<P> Sprinklers are now commonly installed in other buildings including schools and residential premises . This is largely as a result of lobbying by the National Fire Sprinkler Network, the European Fire Sprinkler Network and the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association . </P> <P> Building regulations in Scotland and England require fire sprinkler systems to be installed in certain types of properties to ensure safety of occupants . </P> <P> In Scotland, all new schools are sprinkler protected, as are new care homes, sheltered housing and high rise flats . In England all high rise buildings over 30m must have sprinkler protection . In 2011 Wales became the first country in the world to make installation of fire sprinklers in new homes mandatory . The law will apply to newly built houses and blocks of flats, as well as care homes and university halls of residence . This law will be enforced from September 2013 . </P> <P> Sprinklers have been in use in the United States since 1874, and were used in factory applications where fires at the turn of the century were often catastrophic in terms of both human and property losses . In the US, sprinklers are today required in all new high rise and underground buildings generally 75 feet (23 m) above or below fire department access, where the ability of firefighters to provide adequate hose streams to fires is limited . </P>

Four main types of water sprinkler systems used for fire suppression