We all love some Hollywood action, but when it comes to fire scenes, the reality is usually far from what is depicted. From Tim Meadows in Mean Girls (2004) triggering an alarm with a baseball bat which activates all sprinkler heads in the high school, drenching a rowdy crowd in water, to turning the “Emergency Sprinkler Override” key in James Bond’s Casino Royale and activating all sprinklers in the airport – these scenes are not how actual fire safety systems work. Let’s debunk some of the myths that the film industry has been feeding you.
- Hold a lighter to a sprinkler head and they will all flood the building in water
The common misconception here is that all the sprinkler heads will get simultaneously activated when there is a fire, like in 2005’s “The Perfect Man”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Sprinkler systems are designed to activate based on their proximity to the heat. So only the heads that are actually close to the fire will release the water needed to suppress the flame, while reducing the risk of water damage. As the heat progresses through the building, more sprinkler heads will get activated.
However, for one kind of sprinkler system, the “deluge system” the sprinkler heads will all be activated at the same time. However, these are not your day-to-day systems and are typically limited to areas where fire outbreaks would be particularly destructive, such as in aircraft hangers, chemical facilities, and power plants. The standard fire sprinkler systems in residential premises and office buildings are not the deluge systems.
- If I pull the fire alarm it will trigger the sprinkler system
Sprinklers are triggered by heat. So that Mel Gibson scene in Lethal Weapon 4 where he pops an umbrella over his head and pulls a fire alarm to set off every sprinkler head in the restaurant is not how things will go down in real life. With the number of times that the alarms can get triggered, there’ll be loads of property damage. Breaking that glass station, pressing the alarm button, or yanking at the pull station will not automatically activate the sprinkler system. What it does is send a signal to the fire alarm panel which activates notification devices like the sirens, which will alert the occupants in the building to get out.
If the alarms were to trigger the sprinklers each time they were pulled/pressed, it would translate to heavy losses, especially in environments like schools and busy commercial buildings where the alarms can be activated accidentally. Sure, the bespoke sprinkler systems can be designed to have this feature, but that will be extremely rare. Talk to the certified kitchen suppression system Dublin installers at AMSL group to set up the system your facility needs.
- Fire sprinklers can be activated through the web, a key or some other kind of magic button
Casino Royale was off the mark, and so was the case for the teenagers in Hackers (1995) who remotely hacked into the school’s fire system to carry out a sprinkler test. As mentioned, the sprinkler heads are only triggered by an actual source of heat.
- Any fire extinguisher will work
The firefighters in Terminator 3 using carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to douse out a car fire is inaccurate. These work by depriving the fire of oxygen, yet carbon dioxide quickly disperses outdoors, meaning the fire would have quickly got more oxygen. Such emergencies need dry chemical extinguishers for small fires or hose lines for larger vehicle fires.
The wrong kinds of fire extinguishers can actually spread the fire instead of putting it out. There are different classes of extinguishers with specific use cases, from office buildings and chemical plants to schools and restaurants. Getting yours from the qualified facility and kitchen fire extinguisher Dublin providers like AMSL will ensure that you have the most ideal setup for your establishment, as well as the training needed to use them. Check out Hollywood Fire Sprinklers YouTube videos for a catalog of more gaffes from the film industry. The list continues to grow, and is currently at over 100 entries – so don’t let movies dictate how you implement your building’s fire safety program. Speak to a certified professional to install systems that adhere to building codes and regulations, upgrade your existing system and carry out routine maintenance.