East Sussex Fire Service and Fire Authority has adopted a position statement on sprinklers that will see it supporting and encouraging the use of the technology in certain new buildings.
The fire authority will lobby government in order to make it a legal requirement to fit sprinklers in “premises where the risk to life and loss of property from fire are most significant.” This would be in addition to those premises that according to building regulations already require sprinklers, such as high-rise buildings over 30m in height, or large warehouse buildings in excess of 20,000m 3.
Leading by example
East Sussex Fire Authority (ESFA) will also encourage the use of sprinklers in other buildings by promoting its benefits to building managers, owners, and developers. The authority has already committed to leading by example by pledging to install sprinklers in all newly built or refurbished authority premises.
In addition, councillors have already successfully petitioned Lewes District Council, which has agreed to install sprinklers in all new-build council properties. They are also considering installing sprinklers in refurbished homes owned by the council that are occupied by those with restricted mobility, though only “if finances allow.”
Chair of the ESFA, Phil Howson, said:
The greatest impact of installing fire sprinklers is likely to occur within particular properties such as schools, residential care homes, premises housing highly vulnerable residents, and certain large commercial premises.
The authority sets out specific ways in which it will assist designers, planners, and building managers in schools, residential care homes, domestic premises, and commercial and industrial premises. In addition, the authority explains how they will encourage developers to use sprinklers to allow them design freedoms from traditional fire safety building approaches. They write:
In today’s challenging built environment, there is a will and motivation to construct innovative buildings that often require design solutions that depart from traditional fire safety approved codes of practice. This approach allows stakeholders to demonstrate that sprinklers can offer an equivalent level of fire protection and life safety, resulting in greater freedom to fulfil their overall vision for such buildings.
The authority also recognizes that affordability is seen as one of the most widespread issues around sprinkler systems, and promises to support the development of new suppression systems to tackle this issue of cost.
Tragic outcome
In a statement, Lewes councillor Carolyn Lambert, who proposed that Lewes District Council join the fire authority in supporting the use of sprinklers, said:
As a member of the Fire Authority, I am very aware of the importance of fire prevention work. There have unfortunately been 8 fatal fires in Lewes District in the last 10 years, and in the majority of these cases, domestic sprinkler systems could have made a difference to the tragic outcome.
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