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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Home fires are the leading cause of fires in the
3U.S., affecting civilians and first responders; and
 
4    WHEREAS, According to data complied by the National Fire
5Protection Association (NFPA), of all civilian structure fire
6deaths, 78% occur in one- and two-family homes, with home
7fires causing $8.6 billion in direct property damage each
8year; and
 
9    WHEREAS, According to the NFPA, residential structure
10fires account for 63.7% of firefighter injuries; and
 
11    WHEREAS, According to the NFPA, regarding firefighter
12fatalities, 53% occur while fighting structure fires, and 82%
13occur while fighting fires at a residential dwelling; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Home fires are deadlier today than in the past as
15a result of an increase in the use of unprotected lightweight
16construction material, open floor plans, and abundant
17synthetic furnishings, and these dangers are amplified when
18the properties contain lithium ion batteries and other
19emerging technologies, making homes burn faster and causing
20them to become deadly in two minutes or less; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that home
2fire sprinklers could save thousands of lives each year if
3more were installed in homes; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Fire sprinklers are a proven and cost-effective
5means of protecting lives and property from the threat of
6fire; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Fire sprinklers offer the highest degree of fire
8protection and are critical in saving lives and property; and
 
9    WHEREAS, A room can be engulfed in flames in less than
10three minutes; however, fire sprinklers can control fire and
11deadly smoke, saving the lives of occupants and first
12responders; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Residential fires without a sprinkler system have
14caused 3,667 injuries and 967 fatalities in Illinois since
152007; and
 
16    WHEREAS, There have been only seven injuries and zero
17fatalities in residential fires with sprinkler systems in
18Illinois since 2007; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The inclusion of fire sprinklers in local
20building codes and in community risk reduction plans helps

 

 

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1support fire service resources, staffing, and budgets; when
2new housing stock includes sprinklers, those homes become
3safer, improving communities and allowing fire service
4resources to be directed to those at highest risk; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Stronger state and federal support of home fire
6sprinkler education will help address confusion and anti-code
7negativity and will encourage fire service advocacy in support
8of home fire sprinkler installation; and
 
9    WHEREAS, More installation of fire sprinklers in new homes
10will directly and indefinitely protect and improve communities
11of every size; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14we declare the week of May 12 through May 18, 2024 as Home Fire
15Sprinkler Week in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to State Coordinator James Brown of the Illinois
18Chapter of the National Fire Sprinkler Association.