Patterson, N.Y. — The National Fire Sprinkler Association, the longest-tenured fire sprinkler advocacy organization in the U.S., has posted an emotional video entitled, “Empty Shoes, No Longer Filled with Dreams,” on YouTube. The five-minute video, which premiered at NFSA's annual seminar, highlights the human toll of lives lost due to fire and the absence of fire sprinklers.
Created by Karen Alexander of the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy with statistical additions by NFSA, “Empty Shoes” depicts the importance of fire sprinklers throughout the nation. The emotional video shows empty shoes as a representation of the lives that were lost in fires where sprinklers were not in place. In addition to the pictures of empty shoes, national data and statistics add to the message. Among the statistics highlighted in the video are:
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The U.S. suffers the worst per-capita fire death rate of any industrialized nations
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2,620 persons lost their lives in residential fires in 2006
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Children under five years old account for 10% of fire deaths in homes
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Adults 20- to 64-years-old account for 52% of annual fire deaths in homes
The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com; type in the keywords “empty shoes.”
To date, the U.S. has never seen a multiple loss of life due to fire in a structure that has a fully installed and properly maintained fire sprinkler system.
Established in 1905, NFSA leads the drive to get fire sprinklers into all buildings; provides support and resources for its members - fire sprinkler contractors, manufacturers and suppliers; and educates authorities having jurisdiction about fire control. Headquartered in Patterson, N.Y., NFSA has regional operations offices throughout the country.
Additional information is available at www.nfsa.org.