Sometimes a day doesn’t even go by without hearing about a tragic fire somewhere around the country, and just recently a round of fires have devastated several San Francisco buildings and the people who live in them. In 2015 alone, there have been multiple fires that have killed a total of four people. Due to this recent string of unfortunate events, the city’s Board of Supervisors committee is seriously considering implanting a wider fire sprinkler system.
Of course, there are many buildings in San Francisco that already have sprinkler systems installed, including some of the properties involved in these fires. But there are many older buildings throughout the city that still do not have sprinkler systems in place.
There are obstacles in the way however. Real estate is already astronomically pricey in the city, and installing fire sprinklers in many of these buildings would take a great deal of time and money. We hope that people are able to look past these issues and focus on the real heart of the issue. And that’s that fire sprinklers undoubtedly save lives.
Some have advocated that properly teaching residents where fire escapes and extinguishers are should be adequate, but others involved in the ongoing debate understand that’s not enough. While it’s unlikely that this debate will be resolved any time soon, we hope a decision is made before fires in the city claim any more lives.
At WM Fire Protection, we’re always on the lookout for stories involving fire sprinkler systems the important role they play in saving lives. For more news and updates, keep checking back!
