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"Sprinkler-free" Firehouse Now Occupied

6 comments

THE ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, FIREHOUSE THAT WAS declared a “sprinkler-free zone” by the Fire Chief was finally given its occupancy permit on Monday.  The three (!) firefighters began operating from the station on Thursday.

You may recall the Firegeezer Morning Lineup column HERE reporting on Chief McEwen removing the sprinkler system from the plans because, among other things, it took too much space.

Now that they’re in the station, everybody is all smiles.  And while the taxpayers of Arlington will laud Chief McEwen for saving them $54,000, the rest of the world will always remember him for this piece of wisdom:

“What most people don’t understand is, sprinklers aren’t meant to put out the fire,” McEwen said. “They are strictly a life saving apparatus meant to control the fire, to help people escape a burning building…but the sprinklers themselves aren’t meant to put out fire, they are meant to control it to give people time to escape.”

The Advocate article from yesterday covering the station opening is HERE.

Posted by on December 1, 2007 • Filed under: fire stations
  • http://coglifesafety.blogspot.com/ billdelaney

    Boy this story has really “fired” me up! While I am sure very few people will see it, or even care, I attempted to make myself feel better by leaving a post on the Arlington paper’s web site. What I wrote is posted below.

    “Congrats to Chief McEwen for setting fire and life safety back 100 years!

    It is a proven and documented fact that sprinklers save lives and have put fires out. To have an alleged fire service leader compromise life safety, with his own people no less, in this situation is just beyond me. In effect, he saved the town $5,000 due to the cost of the extra door having to be installed verses the sprinklers.

    Thank goodness I have a progressive leader who helped our county become the largest in the USA to now require that ALL new homes have residential fire sprinklers installed regardless. That includes any new fire stations that are being built! That is how critical a life saving tool we feel sprinklers are.

    Hey Arlington Fire Fighter’s: how does it feel to know your lives are not worth $5,000?

    Good luck to all of you and may the Good Lord be watching out for you as certainly your Chief is not!”

    Bill Delaney
    Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue

  • http://coglifesafety.blogspot.com/ billdelaney

    Boy this story has really “fired” me up! While I am sure very few people will see it, or even care, I attempted to make myself feel better by leaving a post on the Arlington paper’s web site. What I wrote is posted below.

    “Congrats to Chief McEwen for setting fire and life safety back 100 years!

    It is a proven and documented fact that sprinklers save lives and have put fires out. To have an alleged fire service leader compromise life safety, with his own people no less, in this situation is just beyond me. In effect, he saved the town $5,000 due to the cost of the extra door having to be installed verses the sprinklers.

    Thank goodness I have a progressive leader who helped our county become the largest in the USA to now require that ALL new homes have residential fire sprinklers installed regardless. That includes any new fire stations that are being built! That is how critical a life saving tool we feel sprinklers are.

    Hey Arlington Fire Fighter’s: how does it feel to know your lives are not worth $5,000?

    Good luck to all of you and may the Good Lord be watching out for you as certainly your Chief is not!”

    Bill Delaney
    Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue

  • Jake

    I am disappointed that the Arlington Firefighters union appears to be silent on the issue. The NFPA and the IAFC should also be taking the chief to task for this disgrace!

  • Jake

    I am disappointed that the Arlington Firefighters union appears to be silent on the issue. The NFPA and the IAFC should also be taking the chief to task for this disgrace!

  • http://www.mcfrs.org/ Bill Delaney

    I agree! If this Chief is a card carrying member of either organization, I would hope they would explore suspending or terminating his membership.

  • http://www.mcfrs.org Bill Delaney

    I agree! If this Chief is a card carrying member of either organization, I would hope they would explore suspending or terminating his membership.