HFSC unveiled the new kits at the HFSC/Sprinkler Industry booth at the International Builders’ Show exhibit. The IBS is the home building industry’s largest event, drawing approximately 110,000 attendees in 2005. The expansive booth contains kiosk displays for representatives of the sprinkler industry along with HFSC’s exhibit and a miniature built-to-scale house which illustrates a standard home fire sprinkler installation. Joining HFSC in the 2005 booth were sprinkler manufacturers Kidde, Reliable, Tyco, Viking and Victaulic, and pipe and fitting manufacturer Noveon/BlazeMaster.

In addition to distributing the kits during the IBS, HFSC offered the free materials to members of both the home building and fire service communities through the HFSC Web site (www.homefiresprinkler.org) and toll-free number (888-635-7222). The Web site contains free downloads of the “Built for Life” kit materials as well as a range of other downloads, information, data and helpful links.

HFSC also had a visible “Built for Life” presence at the IBS companion exhibits Show Village and new Urban Challenge. Wayne Automatic partnered with HFSC to sprinkler the Show Village homes, which provided a “behind-the-walls” view of sprinkler installation, while Davy Fire Protection provided installations in the fully-built New Urban Challenge homes.
Rounding out the first phase, HFSC undertook a national model home pilot program, working in nine collaborative teams across the country to sprinkler selected model homes, educate the home builders and conduct local media outreach.

“ Living With Sprinklers”
HFSC’s second federal grant funded Phase Two of “Built for Life,” which is currently underway and includes a broad expansion of the program, including a stronger consumer focus. The second phase, known as “Living with Sprinklers,” involves three main strategies: national consumer surveys to assess awareness and usage of fire sprinklers in the home; a concentration on high-fire-risk adults (age 50 and over), through active adult housing builders and homeowners; and creation of new consumer education materials for the general public.

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