Comparing the performance of residential fire sprinklers with other life-safety technologies

Residential fire sprinklers have long proven themselves as life-safety technologies to the fire service community. Yet, about 1% of all one- and two-family dwelling fires occur in homes protected by sprinklers. It has been argued that measured sprinkler performance has ignored factors confounding the relationship between sprinkler use and performance. In this analysis, sprinkler performance is measured by comparing ‘like’ structure fires, while conditioning on smoke detection technology and neighborhood housing and socioeconomic conditions, using propensity score matching. Results show that residential fire sprinklers protect occupant and firefighter health and safety, and are comparable to other life-safety technologies.

► Propensity score matching was used to evaluate the performance of fire sprinklers.
► This matching procedure facilitates comparison between similar fire incidents.
► Results show sprinklers offer life-safety protection over that given by smoke alarms.
► We estimate another 194 deaths a year could be prevented if 10% home had sprinklers.