Fire sprinklers put to work at State Fair dem

The Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety and the MAT-SU Fire Chiefs Association will be showing the dramatic effects of home sprinklers by lighting two fires side by side on August 29 at 6 pm and September 2 at 6 pm at the Alaska State Fair grandstand area.

Emergency Services Director Dennis Brodigan with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough has long been convinced of the benefits of fire sprinklers. “This is going to be a great educational opportunity for the public to witness the life-saving potential of a home fire sprinkler system,” Brodigan said.

A federal Fire Prevention & Safety Grant was secured by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) to provide free kits to fire departments. The kits provide fire departments the knowledge and ability to build and present side-by-side fire and sprinkler burn demonstrations.

The structures are built to simulate a room in a home, complete with recliner, computer desk, lamp and carpeting. In order to make the simulation possible supplies were donated by Spenard Builders Supply, carpet from Cash’s Carpet and a sprinkler system from Jim Swanson, owner of Alaska Quality Fire Protection.

The Palmer Fire Department will be on standby during the demonstration. Onlookers can see the two fire rooms before and after the demonstration at the MAT-SU Fire Chiefs booth during the fair.

The HFSC website provides many important facts at www.homefiresprinkler.org, along with video demonstrations showing the importance of home sprinkler systems. Some of these important facts from their website are listed below.

• Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene.

• Home fire sprinklers use only a fraction of the water used by fire department hoses.

• Nationwide, more than 4,000 people die in fires each year. Fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and can even help cut homeowner insurance premiums.

• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire. Ninety percent of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.


For more information please contact Mahon Greene, Public Education Coordinator, Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety. (907) 746-5062 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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