Lichfield and Burntwood residents are being urged to sign an e-petition to make sprinklers compulsory in new homes.
The plea has come from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service as the petition looks to reach the 100,000 signatures necessary for it to be put forward for debate in Parliament.
The petition comes following the recent introduction of a law in Wales which will make sprinklers compulsory in all new homes.
Staffordshire’s deputy chief fire officer, Chris Enness, said: “Put simply, sprinklers are the equivalent to having a firefighter ready and waiting in every room of your home.
“There are a lot of misunderstandings out there regarding how sprinklers work, but the reality is that they only actually activate when the temperature reaches over 68ºC and even then they only activate in affected rooms.
“There are a number of estates and blocks of flats across the country that have had sprinklers fitted and the residents in these areas have reported feeling much safer in their homes. The evidence speaks for itself – no one has ever died in a fire when their home was fitted with a sprinkler system.
“The Welsh Government have recognised this, which is why they have now introduced legislation, we would like to see similar legislation introduced here in England. We’d urge local residents to pledge their support to the petition, so together we can make Staffordshire the safest place to be.”
To pledge your support for visit the e-petition website.
