When you hear the word fire protection system, you must be thinking about fire alarms and automatic sprinklers. But these are not the only components of a fire protection system.
Apart from fire detection and control, a fire protection system should also control smoke which can be dangerous if inhaled for long. An effective fire protection system will also alert the fire authorities and make it convenient for firefighters to take the right steps before things go out of control. Here is a list of components that a fire protection system should include:
Automatic Fire Sprinklers
Automatic fire sprinklers respond quickly to fire without any human intervention. However, they don’t really shower your indoor spaces completely upon smoke detection. They only respond to heat and focus on dousing the fire.
It might work out expensive to install an automatic sprinkler system. But the money is still worthwhile considering the kind of damage it can prevent, both to your property and to the people who matter to you.
In certain applications discharging of water might seem hazardous. In such cases, you can use other fire-extinguishing substances like halon, carbon dioxide and foam.
Standpipes
These components are part of the piping system that carries water to the hose connections. These connections make it easier for firefighters to control the fire. You can choose from manual wet, manual dry, automatic wet, automatic dry, and semi-automatic dry configurations as per your requirements.
While wet standpipes are filled with water permanently, dry standpipes are filled with pressurized air, letting in water only when it is absolutely necessary. You would need an FDNY pumper truck if your fire protection system relies on manual standpipes. The required flow can be automatically established if you have an automatic or semi-automatic system. The only difference is that a remote signal is needed to activate a semi-automatic system.
Fire Alarm Systems
These are necessary to detect the presence of fire in a building. Once detected, they produce audible as well as visual signals that make evacuation easier.
Smoke Control Systems
There are mechanical as well as passive smoke control systems that can detect smoke and restrict or control its movement. While mechanical systems make use of fans to control the movement of smoke, passive systems make use of smoke barriers to restrict its movement. It is very important to keep the staircases and elevator shafts clear if you are installing a smoke control system. This will minimize smoke accumulation and make it easier for the occupants to evacuate the building.
While some of these are mandatory components there are also others such as fire pumps, post-fire smoke purges, fire control centres, and Auxiliary Radio Communication System (ARCS) that improve the overall efficiency of a fire protection system.
You can find much such fire protection-associated equipment on ava ph el. Find out which of these components you would require to keep your property and people away from the dangers of fire. Consider the size of the building and the level of training that you can provide to the occupants before deciding on the right components.
