Bob,
I couldn't agree more with your comment that sprinklers in homes would be a better option.
The New Zealand Fire Service has been trying hard to lobby government here for years, to get home sprinklers installed in all new homes, there is a voluntary scheme here, but I don't think a lot of people have taken it up, I could be wrong though.
Here's the
NZFS page on our system.
There is a little video on that site that demonstrates the benefit of having a home sprinkler system.
