Continuing a successful public education strategy, the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition is once again offering $500 stipends to 20 US and 20 Canadian fire departments to help enhance their community outreach this year.

The stipends can be used to produce educational banners, purchase virtual reality headsets to show HFSC’s Virtual Reality (VR) videos and TV monitors to play VR and other HFSC educational videos, produce social media messages and boost them, support live fire and sprinkler demonstrations or build a home fire sprinkler riser display.

Over the last five years, fire departments that chose to build the home fire sprinkler display as part of their stipend activity have also received a free RiserPACK packaged by AGF Manufacturing. The PACK includes all the components needed to set up a home fire sprinkler system according to NFPA 13D, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes and donated by various manufacturers. It also includes HFSC’s guidance to build the display, including a material and tools list, step-by-step instructions, and suggested component labels.

With this contribution and packaging, partners are supporting HFSC and the fire departments using the displays to increase awareness about the role of home fire sprinklers and community risk reduction. More than 100 RiserPACKS have been donated to fire departments in the US and Canada.

NDPA VP for Outreach & Advocacy, Lorraine Carli, said that feedback from fire departments that have received HFSC’s stipends and the RiserPACKS has been very positive: “In addition to their gratitude, many departments said the display has allowed them to educate homeowners, elected officials involved in code upgrades to require sprinklers, water providers, builders and developers, and members of the fire service who are not familiar with home fire sprinklers. Having a riser display has helped departments dispel myths about 13D systems and demonstrate the simplicity of the system.

“We share in the departments’ appreciation of this tool that helps improve HFSC’s grassroots home fire sprinkler outreach and education. Here’s to the next 100 fire departments that build these educational displays!”

The deadline to apply for the US stipend is February 24, 2023.