BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The Brooklyn Park Fire Department Saturday opened up their fire hall to the community, holding demonstrations to show how they fight fires.
But the main event focused on what homeowners can do to contain a fire in their home before the fire department even responds.
"This cap pops off and reveals a sprinkler," said Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Krier, as he showed a concealed residential sprinkler on display at the fire hall.
"For the most part, I think it's just something we don't think about it," said Krier when asked why more homes don't have sprinklers.
The goal of the department's demonstration Saturday was to get people to think about it.
They furnished a demonstration trailer, with side-by-side rooms, to look like a living room. One side had a sprinkler, the other didn't.
The room without the sprinkler was ignited first. Within minutes, it engulfed the room.
"You usually have about four minutes or less to get out of your house [during a fire]", Krier said.
The sprinklers operate individually. They have a small, glass bulb in them which expands and breaks in temperatures around 155 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering the sprinkler.
During the demonstration Saturday, the sprinkler was set off 26 seconds after the fire started.
"This will save your life," Krier said of the sprinkler.
Krier says installing sprinklers in a home usually costs about three to five percent of the home's value. He says in most cases, having them will get you a discount on your home insurance.
The National Fire Sprinkler Association compiles the contractors certified to install home sprinklers. You can find that information here.