May 16-22 is designated as Home Fire Sprinkler Week. This effort unites the fire service and safety advocates nationwide around the extreme risks of home fires and the need for home fire sprinkler protection. Modern lightweight home construction can rapidly fail in a fire. Statistics tell us that a home built in the 1960’s provided possibly as long as 15 minutes to escape a fire? Today that time is less than five minutes. The Delaware Fire Sprinkler Coalition works hard to provide information and address areas of expansion where protection could be vital. As we think about Home Fire Sprinkler Week we should ask: - Do local fire departments provide support of residential sprinklers? Isn’t it time? - Do local fire departments monitor the development of land use within their districts? Isn’t it time? - Are local fire departments familiar with statistics such as in Sussex County alone, fire departments responded to fires in 49 mercantile structures, 285 single dwellings and 54 multiple dwellings in 2020 alone? Isn’t it time? - Are local fire officials ready to stand toe to toe with opponents and provide proper information to combat the misinformation that is provided? Isn’t it time? - How many within the fire service community know that a residential sprinkler system can be installed for less than $2 per square foot and in many cases even less? Isn’t it time? The time has come to provide modern protection from the dangers of fire.