Results in GOOD

PUBLICITY, which equals

public education

The idea caught on!

405 COMPLETED TO DATE

Alsip 1st Home

Niles Post Fire Demo

Tinley Park1st Home Demo

DEMO HOUSES

Westchester Group Home Demo

HINSDALE VOLUNTARY INSTALLATION

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.

“Live-on-Line” Education Concept

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 HousesNORTH AURORA FPD LA GRANGE PARD FD

Bristol-Kendall FPD / Yorkville Live burn demos

NON-FIRE SPRINKLER

PROTECTED

• 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 ofElected Officials

Sprinkler Save Trees

Acting US Fire Administrator Glen Gaines

BASIC CONCEPTS

THE BOTTOM LINEBOARD MEETINGS

OrlandF.P.D.

Newsletter

Fire Service Response

If fire sprinklers were activated, we need to

notify the press.

RADIO SHOWS

Chief WelshGlenwood FD

MAJOR MEDIA AND CABLE TV

Press ReleasesContact: 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 life-saving 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

This is what we ALL

have to do

Post a Comment/BlogInternet Activism

DEVELOPING MEDIA RELATIONS

VEHICLE MESSAGES

WEBSITE

HOW MANY ACTUALLY?

ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD DISTRIBUTE READY-MADE PUBLICATION EDUCATION MATERIAL

Movie Theater MessagesWork 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…