NFPA Journal - October 2016 Home Fire Sprinkler Special Issue - 10

» HOME FIRE SPRINKLERS
t To commemorate its 20th anniversary, the
HFSC held a side-by-side burn demonstration at
the NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas in June.
Pictured from left: Ron Hazelton, HFSC spokesman; Peg Paul, HFSC communications manager;
Frank Mortl, AFSA executive vice president;
Steve Muncy, AFSA president; Gary Keith, vice
president for engineering standards at FM Global;
Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and
advocacy at NFPA and current HFSC president;
and Vicki Pritchett, NFSA director of outreach and
government relations.

POWER OF COLLABORATION
HFSC has evolved from its founders'
modest launch. Today it is guided
by an active, dedicated, all-volunteer
Board of Directors that represents
broad public safety concerns. "The
formation of HFSC proved that organizations that sometimes have competing interests can come together to
promote common goals," says AFSA

table understands the challenges, the
objectives and the strategies. Most
important, each board member understands and respects the power of
collaboration."
Another asset is HFSC's independence. The founders determined early
on that the coalition would leave product promotion to the industry and focus instead on communicating about
the value of sprinkler technology and
the need for more home installations
as a life-safety strategy. Being neutral
has benefitted HFSC in a number of
ways, contributing to the coalition's
credibility across an array of audiences

President Steve Muncy. This desire and
ability to put mission ahead of individual issues remains one of HFSC's
enduring strengths.
"At the first meeting I attended 10
years ago, I was so impressed with the
commitment and depth of the board,"
says Lorraine Carli, HFSC's president
and NFPA's vice president of outreach
and advocacy. "Everyone around the

HFSC: 20 Years of Home Fire Sprinkler Education
1996
Leaders of the American
Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) and the
National Fire Sprinkler
Association (NFSA)
approach the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to discuss
joining forces to form
the Home Fire Sprinkler
Coalition (HFSC), with the
goal of unifying and
increasing awareness on
the life-saving value of
home fire sprinklers.

1997
HFSC produces the
"Protect What You Value
Most" consumer education video and brochure.
1998
Fire sprinklers featured
in "Behind the Walls"
house at the International
Builders' Show. 10,000
members of the homebuilding industry tour
the home.

1999
HFSC launches education
Ron Hazelton-HGTV's
and media programs in
House Doctor and the
key states and Canadian
home improvement editor provinces, including
for ABC's "Good Morning Connecticut, Arizona,
America"-becomes
Florida, Illinois, Oregon,
HFSC's spokesperson.
and Alberta.
HFSC releases "Automatic Sprinklers: A 10-Year
Study," a detailed report
of the effects of the local
home fire sprinkler code
in Scottsdale, Arizona.

1996
10

NFPA JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016

2000

2000
HFSC consumer ads
appear in Better Homes
& Gardens Home Plans
Ideas magazine and
Today's Homeowner
magazine.

2003
Ron Hazelton's educational TV spots on home
fire sprinklers run on
HGTV.

HFSC produces video
demonstrating the proRon Hazelton's radio
cess of retrofitting a
news releases on home
home with home fire
fire sprinklers reach more sprinklers, shot during
than 6 million listeners.
the retrofit of Ron
Hazelton's home.
2001
ABC's "Good Morning
2004
America" airs a 20-minHFSC awarded first
ute segment with Ron
Fire Act Grant from
Hazelton featuring a
the Federal Emergency
house fire without sprin- Management Agency
klers and a live demo of
(FEMA) for the national
sprinklers in a home.
homebuilder education
program "Built for Life."
2002
HFSC produces Canadian
version of "Protect What
You Value Most" consumer education video
with Jon Eakes, a popular
Canadian home improvement expert.

2005

2005
HFSC awarded FEMA
grant for "Living With
Sprinklers," a consumer
education kit and Harris
Poll survey to determine
consumer awareness of
home fire sprinklers. Media
coverage from poll results
reaches 12 million people.

cally to educate real
estate agents and insurance agents.
HFSC Spanish-language
consumer education brochures are developed.

2008
1,276 fire departments
sign up for HFSC's "Built
2006
for Life" Fire Department
HFSC's FEMA Fire Act
program and pledge to
Grant funds comprehensive make home fire sprinkler
public educator kit and
education a focus of their
SprinklerSmarts.org inter- community outreach.
active website for children
in grades K-8.
HFSC print ads appear
in Good Housekeeping,
Ron Hazelton hosts "Built
Better Homes & Gardens,
for Life" interactive
and Parenting magazines,
game during International
reaching more than 28
Builders' Show, which is
million readers.
attended by more than
105,000 members of home HFSC reaches a key group
building industry.
of homebuilders as elite
sponsor of National Home
2007
Builders Association's
HFSC develops educational Senior Housing Council
material designed specifi- targeting adults 50+.

http://www.SprinklerSmarts.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - October 2016 Home Fire Sprinkler Special Issue