Shutgun to the Rescue at early morning sprinkler mishap.

There was no rest for Shutgun early in the new year, as it was on the scene of a sprinkler head-related accident on the morning of January 9th at a hotel and country club in Collingwood, Ontario.

Firefighters on scene used Shutgun to plug the activated sprinkler head (which unconfirmed sources believe was the result of a frozen pipe, which upon thawing, activated the sprinkler head.)

The firefighter who snapped this photo said Shutgun saved significant water damage to the site.

“In many municipalities, the building manager is not allowed to shut off the building’s main water supply until the fire department has arrived, but the fire dept can shut off the activated sprinkler head,” said Greg Patterson, President of Shutgun, who engineered the product along with retired Toronto District Fire Chief, Eli Scardaoni. “Those minutes are crucial in terms of damage inflicted.”

Patterson adds that the residual cost of damage from an accidental activation of a fire sprinkler head is estimated at up to $1,000 for every minute water is left flowing and suggests one shutgunfor every fire box, on every floor.

Shutgun saves Christmas

T'was the night before Christmas and the sled was all packed,
Shutgun was sitting just inside Santa's sack


But the big guy couldn't climb down the chimney with ease,
On his way he'd bump mantles and stockings and trees!

When all of a sudden there arose such a clatter,
Santa spun around to see what was the matter.

You see, it seemed, that while scratching his head,
Santa knocked over a ladder, and broke the sprinkler head!

The living room was covered with sopping wet crud,
if this water didn't stop soon it would be a Christmas flood!

But with a gleam in his eye he had nothing to dread,
he had Shutgun on hand to plug the sprinkler head.

So by placing the jaws inside the tiny vent
and giving the handle a squeeze, off the water went!

And Santa knew that if a fire should be kindled,
the UL link would release the sprinkler until the fire dwindled

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,


Have a Safe and Dry Christmas - Shutgun saved the Night!....


Ho Ho Ho!

November issue: Canadian Lodging News

Read our full Product Feature in Lodging News (pg. 20). Excerpts below:

In an effort to save on insurance premiums, an increasing number of hotel properties are hiking deductibles to save cash.  While the property owners save dollars month to month, they are assuming more responsibility for every minor incident or repair.

Experts point out that in cases of water damage and sprinkler-related accidents, the resulting expenses could spiral out of control and owners are best to prepare for these ‘minor’ cases ahead of time, or risk being on the hook for thousands of dollars in damages.

... Russell Poste, Senior Advisor with Howard Noble insurance, “While these incidents are rare, the residual damage to the building and the insurance implications should not be overlooked or underestimated.”

Gregory Orndorff is with A-1 Flood Tech and has witnessed firsthand the harmful effects of water damage. 

“If the building owner is assuming more responsibility in order to not put a claim on their insurance, then stopping the flow of water becomes crucial if it means you are on the hook for every $5,000, $15,000 or even a $35,000 occurrence.”

...

Hotel owners know all too well that accidental fire sprinkler activations come with the territory – whether it’s a rowdy guest hitting or damaging the sprinkler head or a bride using it as a garment hanger, the result is a torrent of dirty water flowing from a pipe at rates exceeding 25 gallons per minute. 

...

“In many municipalities, the building manager is not allowed to shut off the building’s main water supply until the fire department has arrived, but they can shut off the activated sprinkler head,” said Greg Patterson, President of Shutgun, who engineered the product along with a retired Toronto District Fire Chief. “These minutes are crucial in terms of damage inflicted, which puts more onus on staff, maintenance and service people on the scene.”

...

Russell Poste, brings up another concern in situations where guests are displaced.

“The hotel’s insurance may be able to cover the damages and clean up, but that does not account for any displaced guests or their potential lost business as a result of the incident.”

For full article click here

Case Study: Tulalip Resort & Casino

The following are exerpts from an interview with Samueal Askew, General Manager, Tulalip Resort & Casino Tulalip, WA.

How Shutgun Saved a Housekeeping Sprinkler Blunder

How did you hear about Shutgun?  I was introduced to Shutgun at the IHMRS Show in NYC in 2012.  I was really impressed by the product itself,  the presentation of the materials, and the service.  My purchase was made then.

How many Shutguns have you purchased? 24 units total.

What was the decision behind your purchase?  The quality of the Shutgun is extremely high -Well made.  It’s also easy to use and requires little to no training to respond to an emergency.  But the greatest decision point was the fact that it contained a fusible link so that if it is used in an emergency, the sprinkler system will in turn still function if there is another incident.

How have you found the Shutgun useful to date? Absolutely!  We had new housekeeping associate dusting in and around the laundry room and broke a sprinkler head.  The Shutgun was quickly at hand and saved us from many many hours of cleanup, work, and of course limited damage to the facility.

What was the best feature for you in using Shutgun?  Aside from the Fusible Link, the fact that ANYONE can use it at ANY TIME means that our team members can respond to a situation at a moments notice.  The local fire depart loves them and are placing orders too!

College Sprinkler Flood Accidents

Enjoy ourBack to School collection of College Dorm Room sprinkler head mishap videos at #ShouldaHadaShutgun Top three college dorm sprinkler accident culprits: 

1. Soccer balls;
2. Frisbees;
3. Clothes lines/hangers

First Ontario Home Project to include sprinkler systems

 MacKenzie Ridge Terraces, in Vaughan Ontario, is the first production home project in Ontario to include sprinklers as a standard feature, which fire departments and insurance companies have been advocating for years.

They will equip 136 executive townhomes and six semi-detached homes, with a fire-suppressant sprinkler system in each room plus a heat detection system installed in each garage and wired into the home’s smoke detector alarm system.

In addition, Co-operators Insurance has offered purchasers at Mackenzie Ridge a 10 per cent minimum reduction in insurance premiums because of the sprinkler system. Fire alarms and other fire safety features has opened the home insurance company to consider further premium discounts.

"This advocates what we have been encouraging for years," said Greg Patterson, "Which is to give incentives for building owners and residents who add fire safety measures and equipment to their fire safety plans."

John Caruso, Vaughan’s fire prevention officer, said 15 per cent of house fires in Vaughan last year started in the garage.

Click here to read Toronto Star article.

Shutgun’s New York College Campus Giveaway

On the heels of the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act signed by governor Cuomo on July 25, Shutgun is issuing a Sprinkler Awareness Challenge to all New York College Campuses to enhance awareness among students and staff on proper sprinkler use and safety.

“This bill has heightened awareness around fire safety on college campuses,” said Greg Patterson, engineer and President of Shutgun. “We are challenging campus operators to take this bill one step further with our sprinkler awareness challenge."

Shutgun’s Sprinkler Awareness Challenge will offer a free Shutgun tool, along with demonstration videos and fire sprinkler FAQ document to every college campus in New York State. Managers can enter here to receive their free kit by mail. If interest persists, Shutgun will consider extending this offer to other Canadian and U.S. regions.

There are over 300 college campuses in New York State, most equipped with sprinkler systems. “Now that students are living with these devices, they should be made aware of how to treat them and the proper procedures around sprinkler safety,” said Patterson.  “We also want the staff to have the right tools in their kit in case a sprinkler emergency does occur.”

Though accidental fire sprinkler activations are rare, there are several well documented reports of sprinkler floods in college dorms.  The results range from thousands of dollars in water damage to hundreds of displaced students with disrupted schedules.

The Top examples of accidental sprinkler head activation in college dorms as;  Hanging Clothes (and other items) from the sprinkler head; Soccer balls; and Frisbees!

View a list of top college dorm sprinkler flood videos on twitter at #Shouldahadashutgun.