Sprinklers should be fitted in new build schools, NFCC says

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is calling for all new school builds or refurbishments to have sprinklers fitted.

The policy is currently mandatory in Scotland in Wales.

Figures show that the number of new schools built with sprinklers had dropped from about 70 per cent a decade ago to a third last year in England in Wale.s

Just five per cent of schools have sprinklers.

The NFCC part commissioned an independent analysis in 2017 which looked at more than 2,000 incidents attended by UK fire services in sprinkler-protected buildings, which found that sprinkler systems correctly operated on at least 94 per cent of the fires and controlled or extinguished 99 per cent of those fires.

According to NFCC, the impact of school fires is significant; while they have an impact in financial terms they also have a devastating impact on the communities schools serve, along with the environment and the disruption to students, teachers, and families.

The impact on children’s education is not confined to lost course work but often includes longer travelling times, disrupted social groups and poorer facilities.

NFCC believes if sprinklers were considered at the design stage of new build or refurbishment of existing buildings, costs could be kept to a minimum.