Jim Roper says sprinklers can provide people with more time to escape in the event of a house fire

There are calls to include residential sprinklers in the National Building Code after a tragic house fire killed seven children last month.

The President of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia says there is a benefit to having sprinklers in houses.

Efforts are being made to include sprinklers in the National Building Code, which does not currently require heat activated sprinklers in single family dwellings.

Jim Roper is telling NEWS 95.7 sprinklers can provide people with more time to escape in the event of a house fire.

"So far it's proven that there is a benefit, and we have to look at the value when you install a sprinkler system as far as the fire protection system within the house, and it goes along with the smoke detectors, and the escape plan and the things like that," says Roper. "It becomes another tool, but a tool that can save lives as it's proven."

Roper says newly constructed homes burn more rapidly, making it imperative to have safety measures inside homes.

"With the type of construction today, and the type of materials found in homes, the fires burn much faster, and much hotter," says Roper. "So the sooner you can apply the suppression system, whatever it may be, to that fire it's going to reduce, number one, the damage to the building, but also is going to provide an ability for those persons inside to get out."

He adds it is imperative you get out as quickly as possible, and the sprinkler system would provide that extra bit of time to evacuate the premises.

Roper says last month's fire should serve as a wake up call to look into added safety measures inside homes.

Meantime, the HEART Society says Ebraheim Barho underwent his third skin grafting surgery, and has made small improvements in his condition.