142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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309015
Residential Sprinklers for a Safer Tomorrow: What Every Public Health Professional Needs to Know about the Technology and Public Opinion

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH , Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Keshia Pollack, PhD, MPH , Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Jessica Young, PhD Candidate, MS , Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM , Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Background: In 2012, 2,380 civilians died in residential house fires in the U.S.; another 12,875 were injured. Residential sprinkler systems (RSS) are an effective intervention for preventing home fire-related injuries and deaths. Little is known about the experiences of homeowners with RSS and their support for policies that mandate RSS in new homes.

Methods: We conducted a nationally representative online survey of 2,333 homeowners of 1- and 2-family homes, at least 18 years of age, using the Harris Online Poll. Bivariate relationships of responses were generated, comparing RSS homeowners (n=976) and owners of unsprinklered homes (n=1,357). The data were weighted using the 2011 Current Population Survey.

Results:  Homeowners value residential sprinklers: 52% of those living in sprinkler-equipped homes reported that the sprinklers influenced their decision to buy their home; 74% reported their next home will be sprinkler-equipped. There is some support for policies that mandate RSS in new homes: those living in sprinkler-equipped homes are more than twice as likely as those in unsprinklered homes to support mandatory sprinkler laws (48% vs. 19%). Across the entire sample, the most common reason cited for supporting such a mandate was that lives will be saved (88%) followed by the fact that the fire department is supportive of such laws (40%). Opponents of such laws most frequently expressed that whether to live in a sprinkler-equipped home should be the buyer’s choice (86%) followed by concerns about cost (48%).

Conclusion: These data may inform future policy advocacy and educational activities to advance RSS.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe how a national sample of homeowners views the strengths and limitations of residential sprinkler systems and their support for mandatory sprinkler policies. Identify data-informed policy advocacy efforts to advance RSS.

Keyword(s): Data Collection and Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working in the field of injury prevention and control for over a decade. I earned a PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2006 and have been conducting injury research as a faculty member at JHU for several years. My peer reviewed published research focuses on identifying risk factors for, and strategies to prevent, injuries related to occupation, obesity, sports and recreation, physical activity, and the built environment.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4045.0: Innovative use of technology for injury prevention, disaster and emergency response