When the EFSN began operating in 2003, European countries did not require sprinklers in many types of buildings. Most sprinkler systems were installed at the recommendation or insistence of insurers and were installed to protect property. Today most systems are installed to comply with regulations for fire safety in buildings. Regulators have recognised the important contribution that sprinklers can make to life safety and are increasingly requiring sprinklers as a core fire safety measure rather than as an optional extra. 150% more sprinklers are installed each year than in 2003 and they are going into building types that previously were unprotected.
Most European countries now require sprinklers in high-rise buildings, shopping centres, large shops and large warehouses. In several countries they are also common in large infrastructure buildings such as airports. They are found in museums and hospitals, often to permit them to have larger fire compartments than regulations would otherwise allow, or to avoid the use of heavy, expensive fire integrity glass or passive fire protection of structural steelwork. In some countries this use of sprinklers to permit architectural flexibility is now codified.
Most fire deaths occur in the home. Decades of experience with residential sprinklers in North America has shown that they are the best fire safety measure available, almost eliminating fire deaths. Several European countries now require sprinklers in care homes and homes for the elderly, where residents are unable to self-evacuate and there are too few staff to assist them. Thanks to regulatory requirements or incentives, residential sprinklers are now also being installed in housing in Northern Europe and this development is spreading to other countries.
Change does not happen by itself and the EFSN has played a part in these positive changes. In some cases it has led a national campaign, in others it has encouraged and supported local campaigners, providing information and arguments to support their case and counter false claims. The EFSN has also led successful campaigns to overturn misguided bans on sprinklers in a number of applications.
Everyone has heard of fire sprinklers and almost everyone has the wrong idea of how they work. Through fire brigade schools we run courses to show fire officers how sprinkler systems work and how effective they are. This and similar engagement with fire consultants and officials has changed the consensus about sprinklers; fire officers are now our best advocates!
Looking ahead it is likely that the use of sprinklers will continue to increase in Europe as more deciders and regulators recognise that with sprinklers they can not only improve life safety, they can also reduce construction costs and improve business sustainability.