Dynamic Requirements. Smart Solutions

Fire safety is the set of practices intended to reduce the destruction caused by fire. Fire safety measures include those that are intended to prevent ignition of an uncontrolled fire, and those that are used to limit the development and effects of a fire after it starts.^[1] Fire safety measures include those that are planned during the construction of a building or implemented in structures that are already standing, and those that are taught to occupants of the building.

Threats to fire safety are commonly referred to as fire hazards. A fire hazard may include a situation that increases the likelihood of a fire or may impede escape in the event a fire occurs.

Fire safety is often a component of building safety. Those who inspect buildings for violations of the Fire Code and go into schools to educate children on Fire Safety topics are fire department members known as Fire Prevention Officers. The Chief Fire Prevention Officer or Chief of Fire Prevention will normally train newcomers to the Fire Prevention Division and may also conduct inspections or make presentations.

COMMON FIRE HAZARDS

• Kitchen fires from unattended cooking, grease fires/chip pan fires
• Electrical systems that are overloaded, poorly maintained or defective
• Combustible storage areas with insufficient protection
• Combustibles near equipment that generates heat, flame, or sparks
• Candles and other open flames
• Smoking (Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, lighters, etc.)
• Equipment that generates heat and utilizes combustible materials
• Flammable liquids and aerosols
• Flammable solvents (and rags soaked with solvent) placed in enclosed trash cans
• Fireplace chimneys not properly or regularly cleaned
• Cooking appliances – stoves, ovens
• Heating appliances – fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, furnaces, boilers, portable heaters, solid fuels
• Household appliances – clothes dryers, curling irons, hair dryers, refrigerators, freezers, boilers
• Chimneys that concentrate creosote
• Electrical wiring in poor condition
• Leaking/ defective batteries
• Personal ignition sources – matches, lighters
• Electronic and electrical equipment
• Exterior cooking equipment – barbecue

LIST OF SOME TYPICAL FIRE AND EXPLOSION ISSUES IN A FIRE CODE

• Fireworks, explosives, mortars and cannons, model rockets (licenses for manufacture, storage, transportation, sale, use)
• Certification for servicing, placement, and inspecting fire extinguishing equipment
• General storage and handling of flammable liquids, solids, gases (tanks, personnel training, markings, equipment)
• Limitations on locations and quantities of flammables (e.g., 10 liters of gasoline inside a residential dwelling)
• Specific uses and specific flammables (e.g., dry cleaning, gasoline distribution, explosive dusts, pesticides, space heaters, plastics manufacturing)
• Permits and limitations in various building occupancies (assembly hall, hospital, school, theater, elderly care, child care, prs) that require a smoke detector, sprinkler system, fire extinguisher, or other specific equipment or procedures
• Removal of interior and exterior obstructions to emergency exits or firefighters and removal of hazardous materials
• Permits and limitations in special outdoor applications (tents, asphalt kettles, bonfires, etc.)
• Other hazards (flammable decorations, welding, smoking, bulk matches, tire yards)
• Electrical safety codes such as the National Electrical Code (by the National Fire Protection Association) for the U.S. and some other places in the Americas
• Fuel gas code
• Car fire

FIRE SAFETY PLAN STRUCTURE

• Key contact information
• Utility services (Including shut-off valves for water, gas and electric)
• Access issues
• Dangerous stored materials
• Location of people with special needs
• Connections to sprinkler system
• Layout, drawing, and site plan of building
• Maintenance schedules for life safety systems
• Personnel training and fire drill procedure
• Create assemble point/safe zone

FIRE PROTECTION

Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It involves the study of the behavior, compartmentalization, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of mitigating systems. In structures, be they land-based, offshore or even ships, the owners and operators are responsible to maintain their facilities in accordance with a design-basis that is rooted in laws, including the local building code and fire code, which are enforced by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Buildings must be constructed in accordance with the version of the building code that is in effect when an application for a building permit is made. Building inspectors check on compliance of a building under construction with the building code. Once construction is complete, a building must be maintained in accordance with the current fire code, which is enforced by the fire prevention officers of a local fire department. In the event of fire emergencies, Firefighters, fire investigators, and other fire prevention personnel are called to mitigate, investigate and learn from the damage of a fire. Lessons learned from fires are applied to the authoring of both building codes and fire codes.

When deciding on what fire protection is appropriate for any given situation, it is important to assess the types of fire hazard that may be faced.

CLASSIFYING FIRES

Some jurisdictions operate systems of classifying fires using code letters. Whilst these may agree on some classifications, they also vary. Below is a table showing the standard operated in Europe and Australia against the system used in the United States.

Type of Fire	Australia	European	North America
Fires that involve flammable solids such as wood, cloth, rubber, paper, and some types of plastics.	Class A	Class A	Class A
Fires that involve flammable liquids or liquefiable solids such as petrol/gasoline, oil, paint, some waxes & plastics, but not cooking fats or oils	Class B	Class B	Class B
Fires that involve flammable gases, such as natural gas, hydrogen, propane, butane	Class C	Class C
Fires that involve combustible metals, such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium	Class D	Class D	Class D
Fires that involve any of the materials found in Class A and B fires, but with the introduction of an electrical appliances, wiring, or other electrically energized objects in the vicinity of the fire, with a resultant electrical shock risk if a conductive agent is used to control the fire.	Class E1	(Class E) now no longer in the European standards	Class C
Fires involving cooking fats and oils. The high temperature of the oils when on fire far exceeds that of other flammable liquids, making normal extinguishing agents ineffective.	Class F	Class F	Class K

Fire protection in land-based buildings, offshore construction or onboard ships is typically achieved via all of the following:

• Passive fire protection – the installation of firewalls and fire rated floor assemblies to form fire compartments intended to limit the spread of fire, high temperatures, and smoke.
• Active fire protection – manual and automatic detection and suppression of fires, such as fire sprinkler systems and (fire alarm) systems.
• Education – the provision of information regarding passive and active fire protection systems to building owners, operators, occupants, and emergency personnel so that they have a working understanding of the intent of these systems and how they perform in the fire safety plan.

PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION

• Compartmentalization
• Firestop
• Intumescent
• Endothermic
• Firestop pillow
• Fire door
• Fireproofing
• Fire-resistance rating

ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION

• External water spray system
• Fire Sprinkler
• Fire alarm
• Fire alarm system
• Fire alarm control panel
• Fire detection
• Manual call point
• False alarm
• Sprinkler Systems
• Smoke Alarm

FIRE FIGHTING

Firefighting is the act of attempting to prevent the spread of and extinguish significant unwanted fires in buildings, vehicles, woodlands, etc. A firefighter suppresses fires to protect lives, property and the environment.

Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural firefighting and wildland firefighting. Specialized training includes aircraft firefighting, shipboard firefighting, aerial firefighting, maritime firefighting, and proximity firefighting.

One of the major hazards associated with firefighting operations is the toxic environment created by combustible materials. The four major risks are smoke, oxygen deficiency, elevated temperatures, and poisonous atmospheres. Additional hazards include falls and structural collapse that can exacerbate the problems encountered in a toxic environment. To combat some of these risks, firefighters carry self-contained breathing equipment.

The first step in a firefighting operation is reconnaissance to search for the origin of the fire and to identify the specific risks.

Fires can be extinguished by water, fuel or oxidant removal, or chemical flame inhibition.

FIREFIGHTERS GOALS

A firefighter’s goals are to save lives, property, and the environment. A fire can rapidly spread and endanger many lives, but with modern firefighting techniques, catastrophe can often be avoided. To prevent fires from starting, a firefighter’s duties may include public education about fire safety and conducting fire inspections of locations to verify their adherence to local fire codes.

FIREFIGHTER SKILLS

A firefighter’s goals are to save lives, property, and the environment. A fire can rapidly spread and endanger many lives, but with modern firefighting techniques, catastrophe can often be avoided. To prevent fires from starting, a firefighter’s duties may include public education about fire safety and conducting fire inspections of locations to verify their adherence to local fire codes.

Firefighting requires skills in fire suppression, rescue, and hazardous materials mitigation. Firefighters must also have, or be able to acquire, knowledge of department organizations, operations, and procedures, and the district or city street system they will have to negotiate in order to perform their duties.

They must meet minimum physical fitness standards and learn various firefighting duties within a reasonable period

Examples are:

• Building construction
• Fire dynamics
• Firefighting PPE
• Fire extinguishers
• Ropes and knots
• Ground ladders
• Forcible entry
• Structural search and rescue
• Tactical ventilation
• Fire hose operations and streams
• Fire suppression
• Overhaul, property conservation, and scene preservation
• Building materials, structural collapse, and effects of fire suppression
• Technical rescue support and vehicle extrication operations
• Foam fire fighting, liquid fires, and gas fires
• Hazardous materials response