Increase in the number of daytime arson attacks sparks call for sprinkler in schools

12 June 2003

The Government is being warned that automatic sprinklers must be installed in new and refurbished schools if the soaring cost of school arson is to be cut and the growing number of daytime fires reduced.

Last year the total cost of school fires reached a record £96.6 million, more than double the figure just four years ago. The Arson Prevention Bureau has today published figures revealing a new and worrying trend - with one third of school fires now being started in the daytime. Fire Brigade figures suggest that in some metropolitan areas as many as fifty per cent of school fires are started during the day. This trend poses an increased risk of injury or loss of life as a result of school fires.

Zurich Municipal has now written to the Government, responding to the Building schools for the future consultation, urging it to make sprinklers compulsory in all new and refurbished schools. Following the Yarls Wood fire in early 2002, the Home Office made sprinklers compulsory in all new detention centres, but no such rule applies to schools.

Last week, Zurich Municipal urged an audience of local authority officials, councillors and education professionals at the Local Government Association (LGA) Education conference to pre-empt any official guidance and ensure that the current extensive building and refurbishment programme affecting the nation's schools is accompanied by a dramatic increase in the number of schools fitted with automatic sprinklers.

Larry Stokes, Underwriting Manager at Zurich Municipal and Chair of the Arson Prevention Bureau's Schools Working Group, said:

"A small fire can turn into a large fire in about five minutes so sprinklers are key to limiting the damage caused by fire which is as high as nearly two million pounds a week. The installation of school sprinklers will save money and could save lives. If sprinklers are not made compulsory in new developments, a unique opportunity could be lost."

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The Zurich Financial Services Group is an insurance-based financial services provider that focuses its activities on its key markets of North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has offices in approximately 60 countries and employs well over 70,000 people.