Schools - for teaching or torching download leaflet

• Over 70% are caused by arson

• Losses last year were in excess of £200million

• 1:8 chance of your school catching fire this year

• 100 fires during summer holidays in NW England alone - with losses put at £97million

• These losses now represent a significant proportion of the annual education budget, which simply goes up in smoke.

• A school fire puts staff, pupils and firefighters at risk - so far we have been simply lucky there has been no loss of life - but for how much longer?

• A school fire puts the school out of action for a long time and totally disrupts pupil's education.

• A school fire destroys course work, which may be irreplaceable - especially coming up to GCSEs, possibly affecting pupil's long term prospects.

   The simple addition of a fire sprinkler system would prevent all of this.

Sprinklers cost in the region of 1-2% of building costs, which can often be recouped in as little as 4 years through Insurance discounts alone. Insurers will now give up to 70% discounts and remove the usual £100,000 excess. Sprinkler also allow design freedoms, which can make schools more useable and friendly. The FSA calls on everyone concerned with education to lobby Government to make fire sprinkler mandatory in all schools.

This call is now echoed by many other organisations, including the Arson Prevention Bureau, the Chief Fire Officers Association (COFSA), the Fire Prevention Association (FPA), the Local Government Association (LGA) and Zurich Municipal.