Abstract
BackgroundResidential sprinkler systems (RSS) are one intervention to prevent fire injury and death, yet there is no literature documenting why RSS homeowners opt to purchase a sprinkler-equipped home. This manuscript describes homeowners’ decisions to purchase homes with residential sprinkler systems (RSS) and their experiences with the technology. It also compares how RSS homeowners and owners of homes without RSS value sprinklers and their levels of support for policies to mandate RSS in new homes.MethodsWe used a national online web panel to sample owners of 1- and 2-family homes, and descriptive methods to analyze the resulting data.ResultsOur final sample included 1,357 homeowners of 1- and 2-family homes without RSS and 976 homeowners with RSS. RSS homeowners were more likely than owners of non-RSS homes to indicate they would buy an RSS home in the future (75 % vs. 30 %), and more often indicated a willingness to pay for sprinklers (70 % vs. 40 %). RSS homeowners also expressed higher levels of support for policies to mandate RSS in all new 1- and 2-family homes (48 % vs. 19 %).ConclusionsThe findings offer insight into educational and policy strategies to promote RSS in all new homes, and provide a foundation for future research in this area.
Highlights
Residential sprinkler systems (RSS) are one intervention to prevent fire injury and death, yet there is no literature documenting why residential sprinkler systems (RSS) homeowners opt to purchase a sprinkler-equipped home
Of the approximately 385,000 invitations sent to panel members, 50,526 responded; more than half (57 %) did not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria
The final sample included 1,357 homeowners of 1- and 2-family homes without RSS, and 976 homeowners of 1- and 2- family homes that were equipped with RSS at the time they completed the survey
Summary
Residential sprinkler systems (RSS) are one intervention to prevent fire injury and death, yet there is no literature documenting why RSS homeowners opt to purchase a sprinkler-equipped home. This manuscript describes homeowners’ decisions to purchase homes with residential sprinkler systems (RSS) and their experiences with the technology. Between 2000 and 2014 42,370 people died in residential fires in the United States (U.S.) (Hylton JGH 2015) These deaths, and the injuries sustained by others in house fires have long been viewed as a preventable public health problem.
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