Cloverdale fire district makes changes

A few months ago the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) formally adopted a new Oregon Fire Code and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA 1142) standard for suburban and rural fire fighting.

The ramifications of these changes have not yet been widely felt in the 40-square-mile Cloverdale district; the housing construction slowdown has kept their effects from becoming a visible issue in the public eye.

"The code and standard require minimum water supplies for residential sprinkler systems," said Fire Chief Chuck Cable.

This will have an impact on new construction within the district, which will add to the cost of development, although on a percentage basis the increase in costs will not be severe.

The compliance problem is that rural water supplies do not generally meet this minimum requirement nor do the water shuttle capabilities of the district. This means that with new construction, "...residential sprinkler systems will be required in the rural area," said chief Cable.

The supply of water available must be able to provide 1,000 gallons per minute of continuous flow for homes of less than 3,600 square feet. Homes of over 3,600 square feet are required to have not less than 1,750 gallons per minute of sustained flow. Since most rural wells provide only the smallest fraction of that amount of water, new homes will have to have sprinkler systems installed.

The fire district only has the capability of providing water supplies at a rate of 600 gallons per minute throughout the district and it is not feasible to bring this water supply up to a rate that would meet the new minimum standards according to Chief Cable.

New subdivisions and developments could have more options available to them with careful planning, as they can either meet minimum water supply requirements or they will be required to install sprinklers in all new homes that are constructed.

Attempting to educate the residents and builders about the changes is proving a challenge to the district.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about sprinkler systems, and the district will be providing various educational opportunities in the near future. One most common (misconception) is that all sprinkler heads go off when one is tripped like you see in the movies. That simply is not true," said chief Cable.

Sprinklers can make a huge difference in the amount of damage that a home will sustain during a fire, which is an important consideration not only in terms of protecting the structure and its contents but also in terms of potential savings with insurance premiums.

"A single sprinkler head can suppress a fire in the incipient stage and minimize structural damage as well as save lives. Sprinklers can reduce fire spread, giving firefighters the opportunity to fight a room fire instead of a fully-involved structure on arrival," said chief Cable.

Above all, sprinklers become an important consideration not only for the individual whose home is being protected but also for the neighbors who are put at risk during a fire in their area. "Reduced fire spread means the community is at less risk from a dwelling fire. And, above all, sprinklers can save lives. This will serve to make our growing Central Oregon community a safer place to live for all parties concerned, including our firefighters," said chief Cable.

For more information on the effects of the new changes in code and standards, contact the Cloverdale RFPD at 548-4815.