Residential Fire Safety Institute Partnership

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In October 1983, an extensive set of smoke detector/sprinkler tests was accomplished in the city of San Francisco, California, entitled, "Operation San Francisco." A significant number of fire and building officials were in attendance and observed these tests first hand. The tests, along with others accomplished across the United States, contributed to the realization that fire deaths could be substantially reduced through the increased application of quick response sprinkler technology used in conjunction with early warning detection and alarm systems.

A vehicle was needed to maintain a continuing resource for current information in the subject area. Operation Life Safety (OLS) now known as the Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI) became this vehicle.

RFSI is a consortium of the United States Fire Administration (USFA), the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), and private sector organizations.

USFA has a shared interest in the mission of RFSI. Key to this is the fact that USFA has a shared interest in the RFSI mission to mitigate the impact of fire on residential occupancies through the advocacy of built in protection including smoke alarms and automatic sprinklers and through effective public education.

In its current partnership USFA and RSFI are:

Maintaining and updating a resource center that will provide model laws, technical information, data and statistics to communities or individuals who request same.
Maintaining a record of residential sprinkler activities in communities that have adopted residential sprinkler ordinances.
Managing a web site to provide information regarding detection and suppression system ordinances, codes, and consumer oriented information.
Conducting a comparative analysis of State regulations that identify barriers to increase the number of qualified NFPA 13D system installers/contractors.
Preparing educational strategies for a minimum of three potential partners in the promotion of residential fire protection systems. Possible target audiences may include homebuilders, realtors, the insurance industry, homebuyers, etc.

Operation Life Safety Newsletter

The Operation Life Safety Newsletter is funded by the U.S. Fire Administration and published by the Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI) six times per year. Its purpose is to provide RFSI members and others - who subscribe to significantly reducing residential fire deaths, injuries and property losses through the use of public awareness and education programs and the promotion of early-warning detection, alarm and fast-response sprinkler technology - with current newsworthy items of interest, including local, state and federal issues requiring support and involvement of the fire community.

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail (leave the Subject line blank also) to this address - olsletter-ON@lists.firesprinkler.org. You will receive an automated confirmation that includes instructions for unsubscribing. When a new newsletter is published, you will automatically receive it via e-mail.