Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Fire prevention and fire safety were the focus of a seminar held April 16 at the Northern Maine Community College, an event open to fire officials, contractors and anyone interested in preventing fires from occurring. With home construction costs ever on the rise and insurance rates increasing to cover losses, property owners are forever looking for ways to keep costs down or find ways to protect their property. Those attending the seminar got insight on ways to protect not only buildings but lives, with products that prevent fire from spreading.
The first product discussed was No-Burn Plus, a latex paint formulated to prevent the spread of flames. Using three mock dog houses, Caleb Pelletier, No-Burn manager for Maine Fire Protection Systems, of Bangor, showed spectators how the product worked. Setting each house on fire, participants were able to see how the structure coated with No-Burn sustained only minor paint bubbling when a fire was lit inside the dog house, while the untreated houses sustained more extensive damage.
“Our claim is when fire meets our product, it goes out every time. It’s fire and mold resistant,” said Pelletier.
In all, Pelletier said his company has six such products, including one to treat Christmas trees and products are available direct to the buyer.
For more information, visit www.mefirepro.com.
Next up was Eric J. Ellis, P.E., with the Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal. Ellis was the first of two speakers to discuss the benefits of properly installed sprinkler systems.
“Sprinkler systems can be installed for a minimal investment but can save a great deal of money through reduced repair and replacement costs,” said Ellis, noting having a sprinkler system installed is like having a “firefighter on site 24/7.”
To emphasize his point, Ellis showed videos showing the difference between a structure fire without a system and one with a system. He credited laws passed since 1996 for saving a number of lives, adding that’s the primary purpose of sprinklers, not just saving property.
“Home systems aren’t meant to save homes but to buy time for families to get out,” said Ellis.
Ellis said the majority of systems are designed to be affordable, with no industry or commercial standards.
“Statistics show fire deaths occur in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, with more fires occurring in the kitchen than the other rooms combined, but more deaths are recording elsewhere due to people sleeping,” explained Ellis, adding the use of a smoke detector can make a big difference. “Smoke detectors prevent 50 percent of fires. That number jumps to 82 percent with sprinkler systems.”
Ellis indicated statistics show homes are safer with one way out when a working sprinkler system is present than a home with two exits but no system.
“Builders and architects love systems for this reason. It helps reduce construction costs (not having to incorporate more exits),” said Ellis, adding that while insurance requires two exits without a system, guidelines are different for construction with due to the added safety factor.
“Fire sprinkler systems allow many benefits to developers. They reduce the need for firewalls, special windows, save time and expenses in construction. Systems are a life-safety benefit as well as an economic benefit,” said Ellis. “They save lives and often property, insurers provide typical discounts of 5 to 12 percent and up to 30 percent with certain systems.”
In some communities, according to Ellis, systems are now being required in subdivisions and developments as a way to help keep taxes down, since systems reduce the work for fire departments – reducing the amount of damage, giving occupants more time to vacate and thus reducing risk to firefighters by reducing the chance they need to search for individuals inside and reducing the time it takes to put out a fire.
“Systems don’t delay construction, there are no maintenance costs and the cost of a system averages 1 to 2 percent of total construction cost,” said Ellis, adding that the cost of a system is equivalent to a deck, landscaping preferences or luxury appliances – but unlike those items that are for pleasure, sprinklers save lives.
Ellis suggested anyone wanting more information visit www.mainefiremarshal.com.
Closing the seminar was Franz P. Haase, of Kwench Systems.
Haase said he’s been in the industry for over 40 years and explained how he invented a multipurpose system with an environmental focus.
“Our business focus is the effective use of water, including heating efficiency,” said Haase.
The system, Haase explained, serves as a storage unit for water when it enters a home, bringing it to room temperature before it goes to the heating unit – provided the home has a hot-water heating system.
“The multipurpose system is dormant until needed. It’s hooked to the active plumbing system, and serve both domestic needs and fire protection needs,” said Haase. “Unlike stand-alone systems, this system keeps water ‘stored’ until your heating system needs it. When it goes to the heating system, the water is warmer than if it were directly pumped from outside, so it takes less energy to heat it for the home’s use, whether for heating the house, laundry or bathing. And with the water constantly being flushed through the lines, less maintenance is required.”
Haase said such systems, using a network grid, are the most efficient.
“They’re the most balanced and completely non-stagnant. Every single pipe will feed some water. Unlike a fixed grid, the system can attack from multiple points,” said Haase.
Such ‘green flow’ systems have a number of advantages.
“Technical advantages include the fact they’re tested every time a plumbing fixture is opened. There’s no over-pressure ruptures, no additional backflow required and no stagnant water. The gridded layout is better balanced and the system effectively tempers cold water,” said Haase. “In our system, even if we started to build pressure, every time the homeowner opens the system (uses water), pressure is released,” Haase said.
Costwise, Haase said it doesn’t add a great deal of expense to construction because the system is basically part of the home’s plumbing system.
For more information, visit www.kwenchgroup.com.
