Why do we need a fire sprinkler shut-off tool?

The best way to protect a building and its occupants from fire is to have an automatic fire sprinkler system. However, when a fire sprinkler system accidentally activates it can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Talk to anyone who has had a fire sprinkler accident and you will hear just how catastrophic water damage can be. I have seen sprinkler accidents caused by everything from a kickball game in a dorm hallway to moving furniture in a science lab to hanging a clothes hanger on a sprinkler head in a classroom. When these accidents occur, a fire sprinkler shut-off tool can immediately stop the flow of water to the activated head while keeping the rest of the sprinkler system functional.

A single fire sprinkler head can expel between 30 to 100 gallons per minute, causing an estimated $1,000 of damage per minute. As a firefighter, I have personally seen over 30 stories of a building destroyed from a single sprinkler head. In most cities, a building’s water supply can only be shut off by the fire department. Waiting for firefighters to be dispatched, respond, locate, access and shut down the system can result in hundreds of gallons of unclean water pouring into your hallways and classrooms. Stopping the activated head quickly using a sprinkler tool helps avoid expensive damages and keeps every sprinkler head in the building pressurized. Your buildings stay open and operational while your students and faculty remain safe and protected.

Whether you are looking to protect dorm rooms, lab equipment or classrooms, you cannot afford to have a sprinkler accident without keeping a fire sprinkler shut-off tool on site.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Matt Scarpuzzi is a San Diego firefighter and owner of Quickstop Fire Sprinkler Tools (www.quickstoptool.com). Contact him at [email protected] or 858/750-2232.

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc.

    West Melbourne School for Science Completes Expansion Project

    The West Melbourne School for Science, which serves students grades PreK–6 in West Melbourne, Fla., recently completed a 12,450-square-foot elementary school expansion, according to a news release.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

  • School Construction Projects Boom as Education Systems Address Aging Facilities and Growth

    Construction opportunities are almost always abundant, but currently there are more than usual construction projects being launched for public school campuses. Common objectives include major renovation or expansion of aging facilities, total replacement of inefficient classrooms, upgrades to lighting, technology, and security equipment, and adding new sports and cultural facilities.

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New Residence Hall

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently completed construction on a new $50-million residence hall, according to a news release. The university partnered with KWK/Jenkins • Peer Architects on the design of Bronco Pride Hall.

Digital Edition