Quincy fire officials say a home sprinkler system can save your family's life

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) -

If a fire starts in your home, every second is critical in saving your family and house. That's why the Quincy Fire Department is recommending people install sprinkler systems.

QFD hosted a fire prevention event at the Quincy mallSaturday morning where they showed a real-life sprinkler demonstration.

Officials say with a sprinkler system, a fire can be contained in 24 seconds.

On the other hand, firefighters say it only takes two minutes for a home without sprinklers to be fully engulfed.

"The one that does not have a sprinkler system in it, we wanted to show everyone how quickly a fire can spread and how devastating it can be in such a short period of time," said Jerry Smith of the Quincy Fire Department.

Smith says there's a push in Illinois to require sprinkler systems in all new construction projects, but it hasn't passed yet.

Smith says a system could cost at least $10,000.

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Quincy fire officials say a home sprinkler system can save your family's life