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By: Wayne D. Moore, P.E., FSFPE,
Published by: Fire Protection Engineering Magazine:
In fire situations, it is not unusual for occupants to delay notifying the fire department while they attempt to fight the fire. Over the years, this has happened far too often. And, every time this kind of incident occurs, it reinforces the real impact that time has on the successful management of a fire.
On many occasions, trained occupants have used portable fire extinguishers to keep small fires from becoming large fires. But, to use portable extinguishers properly, individuals must receive proper training. This training should emphasize that the occupants must sound the alarm and notify the fire department before they attempt to fight a fire.
However, even with the proper training, it is still possible that someone will first reach for a portable fire extinguisher and forget to sound an alarm or forget to notify the fire department before trying to extinguish the fire. Another possible scenario is that someone inadvertently blocks access to the portable fire extinguisher. Similarly, a trained individual may attempt to use a fire extinguisher that isn’t pressurized or is missing.
Fortunately, building owners can employ modern technology to bridge the gap between what they expect to happen when someone discovers a fire and what actually happens. Active monitoring systems are available for portable fire extinguishers. This new extinguisher monitoring system connects to the building fire alarm system or to any other centralized monitoring equipment. Whenever someone lifts a portable fire extinguisher, the interface module will initiate either a fire alarm signal or a supervisory signal on the fire alarm system. The type of signal will depend upon the building fire plan that the owner has developed and on the requirements of the authority having jurisdiction.
If someone blocks access to a portable fire extinguisher, the interface module can detect the blockage and, after a suitable and selectable time delay, initiate a supervisory signal on the building fire alarm system. This will notify management of the facility that something has blocked access to an extinguisher.
In addition, the extinguisher monitoring system will monitor the stored pressure inside the portable fire extinguisher and initiate a supervisory signal on the building fire alarm system to notify maintenance personnel that the extinguisher needs service.
The basic system and its interface module monitor the pressure gauge signals and contain the obstruction detection technology. The interface module with the specially enabled extinguisher allows a portable fire extinguisher to become a fully supervised component of a monitored fire alarm system. The system is listed and meets the requirements of NFPA 101 and NFPA 72.2 Its use also eliminates 11 of the monthly visual inspections required by NFPA 10.
The extinguisher monitoring system offers many benefits. But just the benefit of interfacing with the building fire alarm system to monitor the portable fire extinguisher can improve the overall effectiveness of the fire protection for a building.
This aspect of the integration allows the occupants to receive training so they will understand that they can have confidence that, when they lift the extinguisher off of the holder to attempt fire suppression and control, others will receive immediate notification of the situation. They will also be assured that the extinguisher is charged and ready to use.
The point behind the value of the extinguisher monitoring system rests with an understanding of the critical importance of time to truly effective fire protection. The common thread to every successful or unsuccessful outcome of a fire suppression effort relates to time. Time represents the yardstick of fire suppression.3
The times associated with a fire scenario include detection time, occupant response time, escape time, fire department response time, fire suppression set-up time and suppression time. A typical fire safety goal is to reduce all response-related times and increase the amount of time for escape. Where response times are reduced, the outcomes are more likely to be favorable, whether in terms of loss of life or reduction of the property loss.
In many new buildings constructed over the last 10 to 15 years, there will be an automatic fire sprinkler system monitored by a fire alarm system, which is connected to an off-site monitoring station. There may also be fire extinguishing or suppression systems that protect hazards unique to the occupancy of the building. In addition, portable fire extinguishers may be used to enable occupants to take action prior to the fire becoming large enough to operate one of the fixed fire protection systems.
Portable fire extinguishers can play an important part in allowing the occupants of a building to control or extinguish a fire. However, occupants can also misjudge the ability of a portable fire extinguisher to extinguish a fire. This, in turn, can introduce a delay in notifying the fire department and affect the response time.
When a person sees a fire, he or she may either choose to evacuate or choose to fight the fire.4 The ideal response for a person who discovers a relatively small fire and decides to fight that fire is to sound the alarm and grab a readily available portable fire extinguisher and attempt to extinguish the fire, or at least try to contain the fire for a short period of time. It is imperative to ensure that the extinguisher is operational and accessible.
Sadly, in some instances, people who have not received proper training will attempt to fight a fire with an extinguisher. Even worse, a trained person may “forget” the training when faced with the crisis of a real fire. In both cases, the individual will begin to fight the fire but fail to operate a manual fire alarm box to allow the fire alarm system to notify the other building occupants and the fire department.
When a person chooses to fight the fire before notifying the other building occupants and the fire department, he or she not only delays notification to the occupants and the fire department, he or she increases the danger to the other occupants of the building and delays the response of the fire department. If his or her efforts to fight the fire fail, emergency responders will not immediately respond to the fire because they have not received proper notification.
Using the extinguisher monitoring system allows system designers to integrate the use of portable fire extinguishers as part of the alarm notification process. This will reduce the response time of the fire department and reduce the “detection” time.
In addition to using this technology to reduce response time and increase escape time, the extinguisher monitoring system provides active monitoring of the extinguisher. This ensures that the portable fire extinguisher remains present and accessible, as well as properly charged and ready for use.
The gauge portion of the extinguisher monitoring system provides an active pressure gauge. This pressure gauge offers a visual pressure status, an electronic output for signaling when someone removes a fire extinguisher from its designated location, and an electronic output to signal when the fire extinguisher pressure falls below a safe operating level. The gauge’s pressure monitoring circuitry utilizes a magnet on the underside of the indicating pointer that trips a switch as the internal pressure falls. The gauge’s electronic signal actuates circuitry within the accompanying interface module. The interface module in turn provides an output for direct interface with most types of fire alarm systems.
The interface module also provides the base for the obstruction detection technology. The obstruction detection circuit senses when something continuously blocks access to the fire extinguisher. The interface module also manages the power circuitry and provides a trouble signal when the input power falls below a safe operating level.
http://fpemag.com/articles/article.asp?i=441
Wayne Moore is with Hughes Associates, Inc.
References:
NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, 2007.
NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, 2010.
Wilson, R., ‘‘Time: The Yardstick of Fire Control,” NFPA Firemen, 1962.
Engineering Guide – Human Behavior in Fire, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, MD, 2003.
TheJobBoardNetwork, Inc., developer and publisher of FireandSecurityJobs.net announces the launch of A Social Network for Fire Protection and Electronic Security professionals
The Job Board Network, Inc. announces the launch of their exclusive online professional social networking site: (http://www.job-n.com )
“www.job-n.com is a place to meet, discuss, share, collaborate and connect with fellow Fire Protection and Electronic Security professionals.” Says Bob Cantrell, President of The Job Board Network, Inc. “Unlike LinkedIn, www.job-n.com is built exclusively for the Fire Protection and Electronic Security industries and provides much more freedom in connecting with those who share your professional experiences.”
www.job-n.com has been developed as a supplement to FireandSecurityJobs.net, an online employment advertising platform, or Job Board and Resume Bank. All Jobs posted on FireandSecurityJobs.net will be fed through an RSS feed as a value added service, and convenience to our Employer advertisers.
“Employers will now benefit by having a broader reach to industry trained, interested and qualified professionals beyond those active Job Seekers.” Our passive talent pool are finding that allows for an expanded forum to share their experiences, skill set and qualifications, with a more tangible and effective means of referencing their capabilities.”
All services provided by The Job Board Network, Inc. remain FREE to Job Seekers.
For more information about FireandSecurityJobs.net or visit us online at www.FireandSecurityJobs.net or www.job-n.com or contact Ryan Hudson, Business Development Manager at 877 JOB BOARD (562-2627) ext 708 or via e-mail: ryan@fireandsecurityjobs.net
Nearly 10,000 facilities must start tracking greenhouse gas emissions in 2010, as reported by Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s
Editor-in-chief, Michael G. Ivanovich
There was heightened public attention on climate action in 2009 because President Obama shifted U.S. policy from being defensive to being proactive. Three strong federal measures for climate action were taken in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009, where a binding agreement on emissions levels was expected.
Namely, the Obama administration signed Executive Order 13514 to reduce federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2020; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the mandatory GHG reporting rule for large emitters; and the EPA declared GHGs in the atmosphere to be dangerous to human health and the environment.
Of these, only the mandatory GHG reporting was a new regulation impacting private companies and their facilities. [MORE]
Your participation is important at the ICC’s Final Action Code Hearing in Dallas, May 14-23, 2010. Read the complete Report of Hearings
Underwriters Laboratories has released the following information on Carbon Monoxide Alarms:
“Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms play an important role in protecting the public against carbon monoxide poisoning. Having a basic understanding of CO poisoning, CO alarms, how they are listed, and how they are to be installed and maintained is an important consideration for code authorities, especially those in jurisdictions where installation of CO alarms is required. UL’s full document can be found here. (From Residential Fire Safety Institute Newsletter, www.firesafehome.org )
The Center for Campus Fire Safety supports the USFA’s INSTALL. INSPECT. PROTECT. CAMPAIGN Encouraging residents to install smoke alarms and sprinklers.
Newburyport, MA … More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year in the United States; most of whom are in homes without a working smoke alarm. To prevent these deaths, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sponsoring a nationwide Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign designed to raise awareness about how working, properly installed smoke alarms can lower a person’s chances of dying in a fire. CCFS is supporting this critical effort to reduce injuries and the loss of life.
The USFA’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is aimed at encouraging Americans to practice fire safety by installing and maintaining smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, which can help save the lives of residents and fire fighters, practicing fire escape plans, and performing a home safety walk-through to remove fire hazards from the home. The campaign is promoting fire safety through a free Campaign Toolkit disc; educational materials; print, radio and television PSAs; children’s materials, community organization-sponsored events and a consumer-friendly campaign Web site.
According to Paul D. Martin, President “ CCFS is proud to be a partner with the USFA in this very relevant campaign. Far too many people have died in fires as a result of not having working smoke alarms or sprinklers. One person killed in a home fire is just too many. Together, we can educate our communities and help save lives.”
“If a fire breaks out in your home while you’re asleep, how will you know? Having a working smoke alarm is like having a fire safety official on duty in your home, 24 hours a day.” said Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn A.Gaines.
“Working smoke alarms will alert you to the fire and we know conclusively, a residential sprinkler system can help put the fire out.” Gaines adds, “Smoke alarms and sprinklers are able to provide residents the time it takes to get everyone out of the house, before firefighters have to come in.”
When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent, when compared to a residence without either. According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2003-2006, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:
> Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
> Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
> Get smoke alarms that can sound fast. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
> Inspect and test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
> If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
> Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.
CCFS is supporting the USFA’s Install. Inspect. Protect Campaign in the November December issue of Campus Firezone, a free newsletter distributed to well over 15K readers. We will also include the educational video at training sessions throught the year.
Organizations in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign include the American Fire Sprinkler Association, Burn Institute, Everyone Goes Home, Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Home Safety Council, International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services, NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation, National Association of Hispanic Firefighters, National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Sprinkler Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, and SAFE KIDS Worldwide.
For more information on the Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign and other fire prevention information, please visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/smokealarms.
Install. Inspect. Protect.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
After seven years of design and development, FedEx Express is installing its new fire safety systems in 74 of its international route planes.
The automatic fire-suppression system features a network of infrared thermal sensors, foaming agent generators and an overhead cargo container injector. If the sensors detect heat, the technology located above each cargo container is activated while alerting crew members. The system also dispenses a fire-suppression foam to control and extinguish a potential fire.
The FSS system has proven effective against Class D fires, or those started by combustible metals such as lithium, magnesium titanium, potassium and sodium. It is the only aircraft fire safety system in use today that is effective against Class D fires, according to a FedEx news release.
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of Memphis-based FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), began installation of the FSS system on its MD-11 freighters in April 2009 and plans to have the installation complete on all 59 of its MD-11s by early 2011. The delivery company also plans to install the system on its new Boeing 777 Freighters, which begin international service in the company’s fleet by early 2010. Each installation requires about 700 man hours.
“The in-flight safety of crew and cargo is a top priority at FedEx Express, leading to our development of this enhanced fire-safety technology,” said Joel Murdock, FedEx Express’ managing director of strategic projects. “After seven years of design and development, we’re proud to see this proprietary technology take flight on a variety of aircraft in the FedEx fleet, representing another strong step forward in our air-safety initiatives.”
The system enhances air safety because of its automatic activation and its overhead design. It also allows the plane’s crew more time to safely land, especially important on lengthy international flights where a safe landing spot can be up to three hours away. http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2009/10/05/daily16.html#
