Fire Protection Systems

Chapter 6

Fire Protection Systems

• Most of the time you will work with an electrical engineer or fire-protection designer to coordinate fire protection systems with the rest of the design.

• Detection Systems• Alarm Systems• Extinguishing Systems

Fire Detection

• Smoke Detectors– Reference NFPA 72 for

location requirements• Heat Detectors

– Often used in combination with smoke detectors

• Manual Fire Alarms– Typically should be within a

travel distance of 200 feet – Must meet accessibility

requirements

Alarm Systems

• Visual & Audible Alarm Systems– Refer to standard NFPA 72– Must meet accessibility requirements

• Voice Communication Systems– Factories, hospitals & assisted living, large storage facilities, high-

rise buildings, plus other Assembly and Hazardous occupancies• Accessible Warning Systems

– Additional systems to the required visual & audible systems• Tactile systems (vibrations), etc.

• Emergency Alarm Systems– For emergencies other than fires– Computer controlled or manual and includes a voice

communication system

Extinguishing Systems

• Fire Extinguishers– Refer to fire codes, LSC, and NFPA

10– Must meet ADA guidelines

Extinguishing Systems

• Standpipes & Fire Hoses: refer to codes & NFPA 14– Classes:

• Class I: Designed for fire departments to use – pipes with outlets for fire department hoses to hook up to

• Class II: Designed for occupants to use – hoses are attached – for buildings with no sprinkler system

• Class III: Combination of Class I and Class II

– Types:• Automatic wet system: water supply within piping system• Automatic dry system: filled with pressured air & has a hose valve• Manual wet system: doesn’t have water in pipes, but connects to water

supply that can be pumped into pipes by fire dept.• Manual dry system: no water within the pipes or in an attached supply –

must be pumped in from fire dept.• Semiautomatic dry system: – similar to automatic dry system, but requires

a remote control to activate valve system for water

Extinguishing Systems

• Sprinkler Systems: refer to building codes, fire codes, LSC and NFPA 13– Respond to heat– Types of sprinkler systems:

• Wet pipe system: most common. Pipes are filled with water all of the time

• Dry pipe system: used in unheated building types – filled with pressurized air or nitrogen that when released, fills pipes with water

• Deluge system: used in hazardous situations – activated by a separate detection system - open head water system to discharge large quantities of water for sever fires

• Preaction system: combination of wet and dry systems to allow delayed reaction & warning signals. Activated by detection system and allows for delayed reaction for system to be turned off if not needed– For areas where property is susceptible to water damage (museums)

Extinguishing Systems

• Sprinkler Systems, continued…– Types of sprinkler heads

• Standard spray head: most common type, can be used as an upright, pendant, sidewall, recessed or concealed. Each head covers approximately 225 square feet.

• Fast-response: activated by low level of heat• Residential: used to minimize heat buildup and production of carbon

monoxide while occupants are exiting (NFPA 13D, NFPA 13R, and NFPA 13 systems)

• Quick response: upright, pendant, or sidewall• Extended coverage: can cover up to 400 sq. ft., can be upright, pendant or

sidewall.• Large-drop: deliver water in large droplets for hard-to-suppress fires• Open: used in deluge systems – heads remain open and once turned on,

release large amounts of water for sever fires• Specialty: tamper-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and decorative.

Extinguishing Systems

• Alternative Extinguishing Systems– Non-water-based

fire extinguishing• Wet-chemical• Dry-chemical• foam• Carbon dioxide• Clean-agent