Fall River Fire Department partnership with National Fire Sprinkler Association to include Gabriel House room replica

A press conference was held Wednesday at Fire Department Headquarters on Commerce Drive to announce a new partnership between the Fall River Fire Department and the National Fire Sprinkler Association.

According to Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon, the partnership centers on a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts Fire Code and applicable NFPA standards that would require annual fire sprinkler inspections to include verification that no recalled sprinkler heads are present within protected systems.

As part of this initiative, NFSA will construct an exact replica of the room of origin at Gabriel House, along with a section of the adjacent hallway. In early July, the space will be fully furnished and subjected to a live burn demonstration with operational sprinkler protection in place. The following day, the room will be refurnished and burned again under identical conditions, this time without sprinkler protection.

Bacon states that these demonstrations will provide a powerful, side-by-side illustration of the critical role sprinkler systems play in fire control, life safety, and incident survivability, while also reinforcing the importance of ensuring recalled components are identified and replaced.

Additional details regarding the July demonstration schedule will be provided as they become available.