September 4, 2009

Are Fire Sprinklers Green? Commercial Property Insurer FM Global and Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) Form Partnership to Study Environmental Effects of Home Fires

JOHNSTON, R.I.—The nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) is partnering with FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, on an unprecedented research project to identify, analyze and evaluate the environmental impact caused by home fires—a topic of increasing international importance.

In October 2009, FM Global will conduct full-scale fire tests to compare the environmental impact of sprinklered and non-sprinklered home fires. The tests will be conducted at FM Global’s 1,600-acre, US$125-million Research Campus in West Glocester, R.I., USA.

“The Board of HFSC is pleased to partner with FM Global on this project,” says Gary Keith, HFSC chair as well as the vice president of field operations for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). “Sprinklers are proven to save lives and protect property. We know sprinklers also provide environmental benefits—benefits we will only be able to prove through scientific study.”

When sprinklers activate, they control the heat, flames and smoke of a home fire, effectively mitigating the products of combustion. “The expectation is that a reduction in combustion also results in lessened pollution,” Keith adds. “It’s time to formally determine those qualities as well as the potential for reduced water-related impact. There’s never been a better time to do a study like this because interest is at an all-time high.”

The results of the research will establish:

• The types, quantity and duration of air and water pollutants released from a home fire as well as the water usage from fire sprinklers and firefighters’ hoses.
• The environmental impact resulting from burning household furnishings and finish materials as well as disposing the fire-damaged contents of a home.
• The carbon footprint associated with rebuilding a burnt home.

About Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC):
The nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) (www.homefiresprinkler.org) is a national, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused solely on educational outreach. It is the leading resource for independent, noncommercial information about residential fire sprinklers.

About FM Global:
For nearly two centuries, many of the world’s largest organizations have worked with FM Global (www.fmglobal.com) to develop cost-effective property insurance and engineering solutions to protect their business operations from fire, natural disasters and other types of property risk. With clients in more than 130 countries and US$4.6 billion in policyholder surplus, FM Global ranks #766 among FORTUNE magazine’s largest companies in America and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best and AA (Very Strong) by Fitch Ratings. The company has been named “Best Property Insurer in the World” by Euromoney magazine and “Best Global Property Insurer” by Global Finance magazine.

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