The Co-operators, U.S.-based Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition advocate for fire safety through new partnership

The Co-operators Group Limited and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) announced a formal partnership on Tuesday to advocate for and promote the installation of home fire sprinklers in new construction of homes in Canada.

The HFSC said in a press release from The Co-operators that although fire sprinklers may be visible in a hotel room or restaurant, the need for them in the home is key to reducing the fire problem in Canada. In fact, eight out of ten fire-related deaths occur in the home, the coalition reported.

“As a co-operative insurer, we strive to identify and fulfill unmet needs related to our business,” said Kathy Bardswick, president and CEO of The Co-operators, in the release. “Fire sprinklers in a home provide life-saving protection. With more awareness and understanding, it is our hope that more and more Canadian homeowners and builders will choose to have them installed to better protect their families and property.”

In 2012, The Co-operators sponsored a three-year study by Sunnybrook Health Science Centre that looked at the healthcare costs and consequences of house fires in Canada and the potential impact that home fire sprinklers can have. The Co-operators – a Canadian-owned operative with more than $40 billion in assets under administration – also offers a 10% insurance discount for homes with fire sprinklers. Through its group of companies, The Co-operators offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products.

Shayne Mintz, Canadian regional director of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and member of HFSC’s board of directors, added that he is “looking forward to the impact we’ll be able to make together in Canada now that this partnership is official.”

According to the NFPA, there was US$7.8 billion in direct residential property loss from fire in the United States in 2009. Three-quarters of the residential fires took place in one- and two-family dwellings, causing US$5.7 billion in direct property loss.

The HFSC was formed in the United States in 1996 in response to the “tremendous need” to inform the public about the life-saving value of home fire sprinkler protection, the release said. HFSC is charitable organization and a resource for independent, non-commercial information about residential fire sprinklers.