.
West Midlands Fire Service is also supporting calls to see sprinklers fitted in tower blocks across their own region.
Evidence shows that sprinkler systems in residential premises operate in 97 per cent of cases and they extinguish or contain the fire in 99 per cent of those cases.
Mr Ellis said: “Sprinklers have come a long way. Today, they are less expensive and more effective than ever, dealing with the outbreak of fires automatically and quickly so they save lives and reduce damage to properties.
“Prevention is important, and while the focus of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s community sprinkler project is domestic properties, anything that can prevent a minor fire becoming a major incident should be encouraged, be it in hotels, offices or other commercial buildings.”
He added: "Since I became responsible for the fire and rescue service just over a year ago now, the issue of sprinklers in domestic properties has kept rearing its head. The evidence is clear that sprinkler systems save lives and reduce injuries – protecting both residents and firefighters – and that’s a very powerful argument for having them in my view.
"I want to put this firmly on the national agenda – it needs to be looked at without further delay. It seems ludicrous to me that only buildings of more than 30 metres – typically 10 storeys or more – currently require sprinklers, when the evidence of their value is so strong.
"There’s also real disparity between the law in England, Scotland and Wales – in the latter by law sprinklers have had to be fitted in all new residential properties since 2016 and in Scotland by law they have to be fitted in buildings of six storeys or more.
"We need consistency on this for the benefit of everyone, no matter where they live."
Mr Ellis discussed this issue with chief fire officer Becci Bryant at last week’s public performance board and he now plans to meet with the business sprinkler alliance as a matter of urgency.
Steve Taylor, strategic enabler for protection at West Midlands Fire Service, added: “Sprinklers are invaluable; they save lives and reduce injuries, protect firefighters who attend incidents and reduce the amount of damage to both property and the environment from fire.
We will continue to support and work closely with local authorities and welcomes the choice that some authorities have taken to retrofit sprinklers to their residential properties.”
