Results in
GOOD
PUBLICITY,
which equals
public
education
The idea caught on!
405 COMPLETED TO DATE
DEMO HOUSES
Alsip 1st Home
Niles Post Fire Demo
Tinley Park
1st Home Demo
Westchester Group Home Demo
HINSDALE VOLUNTARY INSTALLATION
“Live-on-Line”
Education
Concept
It makes it lively and
exciting!
Everyone wants to be
the sidewalk
superintendent!
Let the public,
elected officials and
inspectors see the
work going on and
ask questions.
LIVING WITH SPRINKLERS KIT
WITH OUR “LIVE-ON-LINE” DEMO HOUSES
Followed by an “Open House”
Dedication
After all the work is completed
A TOTAL OF 45 OF THESE DEMOS
OF ALL TYPES WERE CONDUCTED
Live Burn-Down Demo Houses
NORTH AURORA FPD
LA GRANGE PARD FD
Bristol-Kendall FPD / Yorkville
Live burn demos
• Live House
Burn
Demonstration
ROSELLE DEMO HOUSE
ROSELLE DEMO HOUSE
Fire Chief
Magazine
Recognition
Station Signs
BASIC MESSAGES:
HOW MANY ON FIRE
SPRINKLERS?
Started a list
of
progressive
towns, add
to it,
promote it,
highlight it.
Can this be
done?
Start a list of progressive communities
• Find the community that has the most
progressive ordinance , find the state that has
the most progressive legislation and rank
them.
Municipal League Recognition of
Elected Officials
Sprinkler Save Trees
Acting US Fire Administrator Glen Gaines
BASIC CONCEPTS
THE BOTTOM LINE
BOARD MEETINGS
Orland
F.P.D.
Newsletter
Fire Service
Response
If fire sprinklers were
activated, we need to
notify the press.
RADIO SHOWS
Chief Welsh
Glenwood FD
MAJOR MEDIA
AND CABLE TV
Press Releases
Contact: Tom Lia, (708) 878-8658
Hundreds of Fire and Building Officials Attend Residential Fire Sprinkler Summit
ADDISON, Ill., Feb. 4 -- More than 300 fire and building officials from 70 fire departments,
24 fire protection districts and people representing 22 various associations attended the
Residential Fire Sprinkler Summit at the Medinah Shriners facility in Addison, Illinois.
Keynote speakers included Jim Shannon, president of the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and John Viniello, president, National Fire Sprinkler Association
(NFSA). The event was sponsored by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, Illinois Fire
Inspectors Association and the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board.
Shannon talked about NFPA's new "Fire Sprinkler Initiative" Web site
http://www.firesprinklerinitiative.org, a resource for the fire service and other sprinkler
advocates who want to demonstrate the need for home fire sprinklers in their community.
The site contains information to help navigate the legislative process to get sprinkler
ordinances introduced and passed in their communities and allow them to come together to
share their ideas, successes and tools with other advocates.
Shannon acknowledged the people attending the audience who represent the communities
that have upgraded their fire safety codes and passed ordinances requiring residential fire
sprinklers in single-family homes. Illinois has 57 communities and fire districts that have
adopted home fire sprinkler ordinances, second to California. Shannon acknowledged Dave
Grupp, retired Chief, Long Grove Fire Protection District for being the first to pass a home
fire sprinkler ordinance in Illinois in 1988. Shannon also recognized Bob Wilcox, Chief, Park
Forest Fire Department for passing ordinances in two municipalities, Matteson and Park
Forest.
Viniello talked about why it's important for the fire sprinkler industry to support the fire
service in their efforts to pass ordinances that result in safer communities. He talked about
NFSA's history of education programs and presented various examples of how NFSA has
worked with the media following major fires that result in news stories that focus on the lifesaving value of fire sprinklers. Viniello said its more common for the media to point out that
buildings were not protected with fire sprinklers following a significant fire. One example
was a story that appeared on ABC News following the Sofa Super Store fire in Charleston,
SC, where nine firefighters died. ABC interviewed Viniello who talked about how fire
sprinklers could have prevented the deaths. He also talked about the important resources
available to the fire service to support their efforts.
Patrick Parsley, International Code Council (ICC), talked about how the International
Residential Code has changed since the hearings in September requiring fire sprinklers in all
new homes including townhouses and one- and two-family dwellings, effective January 1,
2011.
A panel including fire safety and code consultants, sprinkler contractors and fire officials
answered questions from the audience. The program ended with a presentation recognizing
members of the fire service and elected officials from communities who have upgraded their
fire codes including the Villages of Highwood, Park Forest, Berkeley, Oak Forest and
Chicago Ridge. Also recognized were the fire protection districts of Countryside, Roberts
Park, Manhattan, Palatine Rural, Newport Township, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods and
Barrington Countryside and fire departments from Des Plaines, Skokie, Roselle, Country
Club Hills and Lake Zurich.
Letters to the Editor in
Local and Major Papers
Post a Comment/Blog
Internet Activism
This is what we
ALL
have to do
DEVELOPING MEDIA RELATIONS
VEHICLE MESSAGES
WEBSITE
HOW MANY ACTUALLY?
ASSOCIATIONS
SHOULD DISTRIBUTE
READY-MADE
PUBLICATION
EDUCATION
MATERIAL
Movie Theater Messages
Work with the
fire service
groups for free
placement.
EVERY TOWN’S IMPORTANT
NO TOWN TOO SMALL
Recommendations
•
Have a local NFPA 13D summit in all states
•
Commit to reaching every state rep, senator, assemblyman, in all of the states with
a basic educational package.
•
Every State coordinator should make it a point to coordinate direct stops in that
legislatures office in his home district. Utilize HFSC and NFPA educational material,
( bring the trailer!)
•
•
•
Recognizes officials/towns that pass ordinances that follow the standard.
.
One live house demo per state using the with and without program.
•
One trailer demo per legislative session regardless of the pending legislation. ( for
the fire service caucus in that state)
•
One demo home with open house.
•
It can be done, it must be done!
Thanks! Tom Lia
See you at NFPA in June in Chicago…