A sprinkler system that can be installed in homes is being promoted to rural residents at the International Plowing Match.
“More people die in residential home fires than any other fires in this province,” said Essa Fire Chief Cynthia Ross Tustin. “It's like having a virtual firefighter, every sprinkler head is your own personal firefighter.”
A home sprinkler, that draws water from a well or a small tank, gets water on to the fire faster by dropping down and spraying water when heat is suspected.
“They only go off in the area where the fire is---it's not like in the movies where they all go off and soak your house,” says Tustin.
Insurance companies are fully supportive of the system:
“We're lobbying the government trying to make it mandatory for new home builds,” says Frank Santana from The Co-operators Insurance Company.
The system generally costs less than $5,000.
