Warwickshire tragedy shows need for urgent action on sprinkler systems
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warmly welcomed new Government guidance intended to ensure that new schools are fitted with sprinkler systems.
But after the tragedy last week in Atherstone on Stour, in which four firefighters lost their lives in a fire in a warehouse where no sprinkler system had been fitted, LFB is also calling for urgent action to fit sprinkler systems in new commercial and industrial buildings, and in residential developments occupied by vulnerable groups.
Val Shawcross, Chair of the London Fire and emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), which runs LFB, made the comments at the Brigade’s Sprinkler Campaign Seminar this week (November 7) at City Hall, London.
She said: “Last weekend saw the tragic loss of four firefighters at a warehouse fire Atherstone on Stour, the worst loss of life for British firefighters since 1972. The absence of a sprinkler system in the warehouse must be a matter of concern for everyone.
“Sprinkler systems give us the best chance of putting out fires quickly and with the least risk to building users and firefighters. Our focus at the moment is on schools, but it is time we looked at widening the scope of our campaign to include other buildings, such as warehouses and care homes. This unacceptable risk to life must be a concern to all local authorities and businesses when designing new buildings.”
At the seminar, Mukund Patel, from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), told national representatives from the education sector and the fire service that new guidance – Building Bulletin 100: Design for fire safety in schools – will mean that in virtually all cases education authorities need to incorporate sprinklers into designs for new schools.
He told the seminar that the cost school fires nationally between 2000 and 2004 was £58 million but the cost of installing sprinklers in new schools can be as low as 1.5% to 2% of the total cost, with major savings in future years from lower insurance premiums. The seminar also heard there was a huge impact on the education of schoolchildren when a school is involved in a fire.
The Brigade has welcomed the new guidance and will be contacting Councils across London to make sure that key decision makers know about the new guidance and will be putting into practice.
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