Reflecting the property protection philosophy that has driven the company for nearly two centuries, commercial property insurer FM has earned a Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest display of fire sprinklers.
A total of 1,007 sprinklers line the wall of the FM Research Campus lobby in West Glocester, Rhode Island, with models spanning from the 19th century to the present. The facility is about 20 miles northwest of FM’s headquarters in Johnston.
“You are officially amazing and the recipient of a brand-new Guinness World Records title,” said Guinness World Records Adjudicator Thomas Bradford, who counted every device in the display, keeping track on a handheld clicker counter. Bradford presented a framed certificate to Ron Hinthorn, manager of the FM Research Campus, following the confirmation.
FM says the display illustrates its commitment to protecting commercial and industrial property, from Industrial Revolution textile mills to digital age data centers.
Work Behind the Display
The record-setting display reflects serious work taking place inside the 1,600-acre FM Research Campus, which the company says also holds the record as the “world’s largest and most sophisticated” center for advancing the science of property loss prevention. The work includes simulated commercial property fires.
“Fire is the costliest and most dangerous risk to commercial property, and automatic sprinklers can be tremendously effective in mitigating it,” said Christopher Wieczorek, Ph.D., staff vice president, senior engineering technical specialist at FM.
Automatic sprinklers, activated by heat, remain one of the most effective technologies available for suppression of early stage fires. In 94% of the structure fires reported in the United States from 2017 to 2021 in which sprinkler systems were present, fire spread was confined to the object or room of origin, according to the National Fire Protection Association. That compares to only 70% in properties with no automatic extinguishing system.
FM’s legacy began with Zachariah Allen (1795-1882), the risk manager founder of the company that would become FM. Today, FM holds several patents on sprinkler technology.
Rhode Island State Fire Marshal Timothy McLaughlin attended the official award ceremony. “In my business, we’re big proponents of sprinklers. It’s part of our code,” he said.
Top Photo: Guinness World Records Adjudicator Thomas Bradford hands a framed certificate of a brand new Guinness category title to FM Research Campus Manager Ron Hinthorn.
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