In praise of common sense

摘要

In an extraordinary twist that displayed a dismaying lack of foresight, the Executive of the National Fire Sprinkler Network forced the resignation of the Fire Protection Association's Managing Director Jonathon O'Neill, who dared to play devil's advocate in a debate on sprinkler installation at this year's Fire Lecture (see pg 44). To be more precise, it was less a debate and more a pro-sprinkler rally, with the slight hiccup of disagreement on strategy and tactics. It came down to a decision of whether to retrofit or install in all new homes, aka the Welsh model. The sprinkler lobby supports the ideal of all new homes; the pragmatists opt for retrofitting for at-risk groups. All agree with the effectiveness. Sadly, cost and political restrictions on new regulation have created a foggy battleground that is beginning to blur common sense and create a quagmire for the fire protection industry.