2025 - Page 3 of 7 - Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board

Fire Prevention Week 2025 to Feature Live Burn Demonstrations Proving Effectiveness of Home Fire Sprinklers

Tinley Park, IL (September 2, 2025) – As part of national Fire Prevention Week education initiatives, the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) will be working with greater Chicago area fire departments throughout September and October to conduct live fire demonstrations at their open house events

Fire Prevention Week is slated for October 5 to 11 and this year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” The campaign will work to educate everyone about using these batteries, stressing how important it is to buy, charge and recycle them safely.

“Charge into Fire Safety” includes expanded resources, guidelines and information in response to the concerns fire officials have about the growing number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries that power devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters, smaller electronics such as cell phones and laptops, and electric vehicles. As the use of these items has increased in recent years, so too has the number of fires associated with them. Combined with fire safety precautions such as working smoke alarms, well practiced escape plans and lithium-ion battery safety measures, home fire sprinklers can significantly reduce fires, deaths, injuries and property damage. One of the more recent examples of a fire sprinkler save with a lithium-ion battery fire was when the fire sprinkler system in an off-campus apartment in Champaign controlled a fire caused by a charging e-scooter last November.

Nothing proves the effectiveness of sprinklers more convincingly than a live side-by-side demonstration of home fires in two similarly furnished rooms – one with a single fire sprinkler and the other without protection. These dramatic public demonstrations vividly and memorably display how fast a fire can become deadly and the crucial, fast response and life-saving benefits of home fire sprinklers as they control or extinguish a fire. “Today’s home fires can fully engulf a room and become deadly in just two minutes,” said NIFSAB Executive Director Erik Hoffer. “Modern furniture and belongings that are made of plastics and other synthetics contribute to faster growth and emit more toxic smoke, while open-space home designs allow fires to spread more quickly. Lithium-ion battery fires further exacerbate these challenges.”

“With these powerful demonstrations we’ll be conducting with fire departments, audiences can see fire sprinklers in action. Unlike the Hollywood movie stereotype, fire sprinklers do not all activate at once but instead are individually activated by the heat of a fire, stopping a blaze in its tracks and limiting the spread of smoke.”

Today, nearly 120 Illinois communities have adopted national model codes that include fire sprinklers in all new construction homes. Leaders in those communities recognize that fire sprinklers not only help safeguard residents and property, but they also protect the lives of first responders from fire and fire-related, cancer-causing carcinogens.

Below is a list of upcoming fire and sprinkler burn demonstrations*. Please contact NIFSAB or the fire departments for more details.

Saturday, September 6:
St. Charles Fire Department

Tuesday, September 9:
Paul Davis Restoration of NW & SW Cook County (w/ Elgin Fire Department)

Wednesday, September 10:
Cary Fire Protection District

Saturday, September 13:
Inverness Fire Protection District
Lake Villa Fire Protection District
MAAC Foundation (Valparaiso, IN)

Sunday, September 14:
Roselle Fire Department

Saturday, September 20:
Buffalo Grove Fire Department
Des Plaines Fire Department
Elgin Fire Department
Evanston Fire Department
Evergreen Park Fire Department
West Dundee Fire Department
Wheeling Fire Department

Sunday, September 21:
Glenview Fire Department

Saturday, September 27:
Itasca Fire Protection District
Naperville Fire Department
Plainfield Fire Protection District
Pleasantview Fire Protection District

Sunday, September 28:
Batavia Fire Department
Mundelein Fire Department

Wednesday, October 1:
Warrenville Fire Protection District

Thursday, October 2:
Chicago Ridge Fire Department

Saturday, October 4:
Aurora Regional Fire Museum
Carpentersville Fire Department
Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District
Hobart (IN) Fire Department
Hoffman Estates Fire Department (Station 23)
Homer Township Fire Protection District
Homewood Fire Department
Lake Bluff Fire Department
Lansing Fire Department
Lemont Fire Protection District
Morton Grove Fire Department
Northbrook Fire Department
Norwood Park Fire Protection District
Palatine Fire Department
South Elgin & Countryside Fire Protection District

Sunday, October 5:
Lake Zurich Fire Department
Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force (IN)
Lockport Township Fire Protection District
McHenry Township Fire Protection District
Roberts Park Fire Protection District

Monday, October 6:
Moraine Valley Community College – Fire Science Program
Westchester Fire Department
Western Springs Fire Department

Wednesday, October 8:
Fermilab Fire Department
La Grange Fire Department

Thursday, October 9:
Hazel Crest Fire Department

Friday, October 10:
Beecher Fire Protection District

Saturday, October 11:
Broadview Fire Department
Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District
Hammond (IN) Fire Department
Hinsdale Fire Department
La Grange Park Fire Department
Rolling Meadows Fire Department
Romeoville Fire Department
Schaumburg Fire Department
Streamwood Fire Department

Sunday, October 12:
Wauconda Fire Protection District

Saturday, October 18:
Berwyn Fire Department
Bloomingdale Fire Protection District

Monday, October 20:
Hampshire Fire Protection District

Saturday, October 25:
Highland Park Fire Department

Sunday, October 26:
Forest View Fire Department

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Lisa2025-10-02T14:32:16-05:00September 2nd, 2025|Comments Off

Elgin, Winnetka & Zion Are Some of the Latest Home Fire Sprinkler Communities

The municipalities of Elgin, Zion, & Winnetka updated their municipal codes to the 2021 editions of the International Residential Code (IRC), International Building Code (IBC), and International Fire Code (IFC). Each of their IRC adoptions include requirements for new one- and two-family homes to be protected with fire sprinklers.

Elgin Fire Department

Elgin Fire Marshal John Gish said the code process went smooth. “Fire sprinklers can significantly reduce the risk of fatalities in a house fire by controlling and possibly extinguishing the flames before they spread, thus allowing residents time to escape,” Gish said. “Knowing that your home is equipped with a fire sprinklers can provide peace of mind, knowing that an additional layer of safety is in place to protect your family and property.”

According to Winnetka Fire Chief John Ripka, the Winnetka village council supported the proposed changes and was inquisitive about the process and associated costs to ensure they could make informed decisions. Ripka explained that the home fire sprinkler requirement would greatly improve fire safety for residents. He provided localized information and resources from the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB).

Winnetka Fire Department

“I crafted an issue memorandum to share with the village council during the code update process,” Ripka said. “The memo covered the history of residential sprinklers in Winnetka, sprinkler facts, area trends, positive/negative implications, and the staff recommendation.”

“The community benefits because residential fire sprinklers are designed to save lives by controlling fires quickly and allowing occupants time to escape, while also reducing property damage by about 70 percent,” Ripka said. “Sprinklers will also reduce the risk to firefighters that have to enter burning structures.”

Zion Fire Chief Justin Stried said the members of Zion City Council believed their code update was in the best interest of the community. “After multiple discussions with our building department director, city administrator, and city council, it was agreed that amending or removing little from the codes was best for the safety of our residents and businesses,” Stried said. “It was understood that adding home fire sprinklers to new homes incurred minimal cost, but the safety and security benefits far outweigh the expense.”

Zion Fire & Rescue Department

Stried highlighted the valuable assistance from Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board, providing him and the council with data and key talking points about how home fire sprinklers save property and lives. Overall, Stried sees this successful effort as a net positive for the community of Zion.

Congratulations to fire, building, and elected officials in Elgin, Winnetka and Zion for recognizing the growing dangers of today’s home fires and choosing to proactively protect their residents and firefighters through these code updates!

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Lisa2025-08-26T00:41:41-05:00August 26th, 2025|Comments Off

Fire Sprinklers Control Strip Mall Fire

August 23, 2025
BUFFALO GROVE, IL – Fire sprinklers prevented a fire from spreading in a vacant unit in a strip mall. Fire crews arrived to find smoke coming from the rear of the unit and determined that fire sprinklers controlled the fire. Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire. No injuries were reported.

Source: LakeMcHenryScanner.com

Lisa2025-09-08T21:47:57-05:00August 23rd, 2025|Comments Off

St. Charles Expands Business Improvement Grant Program to Support Growth, Accessibility, and Fire Safety

The City of St. Charles has expanded its Business Improvement Grant (BIG) program to strengthen the local business environment, foster economic growth, and promote accessibility and fire safety improvements – including fire sprinklers and fire alarms.

Originally launched in 2013, the BIG program is a 50/50 cost-matching initiative designed to assist business owners with essential upgrades to their commercial spaces. In response to rising inflation and increasing construction costs, City Council recently approved program updates, raising the maximum grant amounts from $25,000 to $30,000. The updated program now offers up to $15,000 in matching funds for general building improvements and up to an additional $15,000 specifically for ADA accessibility upgrades.

“The BIG Program was developed in 2013 to attract and retain businesses in the area,” explained Economic Development Director Derek Conley. “Although the program has seen several successful years, rising inflation has significantly increased the cost of necessary upgrades. By adjusting to current economic conditions, the revised grant program continues to deliver impactful support to local businesses.”

Eligible businesses located within the downtown zoning districts can apply for grant reimbursements related to the installation or upgrade of fire sprinkler systems (including water service improvements), fire alarm systems, electrical upgrades, HVAC improvements, facade enhancements, accessibility upgrades, and installation of elevators or lifts.

“Installing or upgrading commercial fire sprinkler systems can be a significant upfront investment for business owners looking to move to a new space or expand their business,” stated Conley. “Through the BIG program, the city helps offset these costs and encourages safer, code-compliant improvements.”

Applicants must schedule a Building Assessment & Safety Evaluation (BASE) visit, where representatives from the Building & Code Enforcement Division and Fire Department inspect the site and provide recommendations to ensure fire and building code compliance.

Beyond individual projects, the BIG program helps preserve the historic and architectural character of St. Charles while supporting local entrepreneurship. By easing the financial burden of structural improvements, the program encourages investment in the downtown core and key commercial corridors, boosting the vitality and inclusiveness of the entire community.

In 2023 and 2024, the City of St. Charles awarded 12 grants totaling approximately $130,000. With the increased funding allocation—rising from $50,000 to $120,000 annually—the program is positioned to support even more businesses in the years ahead.

View more information about the BIG program at https://econdev.stcharlesil.gov/Incentive-Programs

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Lisa2025-08-22T13:53:04-05:00August 21st, 2025|Comments Off

Sprinkler Save “Trees” Promote Fire Sprinkler Successes in Pleasantview Fire Protection District and Libertyville

Pleasantview Fire Protection District Sprinkler Save Tree

All too often, fires that are successfully extinguished or controlled by fire sprinklers don’t make headlines. That’s why the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB) promotes Illinois fire sprinkler save stories to highlight the “prevented fires” that often go unnoticed by the general public.

But some fire departments have taken this one step further by creating Fire Sprinkler Save Trees—visual displays that feature the “hero” fire sprinklers that activated during fires, along with the stories behind each save. The Pleasantview Fire Protection District pioneered the idea nearly four decades ago, and now Libertyville Fire Department is building on that tradition with its own newly launched tree.

At Pleasantview FPD, the Sprinkler Save Tree, housed in the Fire Prevention Bureau’s offices at Station 1, stands as a unique and enduring symbol of fire protection done right. The idea began in 1984 when Pleasantview FPD’s Fire Prevention Bureau started collecting activated fire sprinklers as teaching tools. The tree was constructed in 1985 in partnership with Cybor Fire Protection, which provided piping and materials for the display.

Pleasantview FPD was the first district/department in the region to implement such a concept. In 2007, the department celebrated its 50th sprinkler save, a milestone

Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines visiting Pleasantview Fire Protection District’s display in 2010.

featured in NIFSAB’s newsletter. In 2010, U.S. Fire Administration Deputy Administrator Glenn Gaines visited the station to view the display in person. By 2019, the 65th sprinkler had been added.

Recently, Pleasantview FPD reached two new milestones with its 70th and 71st sprinkler saves, both at the Waste Management facility in Hodgkins. The 70th save involved a lithium-ion battery that ignited while on a conveyor line, triggering three sprinklers that contained the fire. The 71st save, which occurred in June 2025 at the same facility, marks a similar incident in which a single fire sprinkler extinguished a rubbish fire on a conveyor belt as firefighters arrived.

“Death by fire can be engineered out of buildings,” said Senior Fire Inspector / Fire Investigator Samuel Giordano, Jr. “These latest saves are reminders of how fast automatic fire sprinklers work. In many of these cases, businesses can reopen the same day. It makes a huge difference for the community.”

“Fire sprinkler systems save firefighters’ lives by controlling or extinguishing fires before they grow out of control, reducing the intensity of blazes and the risk of flashover—allowing firefighters to operate in safer conditions and with greater efficiency,” added Giordano.

Giordano describes the Pleasantview tree as the “pride and joy” of the Fire Prevention Bureau, and it’s proven to be a powerful public education tool that continues to inspire other fire departments—including Libertyville.

Libertyville Sprinkler Saves Tree

Libertyville Fire Department unveiled its own Fire Sprinkler Save Tree during its Fire Prevention Week open house in 2024. Designed as a portable display, the tree features a vertical riser with two arms, each holding two fire sprinklers: pendent ESFR fire sprinklers from a Medline Industries warehouse fire (August 2020), and upright fire sprinklers from a restaurant fire (Easter Sunday 2024). Photos of the buildings and summaries of each incident hang beneath the corresponding sprinklers, while general information about fire sprinklers is suspended in the center.

Following the open house, the tree is now on display in the fire prevention area of Libertyville Fire Department’s headquarters and can easily be transported to educational events.

“We were lucky. I didn’t even ask for the sprinklers—they were given to us,” said Libertyville Fire Marshal Mike Weaver. “At first, they were just office decorations. Then we had another save on Easter in 2024, and we reached out to NIFSAB for advice on how to highlight their successes. They showed us some examples, such as Pleasantview Fire Protection District’s sprinkler save tree, and our project took root.”

“We made a pretty crude sketch, and they provided the materials and labor to create something that looks good. Plus, I think what makes the tree so interesting is that you’re displaying the actual fire sprinklers that activated. It’s a little piece of local history,” added Weaver.

Libertyville plans to add two more saves soon—one from a single-family home garage fire (October 2024) and another from a manufacturing plant fire (December 2024).

“It’s a great way to show what fire sprinklers actually do—and what they save,” said Weaver. “It’s not just about the building and its contents. It’s about lives, jobs, businesses, tax revenue—so many things that are preserved when fire sprinklers do their job.”

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Pictured left to right are then-Fire Chef Dan Hermes, Glenn Gaines, then-Fire Marshal Dan Tholotowsky, and then-Illinois Fire Inspectors Association Executive Director George Michehl.

Lisa2025-08-21T12:21:02-05:00August 12th, 2025|Comments Off

You’re Invited: Free MEGA-WAREHOUSE Seminar

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

8:00 am – 3:00 pm (CST)

The Hemmens Cultural Center

45 Symphony Way

Elgin, IL

Join us for this FREE in-person seminar focused on one of the fire service’s most evolving challenges—responding to fires in mega-warehouse storage facilities. These expansive structures, some exceeding 4 million square feet, present unique operational and tactical considerations, particularly in areas with limited resources.

This seminar offers a rare opportunity to explore the complexities of firefighting in sprinklered, high-density facilities. Using real-world case studies—including the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s recent report on the fire in the 1.2 million square foot Walmart Distribution Center in Plainfield, Indiana, on March 15, 2022—we will examine lessons learned, best practices, and firsthand accounts from command staff who led the response and overcame a “Mayday” event within the structure.

REGISTER LINK: https://conta.cc/3UCY1DL

See flyer below.

RB3001-FLY-IN-Mega-Warehouse-Seminar-20250923_v7

Screenshot

Lisa2025-08-08T12:09:26-05:00August 8th, 2025|Comments Off

Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Apartment Fire

August 2, 2025
CRYSTAL LAKE, IL – A single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire in a unit on the first floor of a two-story multi-family apartment building. Fire crews arrived to an alarm. They located and extinguished the remainder of the fire. Damage was isolated to the room of origin. Fire crews safely rescued two cats from the unit where the fire occurred. The cats were not injured and reunited with their owners.

Sources: Tri-State Fire Alerts Facebook Post and lakemchenryscanner.com

Lisa2025-08-12T13:32:30-05:00August 2nd, 2025|Comments Off

Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Candle Fire at Public Housing Apartment

August 2, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Two saves in two days in Champaign! A single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire in a bedroom of a public housing apartment unit. The fire was caused by an unattended candle. A dog in the bedroom was not injured. Fire damage was confirmed to the one unit. No injuries were reported.

Source: Jeremy Mitchell, Deputy Fire Marshal, Champaign Fire Department

Lisa2025-08-12T13:18:06-05:00August 2nd, 2025|Comments Off

Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Fire at El Portal Restaurant

August 1, 2025
STREAMWOOD, IL – A single fire sprinkler extinguished a fire at the El Portal Restaurant. No injuries were reported.

Source: Tri-State Fire Alerts Facebook Post

Lisa2025-08-12T13:21:20-05:00August 1st, 2025|Comments Off

Fire Sprinkler Extinguishes Off-Campus Student Apartment Fire

July 31, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, IL – A single fire sprinkler extinguished a stovetop fire when the cleaning crew accidently left a plastic tray on the stovetop and turned on a burner. Damage was confined to the area around the stove in a single unit at the West Quad off-campus student apartment complex. No injuries were reported.

Source: Jeremy Mitchell, Deputy Fire Marshal, Champaign Fire Department

Lisa2025-08-12T13:12:56-05:00July 31st, 2025|Comments Off