The paper outlines how fire protection systems are applied to the buildings to enhance life safety and protection of these premises. It uses authentic company’s data and information such as Mircom Technologies, Secutron Technologies, and National Fire Protection Associations (NFPA) to support the analysis. It also uses scholarly articles to gather relevant information of fire protection systems (FPS) in buildings. The document evaluates the results of this data and information to determine if it is pertinent to this research. Furthermore, it discusses the various ways of installing fire protection system into smaller and larger buildings to boost life safety. Evidence gathered from the articles support these significant methods. With this, it proposes suitable ways on how to apply FPS in buildings to guarantee life security and the protection of properties. Consequently, it highlights relevant recommendations, which the building management should adopt to promote the prevalence of FPS for fire emergencies. It also specifies valuable suggestions that the fire department should offer to be installed in buildings to improve protection from fire.
Fire Protection System (FPS)
The prevalence of Fire Protection System (FPS) in the modern buildings is significant for the protection from fire. These systems have protected massive human lives in numerous organizations, especially in the event of fire accidents (Occupational Safety Health and Administration, 2015). Furthermore, the standardization of these essential systems in many developed nations has provided an assurance of life security, especially when a company faces disasters, such as fire, natural catastrophe, etc. As the result of this, the persons culpable for life protection and the safety of assets should be comprehensively equipped to avoid and address such tragedies. However, these individuals encounter a wide variety of risks, dangers, vulnerabilities that range from fire accidents, invasions, and natural calamities. For instance, various types of businesses, including large institutions and facilities, schools, medical firms and government institutions are victims of these emergencies (Mircom, 2016). Because of this, institutions should be highly prepared and fully set up with the FPS in the event of emergencies.
The FPS is a significant component of any building, and it supervises the surroundings for any sudden changes such as heat, smoke, or fire (OSHA, 2015). This critical system responds in a way that minimizes and eradicates the risk of emergencies, including fire. This research paper outlines how fire protection systems are applied to the buildings to enhance life safety and security of these buildings. It also highlights the effective ways of introducing safety on buildings, including large and small buildings.
Methodologies
The usage of authentic organization’s site was a primary method of acquiring data and information for this research paper. There were various companies’ websites that provided pertinent information on ways of installing protection systems on both large and small buildings. A crucial example is the Secutron Company that specifies several ways of installing FSS for the massive organization, for example, fire alarm monitoring appliances (Secutron, 2016). This significant site presents critical information on effective ways of setting up fire protection systems in business companies, therapeutic organizations, etc. With this useful website, I have found out that the company provides fire protection systems for various application services. For instance, it supplies fire safety systems for business security services and home security services (Secutron, 2016). The main component, which the firms supplies for enhancing safety in the event of fire emergency, are the smoke and heat detectors. Most predominantly, the utilization of both periodic and academic articles was essential for obtaining relevant information on FPS for the research. The other site suitable for getting data on fire safety appliances is Mircom Technologies, a standalone firm that provides several methods of infusing fire security systems on buildings. It specifies fire detection types, suitable smoke detectors, fire suppression tools, smoke and ventilation appliances relevant for this study (Mircom, 2016).
The utilization of scholarly articles that specifies on FPS of the building was another imperative means of gathering useful data. Several articles were suitable for obtaining information and data on fire protection systems. These articles provided important information on fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, and carbon monoxide notification systems relevant for this research (Frank, Gravestock, Spearpoint, & Fleischmann, 2013). They also recommend the effective methods of installing these appliances to facilitate life safety in buildings.
The use of random questionnaire was fundamental to gather data for this FPS research. The main interviewees for the analysis were both Mircom Technologies builders and Secutron Manufacturers (Secutron, 2016). They provided and clarified information on fire detection and alarm systems. For instance, Mircom Technologies builders recommend various fire protection systems, including fire alarm appliances, detectors, signaling tools and service devices for guaranteeing life safety in large and small buildings (Mircom, 2016). The same applies to Secutron technologies. As the result of this, both Mircom and Secutron technologies were the key interviewees for issuing suited information on how fire safety systems were installed on building for enhancing people’s life safety.
Results
According to a survey conducted by the NFPA (2015) in the USA, the total number of fire emergencies noted by the regional city fire department decreases significantly. The reduction in some fire accidents is roughly 29% (NFPA, 2015). The adoption of fire safety systems has facilitated this improvement. The analysis also indicates that approximately 84% of fire-related deaths happen in residential fires (NFPA, 2015). This saddening situation is influenced by the failure of residential houses to install fire protection appliances. Furthermore, in communities with a roughly minimum of 5,000 people, the rate of deaths from fire per 1,000 people is higher and the frequency of the commoner fire cessations is profoundly worse than in larger American communities (NFPA, 2015). This situation implies that communities with less members have not established fire safety appliances in their places of residence.
The NFPA audit on American communities specifies approximately 3,275 people died from fire (NFPA, 2015). This figure is a significant upsurge of 1.1% in comparison to the previous year, and the survey also suggests that around 84% of all fire-related demise happened in homes (NFPA, 2015). This figure was a reduction of ten deaths in comparison to the previous year. The NFPA study implies that fire emergencies cause a massive loss of lives annually. However, with the proper installation of fire protection appliances and using relevant methods of applying safety in buildings, many lives will be saved.
Discussion
Rate of Fire in the United States
How Fire Protection System are Installed or Applied into Buildings
The installation of fire sprinkler systems is a primary method for establishing FPS into buildings (Ye, Ma, Shen, & Lin, 2016). The fire sprinkler systems administer early fire management and provide the premises management with a suitable solution of fire extinguishment. If the building engineers properly design, install, and maintain these sprinkler appliances, they can assist in controlling and mitigating the fire accidents to both the staff and firefighters (Frank et al., 2013). Notably, the significance of the fire sprinkler systems has been illustrated for some years. For instance, the lack of these systems as well as inadequate implementations, or sprinkler breakage has been identified as the vital reasons for fire accidents. A crucial case example was the impairment in the sprinkler system of Georgia textile recycling industry, which led to the death of an employee and gave the firefighters challenges in controlling the fire (OSHA, 2015). This famous case demonstrates the significance of proper installation of fire sprinkler systems in buildings to manage fire and safety of these buildings in the event of emergencies.
Fire Sprinkler System
The building regulations, fire codes, life protection codes, and the building’s management determine the appropriate time to issue sprinkler systems (OSHA, 2015). These regulations are fire protections rules that the jurisdictions adopt with the local amendments to ensure legitimate application of sprinkler systems in buildings. Furthermore, the building owners should make sure that the sprinkler systems comply with the proper installation standards. This approach is essential for both dwellers and firefighters, even if the system installation is voluntary or mandatory in these buildings (Frank et al., 2013). For instance, the NFPA provides various standards for both business and residential sprinkler systems that influence the management of fire in the event of accidents (NFPA, 2015). The standards involve some critical compliances to the sections of the system, which can affect fire department. Importantly, the building management and fire department should ensure the engineers regularly inspect, test, and maintain fire sprinkler systems to obtain optimal benefits of these systems.
The sprinkler engineers and fire alarm designers should determine the right zoning of water sprinkler system in buildings during installation (Ye et al., 2016). With this, the fire alarm system should often contain an annunciator to specify the locale of fire to the fire service department. This system structure is necessary to provide the fire service with relevant information on the fire and its building locations. The plan of the sprinkler’s piping is also an important criterion that the engineer should look at when installing the systems. It will regulate how a particular fire alarm announcement can specify the water flow signal (OSHA, 2015). However, the larger buildings should have different sprinkler zone for each level of the floor to facilitate quick response in the event of fire accidents. This means that it will also guarantee the fire alarm annunciator to show the floor level, which will direct the firefighters to the appropriate floor (Frank et al., 2013).
The establishment of standpipe systems is another imperative way for installing FPS in buildings. The system involves a grid of piping supply water for standard firefighting in big or small buildings (OSHA, 2015). Similarly, these tubes can be used by the building occupants to control fire accidents before the arrival of the firefighters to the scene. The water is pumped into these systems via an automatic water supply connection (Frank et al., 2013). The system can acquire water through hosepipes connected to the fire department connection. Most importantly, the system piping distributes water to the fire hose connections (FHCs) of the entire construction, mostly in the confined stairs for the larger buildings (OSHA, 2015). If the engineers properly design, approve, and install standpipe systems, the construction management will rule out the need for additional fire hose stretches. Just like the installation of water sprinkler systems, the application of standpipe systems should comply with the municipal jurisdiction to legitimize organization’s interior firefighting activities.
Furthermore, this system encompasses hose packs such as a nozzle, adapters, valve shafts, piezometer, and related appliances to facilitate the connection with the FHCs (OSHA, 2015). This connection approach helps the buildings to address fire challenges, including the cases of vandalism of these systems. With this, standpipe systems are an essential component in the distribution of water to the central firefighting department. In addition, the merging of water sprinkler system and standpipe system installation in the building is a useful measure to provide fire protection in the event of fire dangers (Frank et al., 2013).
Standpipe Systems
The application of fire detection and communication system in buildings is an ideal approach to guarantee fire protection and life safety (OSHA, 2015). These systems provide several benefits to the building dwellers such as notifying the residents of detrimental conditions, for instance, smoke and heat (Mircom, 2016). This warning will propel the occupants to take safety measures, including relocating to a secure area or evacuating the premises. The systems also call for aid from the fire department agencies or staff responders to take the relevant action during emergencies (OSHA, 2015). Moreover, the fire detection and communication system manages auxiliary fire protection appliances to promote life safety (Dong, Wang, Yu, & Mei, 2016). With this, the engineers should configure these systems to track alarm-triggering appliances, including manual pull stations, automatic smoke detectors, and water sprinkler systems. These systems can also check the non-emergency supervisory building’s state, including wire integrity, low water tank levels, and fire pump conditions. They also involve control panel, triggering appliances, and detection tools that send a general signal to the entire building. Importantly, the systems should adhere to the fire safety standards of NFPA for the efficient installation and maintenance in the buildings (NFPA, 2015).
Fire Detection and Communication System
The application of smoke management and ventilation systems in buildings enhances fire protection and life safety. The systems manage the movement and behavior of exhaust during a fire outbreak (Fu, Peng, & Chen, 2014). The engineers can install these systems on the rooftop of the building to monitor the critical smoke levels and issue alert to the fire department. Crucial examples of these systems are smoke ventilation systems and stair pressurization appliances.
Smoke Control and Ventilation System
Conclusion and Recommendations
In conclusion, the installation of FPS is significant to the contemporary buildings as it enhances people’s life safety. The systems safeguard human lives and organization’s assets precisely in the cases of fire accidents. Moreover, the standardization of FPS strengthens the life security in the event of a catastrophe. However, organizational buildings and residential places face several risks and vulnerabilities such as fire emergencies, accidents, etc. Because of this, the building owners see the need of installing and applying various fire protection systems to promote safety in the building. Additionally, the setting up of fire sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire detection and communication system, and smoke ventilation systems are essential for controlling fire accidents. Furthermore, the building owner should ensure that the building complies with FPS design, fire regulations, and life safety codes to guarantee the safety of its dwellers. The building management also should coordinate with the systems engineers to establish the appropriate zoning of this FPS. Additionally, the management should ensure that the FPS are developed to meet the installation regulations. With this, the buildings occupants will have a quick response in the event of fire catastrophe, and fire department will control the extent of fire. Consequently, a significant number of lives will be saved, and organization’s assets will be secured.