What are Fire Protection Systems
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Since we already know that being proactive in a fire situation works best for saving lives, fire protection systems envision the situations exactly. This technology not only helps in identifying potential signs of sparks but also prevents the outbreak of the fire.
Fire Protection Systems work in a three step process:
- Identify signs of fire (smoke and carbon monoxide)
- Alert the occupants of the building
- Facilitate the orderly evacuation of people
Each function that the system performs has an intricate process and flow.
Basic Components of a Fire Protection System
Identification: Building owners invest in Fire Protection System to reap its ability to identify fire quickly. Earlier, manual identification was the norm. Someone had to actually witness smoke or see orange flames engulfing objects and then break the glass to trigger the alarm. A pull station was the alternative that toggled the alarm upon pulling the lever. Needless to say, manual stations weren’t exactly effective as relying upon humans to save themselves from fire was a huge gamble.
Automatic Identifiers have been in existence for a long time, smoke, heat, flame and carbon monoxide detectors. However, the recent embellishments in the form of IOT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are exciting and actually justify the cost. These advanced systems detect even the slightest fire and send out an appropriate signal, so as to not waste time. Fire Protection Systems can have both manual and automatic triggers.
Notifications: The most basic form of notifying that fire alarms perform is emitting a siren. Others include an audio message that informs of a fire, advises the occupants to use stairs, and repeatedly preaches orderly evacuation to avoid a stampede. These feedbacks are usually loud so as to penetrate the remotest corners of the building and ensure the safety of all the occupants. Some systems also display pre-recorded instruction videos. The signs pasted across different locations, mostly near the stairs and elevators act as props to these notifications. Recent advancements in the notification section has been the transmission of signals to fire departments or any other emergency response service.
Apart from this, fire protection systems also house fire suppressing devices like, sensors, sprinklers and extinguishers.
Fire sensors
Multi-storey buildings have multiple fire alarm systems and a central system that integrates all the systems. The mass notification system is a popular addition to such a system which sends off common messages to all the phones, security and fire department. A shift in identification is seen with the installment of multiple sensors, in order to avoid false alarms. These sensors only trigger the alarm when multiple signs- smoke, heat and light are recognized.
Sprinklers
Fire suppression technologies are spearheaded by sprinklers installed at strategic points. Asbestos ceilings are quite common in buildings as they are not only cheap but also are resistant to fire.
Fire Extinguisher
It is intended for use to control small fires, often in emergency situations. There are four classes of fire extinguishers – A, B, C and D – and each class can put out a different type of fire. Multipurpose extinguishers can be used on different types of fires and will be labelled with more than one class, like A-B, B-C or A-B-C.
