Sprinklers in a Public Library

[SBLG]

Our Village has a sprinkler ordanance. However when the new library will be built this year the decision was made not to sprinkler it. The comments were made to us that their are no sprinklered libraries???!?
I am looking for libraries that are sprinklered also histories of libraries with fires with and with out sprinklers. Any civilians injured in library fires , ect
Thanks in advance

[McpFF]

There is a major problem that your town has an ordinance and decided not to heed it. What's to stop anyone else from doing the same thing. Your fire official needs to deny approval on the plans, Period.
The issue should not be whether there are libraries that are sprinklered or not, or if there were injuries from fires etc., but what your goverening body has implemented to make it's community safer by requiring sprinklered buildings.

[SBLG]

McpFF
I agree with what you are saying, its a double standard, but the bottom line is to get the building sprinklered I will need some numbers of some sort. As of yet the Fire Dept has had no say on the plans ( project is bid and ground breaking is set!!!)

[wrongWAY]

The Library Of Congress in Washinton, DC which is the home to some of the oldest and most sacred documents in the history of the United States has sprinklers.

[Fire/Rescue43]

Our town recently built a new library, I'd love to tell you it was fully sprinklered, but only the basement has a sprinkler system. You have an edge that we didn't as we have no sprinkler ordinance.

There are sprinkler systems desinged for water sensitive documents, some use misting heads, some have auto shut off capability, they cost more than conventional systems, but with the insurance savings factored in over the life of the building the system pays for itself. Don't give up!


[This message has been edited by Fire/Rescue43 (edited 06-15-2001).]

[ADSN/WFLD]

Ignorance, on the part of the library, is fueling this debate. Water damaged books can be salvaged by professionals. The public image of sprinklers is still what you see in the movies (a deluge system) and that is probably what the reluctance is.

In my town Addison Il. the library was remodeled and sprinklers installed. They had a pipe break and damage some books but they were successfully saved and still on the rack. Also the College of DuPage library was forced to install sprinklers (with the rest of the build.)and they have a collection as large as any university.

Their is no excuse for a new building to dodge the law. The fire load is just too great not to be protected. Who occupies a library? School aged children, and real old people who can't move very well. They should be forced to install a system.

[Parafiremedic]

SBLG, Our city is finishing the renavation, and addition to our library (oldest one in Texas) and due to city code, it will be sprinkled. If they still fight it due to possible water damage problems, then advise them that there are companies out there that can salvage wet books. However, there isn't a single company that can salvage burnt up books. See if that gets their attention.

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[benson911]

What's worse?

1. A fire in a sprinklered library where one stack of books gets wet, everyone gets out alive and the rest of the books are saved.

2. A fire in a non-sprinklered library injures multiple people and destroys a whole floor of books.

You do the math ... See http://www.sprinklernet.org/sprinklerinfo/index.html and www.homefiresprinkler.org for good info.

[Tillerman-6]

If your town is afraid of false activations wetting down the whole library, there is such a thing as "Dry" sprinklers. They only have water if there is a real fire. And then only in the zone of the activation. Otherwise the system is full of compressed air. You should have the local building inspector/fire marshall research it.

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"Back off man... I'm a Scientist."