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Permalink Reply by Chris Hayden on March 29, 2009 at 2:41pm

I think you are overreacting, it was meant to be a funny commercial. There are countless ads, movies, etc. that show things (even ones related to the fire service) that are not meant to be taken seriously. I really don't see how this ad puts anyone in danger.

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Permalink Reply by FETC on March 29, 2009 at 4:13pm

Not all sprinklers go off when there is heat. Some deluge sprinkler heads are open all the time. We have pre-action monitoring systems that are monitoring smoke, heat, flame, etc. and can trigger an alarm that can activate the sprinkler/suppression systems when there is not an actual fire.

Are you going to request all the movies that show inaccurate sprinkler activations be removed from the rotation? Yes it is not reality but it sells in the media market.

You must have a hard time watching Backdraft and Ladder 49 as well....

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on March 29, 2009 at 6:49pm

There seem to be a few people around that regard the inaccurate portrayal of sprinklers as a non-issue. It's 'only an ad'. I can understand the way they think. But take the concept a little further. Are there not moves underway in the USA to try and have all new domestic properties protected by sprinklers? What will the general public say about that idea when they see ads showing sprinklers going off because of a little smoke? What, burn the toast and have your home and furniture ruined by flooding water? Will they know that the ad is inaccurate, or will they simply remember seeing sprinklers behave in this way? How hard will it be to convince people that sprinklers are good to have when there's already a bad image in their brain about the things? Have I taken this to extremes? Yes, but it's a thought.

Would I complain to the company putting the ad out? Probably not. My way of reacting to bad ads is to boycot the product. The company concerned will never know about it, but they would be unlikely to care about my opinion anyway. I can't see an airline dropping an ad (as described) because of complaints about this issue, they've paid for the ad, it isn't promoting dangerous behaviour, they won't care.

I don't like ads. Whether they are accurate or not. As for movies like Backdraft - forget it, not interested at all.

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Permalink Reply by Scott on March 29, 2009 at 8:04pm

Anytime fire prevention/protection efforts are lampooned we all loose. I have been in front of politicians advocating residential sprinklers and the majority are against it because of the water damage issue. I asked them to tell me what then knew about fire sprinklers and they to a person gave the description of something like the Southwest Ad.
How is it an over reaction on our part?
Here I have a group of who I know to be very educated people (several Lawyers, MD's and a collage professor) and every thing they knew about sprinklers was from Hollywood. They had no clue that the TV they see was not even close to being accurate.
I have seen people get upset because the PD could not solve their crime in less than an hour because those cops on TV do it all the time.
This is only getting worse. Go talk to a group of High School Seniors or Collage students and ask them about Smoke alarms, sprinklers and fire safety in general. I know you will be amazed at the lack of basic understanding of not only fire but science in general.
We are in for some real problems in the coming years with the lack of safety education in higher grades and adults.
There is a study out that says like 85% of 18-28 year olds get their "news" from the John Stewart Show. Where do you think they get "educated" about Fire Safety, Sprinklers and Smoke alarms?
Hummmmm...... TV maybe?

We will never see 100% accuracy from Hollywood, it would be silly to think we could, but we could make an effort to correct the really bad offenders and the Southwest Ad is one of the worst I have seen recently.
I even had a home builder lecture me about how bad and "dangerous" home sprinklers are when I went with my wife to a home show when we were building. He had no idea I was a firefighter. My wife rolled her eyes and said here we go. We a half hour later and I'm sure more than me as lost business he was admitting to lying about the sprinklers.

This is serious stuff people. I say its well worth a call or email or two. I would hope the National Fire Sprinkler Assoc as well as IAFC, IAFF and NVFC are talking to SW as well.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Owens on March 29, 2009 at 8:28pm

has anyone see aonther commercial that has a clip of a firefighter riding on the side of a fairly modern ladder truck, it seems to be an actual clip, not staged. God help us if this is something real they filmed. I find it hard to believe that today, a firefighter would do this and that an officer or driver would allow it. Oh yes, and he didnt have his helmet on!

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on March 29, 2009 at 10:13pm

DT - you're an even greater cynic than I am! But then, I'm what would have to be called a gullible cynic... Well look at that, I just invented a new oxymoron!

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Permalink Reply by John Metallo on March 30, 2009 at 8:18am

Scott:

THANK YOU!!! From all of the responses I was getting, I thought I was losing my mind. But you have hit the nail on the head!! Most people only understand what they see on TV. Thank you again!

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