Friday, January 5, 2007; Posted: 6:45 p.m. (CDT)

Oklahoma City -- New housing developments have been popping up in outlying areas.  The Oklahoma City Fire Department says those new communities usually don't have fire hydrants.  KSBI-TV looks into how the fire department has been partnering with developers to protect those communities from fire.

Willow Oaks, located in Northeast Oklahoma City, boasts one acre lots and quiet streets.  Sprinkler systems are among the latest amenities.

Developer Eddie Sisson is one of the first in Oklahoma City to install the fire safety measure in new homes.

Sisson says, "we live here, our kids and grand-kids live next door, so we feel safe and secure with that."

Willow Oaks is one-point-five miles from the closest fire hydrant. 

Deputy Chief Bryan Heirston, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department, says studies prove there's a 32 percent chance of a home being a total loss without a fire hydrant nearby.  There's a seven percent chance of the home being a total loss with a fire hydrant nearby. 

The chances of a fatality is also greater without a close fire hydrant.

Heirston says that's one reason the fire department began offering economic incentives to builders installing sprinkler systems.

"We began partnering with the development community to identify solutions so that folks who move out here without public water supply can have a safe environment for their home," says Heirston.

Newer sprinkler aren't as visible as the traditional, older model.  They blend in with the rest of the home.

Builders spend around four thousand dollars to install the system, which is figured into the cost of the home.  Sisson says you save money in the long run.  He says insurance companies tend to give lower rates to homeowners with sprinkler systems.

"Over time you'll get your insurance back.  If you have a fire, you're going to more than get it back, so it's a win win situation," says Sisson.

Newer versions are heat sensitive, meaning a sprinkler will only ignite where the fire is located.  Sprinkler systems extinguish 90 percent of fires before the fire department arrives.