Ignition Sources

Hazards

Egress

Compartmentation

Detection / Alarm

Structural Integrity

Suppression

Fire Fighting

Prevention of Ignition: reducing the probability of ignition is critical. Ignition sources exist in various forms including: electrical wiring, lighting, smoking, cooking, open flames/candles, smoking, and intentional fires. Good housekeeping, fire prevention plans, regular inspections & maintenance programs, and separation from combustible materials create good practice.

Hazards need to be limited, controlled or removed. Buildings contain significant quantities of combustible materials: furnishings, interior finishes, construction materials and storage. These can result in fast fire growth, fires of extended duration, and limits time to react.

Occupants need to travel safely to a place of safety. Their evacuation is based on being notified in a timely manner, having exits marked and nearby, providing sufficient capacity, and allowing occupants to use the exit system unimpeded by obstructions to the exterior.

Compartmentation limits fire and smoke from spreading throughout a building. Fire rated compartmentation to limit the horizontal and vertical spread of smoke and heat, including protecting door openings helps limit fire consuming large areas.

Fire detection systems reduce delays in detecting a fire. Fire alarm systems limit the time in notifying occupants, security personnel and emergency responders. Detection can consist of either human and/or automatic detection. Notification can be either as well.

A building’s structure needs to continue supporting its load during a fire. However, fire has an adverse impact on the performance of structural elements. Fireproofing, inherent fire ratings, and proper interconnection of structural elements help increase structural integrity.

Suppression systems control, or extinguish, a fire before it gets too large. These are either manual or automatic systems. Water, gaseous agents, foam, as well as sand, dirt, wool blankets, and other natural materials, may help in suppression activities.

Emergency responders need to be notified, respond to a site and access the area of origin to begin suppression activities. They may be on-site, or located hours away. They can have a significant impact on limiting fire spread and damage, assisting with protecting historic artifacts and rescuing occupants. Early detection and notification is critical.

Protecting People and Property

Challenges

Fires represent one of the most significant threats to people, the built environment, our cultural heritage, and business continuity. However, they're also one of the few hazards over which we have substantial control, both in terms of occurrence probability and damage extent.

Opportunities

Fires are one of the few hazards over which we have control over the probability of their occurring, as well as the extent of damage. Effective fire prevention and fire protection plans can be developed and implemented to significantly limit the chance of fire occurring and reduce fire-induced damage.

Approach

  • Understand fire/life safety objectives
  • Define credible hazards
  • Conduct risk assessment
  • Inform stakeholder decisions on mitigation options
  • Document and implement chosen strategies
A fire is burning in the sky above a church.

Fire Safety/Life Safety Mitigation Measures

Fire/life safety mitigation measures involve a combination of fire prevention procedures, active and passive protection features, and building capacity with stakeholders. These mitigation measures address both limiting a fire from occurring and managing the impact should one occur. Mitigation measures include ignition control to reduce fires and fuel load balancing to limit hazards, coupled with the following to manage a fire's impact should ignition occur:

Services and Deliverables

Services, and deliverables resulting from these efforts, are quite varied. However, they all serve important parts of a comprehensive strategy. These include:

  • Building Code Consulting
  • Fire Detection/Alarm Design & Analysis
  • Fire Protection System Design & Analysis
  • Fire Hazard and Fire Risk Assessments
  • Evacuation & Fire Simulation Modeling
  • Performance Based Design and Analysis
  • Code Variances
  • Negotiations with local authorities
  • Audits and Surveys
  • Acceptance Testing and Commissioning
  • Third Party Reviews/Peer Reviews
  • Litigation support
  • Fire Research & Fire Testing
  • Capacity Building/Training
  • Fire Prevention Plans
  • Fire/Life Safety Mitigation Strategy
  • Evacuation Plans
  • Fire Protection System Design Documentation
  • Fire Detection/Alarm System Design Documentation
  • Fire Mitigation During Renovation/Construction Plans
  • Emergency Response Plans
  • Engineering Analyses
  • Capacity Building/Training Programs
  • Museums and Galleries
  • Libraries
  • Monasteries and Temples
  • Churches
  • Airports
  • Rail Stations
  • Road/rail tunnels
  • Offices
  • Hospitals
  • Places of Assembly
  • Laboratories
  • Sacred Sites
  • Mines
  • Hotels/Dormitories
  • Educational facilities
  • Manufacturing facilities
  • Historic Buildings
  • Theaters
A fire truck is spraying water on the burning building.