Hadley Fire Department Hosts Home Fire Sprinkler Demonstration

HADLEY — To promote Home Fire Sprinkler Week, Hadley Fire Chief Michael H. Spanknebel and the Hadley Fire Department hosted Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and a side-by-side prop that demonstrated the power of fire sprinklers to save lives and property.

The Department of Fire Services’ side-by-side sprinkler trailer set up at American Legion Post 271 on May 16, the third day of Home Fire Sprinkler Week. The trailer contains two rooms with identical furnishings. On room was protected by a single sprinkler head, and the other was not. Before a crowd of residents and municipal officials, DFS personnel ignited a small fire in the wastebasket of each room. The fire in the first room was completely extinguished within seconds, causing minimal damage. The fire in the second room grew unchecked, consuming everything inside and presenting unsurvivable conditions in about two minutes. Hadley firefighters extinguished it before it grew even further.

"Firefighters know that sprinklers protect people, pets, and property," said Chief Spanknebel. "This demonstration lets residents see that fact for themselves. By containing or even extinguishing a fire while it's still small, a single sprinkler head can give you time to use your home escape plan and get out safely. Firefighters are much less likely to be injured in a fire where sprinklers are in use, and the damage is much less likely to displace residents for an extended period of time."

"Fire is fast, but sprinklers are faster," said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. "Today's demonstration made the safety benefits as clear as day. It also showed that a single sprinkler head uses much less water to suppress a small fire than firefighters have to use when they extinguish a big one. The products of combustion, from greenhouse gas emissions to burned synthetic materials in water runoff, are much lower when sprinklers are in play. If you’re building or buying a home, remember that sprinklers aren't just safety tools – they’re green technology."

Local fire departments can request the side-by-side sprinkler trailer for their own demonstrations through the Department of Fire Services’ web page. You can learn more about Home Fire Sprinkler Week at https://homefiresprinkler.org.

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