Safety advocates can secure up to $10,000 for localized campaigns
February 11, 2016 – To further the life-saving impact of home fire sprinklers, the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Sprinkler Initiative is once again offering grant funding for sprinkler advocacy campaigns across North America.
Following a successful launch in 2015, the Bringing Safety Home Grant will once again assist as many as 10 selected U.S. state sprinkler coalitions and other safety advocates with up to $10,000 to support activities that showcase the importance of home fire sprinklers. Sprinkler advocacy is gaining momentum as more residents and policy-makers understand the value of the devices in new homes. Home fire sprinklers, for instance, can reduce home fire deaths by about 80 percent and mitigate direct property damage by about 70 percent, according to NFPA research.
The vast majority of U.S. fire deaths are still occurring in homes. In 2014, home fires caused more than 2,700 deaths, or 84 percent of all U.S. fire deaths, and injured more than 12,000 others. The life-saving capability of home fire sprinklers is the reason why all model building codes require sprinklers in all new, one- and two-family dwellings.
“We’re looking to repeat the success of our 2015 Bringing Safety Home Grant Program, which played a huge role in increasing awareness and acceptance of home fire sprinklers on a local level,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “With NFPA support, sprinkler advocates throughout North America have the power to present convincing cases for why fire sprinklers should be a necessity in all new homes.”
Grant applicants throughout the U.S. and Canada can apply for up to $10,000 to fund a proposed home sprinkler campaign or project in their state or province that underscores the necessity of sprinklers. NFPA is asking applicants to get creative: How can this grant help you spread the message in your state or region that sprinklers in new homes save lives? Is there a new way to educate the public and decision-makers about the value of home fire sprinklers? How can you expand on a tried-and-true method of sprinkler advocacy? NFPA has also developed a number of campaign ideas to help applicants with local outreach strategy.
Applications, available at firesprinklerinitiative.org/grant, must be submitted to firesprinklerinitiative@nfpa.org by March 16, 2016.
About the Fire Sprinkler Initiative®
The Fire Sprinkler Initiative®, a project of the National Fire Protection Association, is a nationwide effort to mandate the use of home fire sprinklers and the adoption of fire sprinkler requirements for new construction. Visit the Fire Sprinkler Initiative website at www.firesprinklerinitiative.org.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
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Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1-617-984-7275