FIRE SAFETY & PROTECTION IN

BUILDINGS

ACTIVE FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS

Presented by:
Pratima Dhoke
 Fire Tetrahedron
• Basic components of a fire are:
– fuel
– source of ignition
– oxygen
– process of combustion
Elements Of Combustion
• Commonly referred to as the "fire
tetrahedron"  A Combustible Substance i.e fuel
 Oxygen, the Gas
 Source of Heat
Types Of Combustion:
Critical Stages of Fire
 Rapid
 The growth period
 Spontaneous
 The fully developed stage
 Explosion
 The decay period
STAGES OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT:
Figure below shows the 4 stages and where active & passive fire protection measures will
play an important role during development of fire.

Source: Hand Book on

“Fire Safety in High-
rise & Special Type of
Buildings”
 TYPES OF FIRES
• "Class A fire" : involving ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, cloth,
& some rubber & plastic materials.
• "Class B fire“: fire involving flammable or combustible liquids, flammable gases,
greases & similar materials, some rubber & plastic materials.
• "Class C fire" means a fire involving energized electrical equipment where safety to
the employee requires the use of electrically nonconductive extinguishing media.
• "Class D fire" : a fire involving combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium,
zirconium, sodium, lithium & potassium.
• Class K Fires: Cooking Oils and Fats.

 "Multipurpose dry chemical" means a dry chemical which is approved for use on
Class A, Class B and Class C fires.
Combustible
Ordinary Flammable Electrical

A B
Liquids
C
Equipment
D
Combustibles
Metals
 ACTIVE FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS IN BLDGS.

Fire Detection Fire Protection Suppression Systems

 Fire prevention and building codes require that structures have some
sort of fire protection system installed.
 Understanding how these systems operate is important for fire fighter
safety and effective customer service.
 Fire protection systems have fairly standardized design requirements
and most areas follow the applicable NFPA standards.
 FIRE DETECTION & ALARM SYSTEMS
Fire detection system recognizes when a fire is occurring & activates the fire alarm system; Alerts
occupants, fire department & may automatically activate fire suppression systems
There are several groups of fire detector systems:
GROUP I: (detectors for hazardous situations)
 Flammable vapour detectors: Operate on catalytic
principle, used for different types of flammable vapors including petrol & vinyl chloride.
 Butane & Propane leakage detectors: operates on principle that heavy gas will diffuse more
slowly thru membrane than lighter gas; operates over smaller range of vapors than the
flammable vapor detectors
 Overheat Detectors: the basis being a
long flexible, temp. sensitive element fitted to plant boiler rms. & kitchens wherever excessiv
heating can result in damage unless heat is reduced within a certain time.
 Explosion detector: operates at predetermined rate of pressure rise, or static pressure setting
is exceeded. Any mat. In divided state can explode. Measurable interval of time between
ignition of a combustible mixture & build up of pressure to destructive proportions. Detector
designed to activate device that will supress, vent or initiate other action to prevent spread &
effects of explosion.
GROUP II: Ionisation Smoke detector
 An ion is an atom/atoms gained or lost one or
more electrons & carries positive or negative
charge. Radiation from radioactive source can
cause ionisation.
 Two distinct types of detectors: one balances
open ionisation chamber & another type uses
open ionising sampling chamber, but closed
chamber is replaced by a transistorised circuit.
 If smoke enters chamber open wire gauge, ions
are attracted to particles reducing ionisation
current flow, which triggers electric relay
circuit to operate alarm.
 Detectors react more quickly than heat
detectors, are very sensitive , hence require
great care in installing.
 Any loss or damage must be reported to police
& factory inspectorate.
 Ionization versus Photoelectric Smoke Detectors

 Ionization detectors are triggered by the invisible products of combustion.

 Photoelectric detectors are triggered by the visible products of combustion.

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Air duct Smoke detector

 Ionisation smoke detector & duct adapter fitted to a ventilating duct, will initiate an alarm
signal when air stream polluted by smoke or products of combustion.
 Careful siting will provide protection of ducts, rooms served & AC & ventilating motors &
filters.
 Detectors wired to an indicator panel which contain changeover alarm signalling contacts to
fire dampers, shutters & door release mechanism & electric motors.
 Fig shows typical arrangement of duct mounted smoke detectors. A fire in room A will
initially be detected by detector A. Air drawn into ducts B,C & D will dilute concentration of
smoke in main duct, preventing detectors at E from operating until fire has sufficiently
developed.
 Detectors at point E are installed to monitor air flow in ducts downstream of detectors A,B,C
& D.
GROUP III: (Visible Smoke detector) Used where combustion particles have light scattering &
light obscuring properties.
 Light Scattering detectors: uses Tyndell principle, related to way particles of dust can be seen
in a shaft of sunlight by reflection. Absence of light indicates fault. Operation depends on
detecting the light scattered by smoke particles onto the photoshell, which then generates
small electric current.
 Current is amplified & actuates relay system which automatically closes or opens electric
circuit & activates the alarm.
Light Obscuring detectors:
 Operates by projecting light beam on to a
photocell, over various distances e.g 4.5, 12,
15m.
 If smoke passes thru the beam it interrupts light
reaching the photocell & alarm signal is
activated.
Laser beam:
 Developed as combined heat & smoke detector
, does not suffer the falling off of sensitivity
with increase of height.
 System consists of basically two units, a pulse
transmitter emitting infra red rays, optically
coupled to a photo sensitive receiver positioned
at max. range of 100m.
 When pulsating beam is attenuated by smoke
or the refractive index of air is changed by rising
heat waves, appropriate circuits activate relays
& warning signals.
GROUP III: (Heat detector) wide range of heat detectors, but the basic principle of operation,
that of temp. rise, remains same for each. There are spot or point detectors using
bimetal strips or coils.
 Detectors which use thermocouples & solid state detectors(thermistor) use electrical
principles to operate an alarm.
 Fix ed temp. detector operates on the fusion of a low melting point alloy, applicable in
areas with fluctuating air temp. like kitchens & boiler rooms.
 Line detector consists of capillary tube fixed to follow contour of room to be protected.
The tube can be fixed to follow line of ornamentation. Tube contains a liquid or a gas
which expands when heated & displaces a diphragm, which in turn closes contacts to
close an electric circuit & actuate an alarm.
 Steel cable with series of fusible link may be used as a line detector. Heat breaks one or
more of the links & release of wt. operates the alarm. The air type heat detector
operates on the expansion, due to heating of air inside air vessel.
 Smoke Detectors
• Designed to sense the presence of smoke
• Commonly found in school, hospital, business, and
commercial occupancies with fire alarm systems
• Most common are ionization and photoelectric detectors.

 Can provide property protection, but cannot provide reliable life safety protection
 Generally used in situations where smoke alarms cannot be used
 Often installed in unheated areas
 Generally very reliable and less prone to false alarms than smoke alarms

 Designed to operate at a preset temp.

 use a metal alloy that will melt at the preset temp.
 Will activate if the temperature of the surrounding air rises more than a set amount in a
given period of time
 Most rate-of-rise heat detectors are self-restoring.
 Generally respond faster to most fires than fixed-temperature heat detectors

 Use wires or a sealed tube to sense heat

 One type has two wires inside, separated by an insulating material.
 Another type measures changes in the electrical resistance of a single wire as it heats up.
 The tube-type line heat detector has a sealed metal tube filled with air or a nonflammable
gas.

Flame Detectors
• Specialized devices that detect the electromagnetic light
waves produced by a flame
• Typically found in places where early detection and rapid
reaction to a fire is critical
• Complicated and expensive
 Fire prevention act requires that in the premises means of giving warning of fire is installed,
which is:
› Readily available at all times
› Capable of being operated without risk
› perceptible
• Three basic components in a fire alarm system:
– Alarm initiation device
– Alarm notification device
– Control panel

Residential Fire Alarm Systems

 Single-station smoke alarm most common type of residential fire

alarm system.
 Includes both a smoke detection device and an audible alarm
within a single unit.
 Fire Department Notification
• Fire alarm systems can be broken down into five categories, based on how the fire
department is notified of an alarm:
– Local alarm system
– Remote station system
– Auxiliary system
– Proprietary system
– Central station
 Local Alarm System
› Does not notify the fire department
› The alarm sounds only in the building to notify the occupants.
 Remote Station System
› Sends signal directly to fire department or to another monitoring location via a
telephone line or a radio signal
 Auxiliary System
› Building’s fire alarm system is tied into a master alarm
box located outside.
 Proprietary System
› Building’s alarms connected directly to monitoring site
owned and operated by building owner.
 May be operated from break glass call points, once operated, alarms will
continue to sound automatically.
 Min. travel distance to operate the alarm is 30m, call pts. Fitted at height
of 1.4m above the floor, either on landings or corridors.
 Call point contains depressed plunger pressing against glass front.
 Serves as the “brain” of the system, manages & monitors operation
of the system using advanced electronic tech. & computer
equipment.
 Any fault or fire condition will be indicated both audibly & visually &
relayed to local fire brigade & also can indicate the source of an
alarm
 Also manages primary power supply & provides backup power supply
for the system
 May perform additional functions, & may interface with other
systems and facilities
 Used to silence the alarm and reset the system
 Many buildings have an additional display panel, called a remote
annunciator in a separate location.
 In some systems, a battery in the fire alarm control panel will
automatically activate when the external power is interrupted.
 Manual Initiation Devices
• Designed so that building occupants can
activate the fire alarm system
• Primary manual initiation device is the
manual fire alarm box, or manual pull-
station.
• Once activated, should stay in the
“activated” position until it is reset.

 Designed to function without human intervention

 Can use several different types of detectors
› Some detectors activated by smoke or by invisible products of combustion
› Others react to heat, light produced by an open flame, or specific gases

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 Produce an audible signal when fire alarm is activated
 Some signals play a recorded announcement in conjunction
with the temporal-3 pattern.
 Many new systems incorporate visual notification devices.

Other Fire Alarm Functions

• May also control other building functions, such as air handling systems, fire doors, and
elevators
• Responding fire personnel must understand which building functions are being controlled
by the fire alarm.

 Almost all alarm systems are now zoned to some extent.

 In a coded system, zone is identified not only at alarm control panel but also
through audio notification device.
 Systems can be broken down into four categories: non-coded alarm, zoned non-
coded alarm, zoned coded alarm, and master-coded alarm.
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 Zoned Non-Coded Alarm System
• Most common type of system, particularly in newer buildings
• Building divided into multiple zones, often by floor or by wing
• Alarm control panel indicates in which zone the activated device is located.

 In addition to having all the features of a zoned alarm system, also indicates which zone has
been activated over the announcement system
 Hospitals often use this type of system.

 Audible notification devices for fire alarms also are used for other purposes.
 Most of these systems have been replaced by modern speaker systems that use the
temporal-3 pattern fire alarm signal and have public address capabilities.
 Fire regulations require that where ventilation system pass
thru fire comp.walls or floors or they form of fire
compartment wall, with FR not less than FR of wall.
 If ventilation duct lies within protected shaft, then the duct
is fitted internally with automatic fire shutters to reduce
risk of F spread.

 Actuated by fusible link & reduce risk of fire spread thru

ventilating duct, operate at 70deg C.
 Requires regular maintenance.

 This depends for its action on the property of intumescent

paint which swells to many times its original vol. when
heated, which seals & insulate the surface being
protected.
 Made from paper or metal permits free flow of air thru
duct.
 Resistance to air flow
 Effect of dirt & moisture
 Sound pressure level in sleeping room from a fire alarm audible signal
device shall be not less than 75 dBA in a building of residential occupancy
when any intervening doors between the device and the sleeping room
are closed.
 Fusible links are placed above the target
hazard to activate extinguishing systems.
 Manual discharge button also provided so
that workers can activate the system if
they discover a fire.
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 Calibrated to detect the presence of a specific gas
 Need regular calibration
 Usually found only in specific commercial or industrial applications

Air Sampling Detectors

• Continuously capture air samples & measure the concentrations of
specific gases or products of combustion

 System alerts building occupants and the fire department to a

possible fire.
 Ensures that someone is aware water is flowing, in case of an
accidental discharge.
 Non-Coded Alarm System
• Control panel has no information indicating where in the building the fire
alarm was activated.
• Typically sounds a bell or horn
• Fire department personnel must search the entire building to find which
initiation device was activated.
 Fire Department
• Central Station
– Third-party, off-site monitoring facility that monitors multiple alarm
systems
– An activated alarm transmits a signal to the central station by
telephone or radio.
– Personnel at the central station then notify the appropriate fire
department of the fire alarm.
 "Extinguisher classification" means the letter classification given an extinguisher to
designate the class or classes of fire on which an extinguisher will be effective.
 "Extinguisher rating" means the numerical rating given to an extinguisher which indicates
the extinguishing potential of the unit based on standardized tests developed by
Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
 "Fixed extinguishing system" means a permanently installed system that either extinguishes
or controls a fire at the location of the system.

 Bodies made of mild steel, treated to avoid internal corrosion by a zinc coating followed by
epoxy resin enamel or polythene lining.
 Material of body make can vary but control valves, hose couplings, piercing spindles, strike
knobs are made of brass.

 As near as possible to exits or on staircase landings.

 In conspicuous position & ready for immediate use.
 First-aid fire appliances carried by hand.
 Extinguishing agent (suitable for the fire) expelled under pressure.
 Valuable for extinguishing fire at early stages.
 Staff needs to be trained for their use.
 Not dangerous to the user, simple to use, efficient & reliable.
 Maintenance free
 Hose length as per requirement.
 Extinguishers shall be distributed so that maximum travel distances apply:
› Class A 75 feet
› Class B 50 feet
› Class C Based on appropriate pattern
› Class D 75 feet
  GROUP I: Water extinguishers
a. Gas pressure
b. Stored pressure
c. Soda/acid
 GROUP II: Dry powder extinguishers
 GROUP III: Foam Extinguishers
a. Mechanical or Gas pressure
b. Chemical

 GROUP IV: Carbon Extinguishers

 GROUP V: Vaporising Liquid Extinguishers
a. Chlorobromomethane (CBM)
b. Bromochlorodifluoromethane (BCF)
c. Bromotrifluoromethane (BTM)
d. Dibromotetrafluoroethane (DTE)
 Used on Class A fire
 Has better cooling properties
 Preferable on fires which may re-ignite
 Must not be used on live electrical equipment.

 Water expelled with pressure from

CO2 gas cartridge inside
 Operating knob struck, plunger
pierces sealing disc & compressed
CO2 escapes.
 Pressure exerted by gas expels

Fig: CO2- cartridge gas pressure type-

 Water expelled with pressure of air or an inert gas N2, compressed
above surface of stored water.
 When operating lever depressed, water is forced out.
 Ready for instant use & does not require release of pressurized CO2
gas form cartridge before water is expelled.

Fig: Stored Gas pressure type

 pressure necessary for
discharge depends on chemical
reaction betw Bicarbonate of
soda dissolved in water &
sulphuric acid in glass bottle.
 Sulphuric acid released in
water reacts with sodium
sulphate solution which
generates CO2 gas &
pressurizes the container ,
forcing the contents through
nozzle.
 Should be kept in correct
position.
 Suitable for all fire risks, mainly for fires
in inflammable liquids.
 Powder consists of finely divided non
toxic, water repellent material which cools
flames & separates them from burning
material & excludes oxygen.
 Stored dry powder is pressurized by N2 or
air, which expels the powder when valve
opens.
 alternately, dry powder may be expelled
by CO2 gas after breakage of seal.

Fig: Dry powder type

 Extinguishes fires by forming blanket over burning material, excluding
oxygen.
 used on class B fires involving burning liquids or liquefiable solids such as
petrol, oil or grease.
 Foam compound is stored as a solution
(plus F fluoroprotein) lined with polythene
to prevent corrosion.
 Foam expelled by an inert compressed gas
acting on surface of foam.

Fig: Gas pressure type

 Consists of inner container, containing

chemicals dissolved in water which mix with
chemicals of outer container when
extinguisher is inverted.
 Gas pressure & foam generated is forced out .

Fig: Chemical foam type

 Designed to protect a single room or a series of
rooms .
 Should be connected to the building’s fire alarm
system
 Used on class B fires involving inflammable
liquids & class E fires involving electricity.
 Non-toxic & inert gas, hence only dangerous in
high concentration, when exclude oxygen from
the atmosphere.
 Consists of a pressure cylinder containing liquid Fig: CO2 extinguisher type
CO2 under pressure, when pressure is released
liquid changes to a gas, expands instantly &
discharges thru nozzle as a cloud.
 Act rapidly, useful on small fires, widely
used for motor vehicles & electrical
apparatus.
 Liquid vaporises rapidly in contact with fire
& acts by excluding oxygen.
 Methyl bromide & tetrachloride are highly
toxic & therefore not recommended.
Fig: BCF 1.3 kg, 3.6 or 7.3 kg of vaporizing liquid type
Table gives details of various types of extinguishers
 Table gives summary of types of fires extinguished by various agents.

 Installation is much cheaper and use well understood.

 Throwing water difficult at high level hence use limited to low level.
 Should hold 9 or 14 ltrs. Of water & be covered to reduce evaporation.
 Flat or round bottom, made from plastic or metal & painted red.
 Hung so that not higher than 1m above floor or on shelf 750 mm above floor.
 Three buckets per 210 m2 of area, minimum of six buckets per floor.
 Dry sand also used for its non-conducting properties.
 for large quantities of inflammable liquids, industrial machinery such as textile carding
machines & large electrical fire risk.
 Usually automatic in operation.
 Approved installation results in less fire premiums.

 highly effective agent, arising from use or storage of inflammable liquids & liquefiable
solns.
 Two types : Chemical foam-formed by chemical reaction betw Sodium bicorbonate & al.
sulphate in aqueoos soln. in presence of foaming agent.
 Mech. Foam- mixing of water, foaming agent & air, often known as air foam.
 Three basic types of fire fighting air foams:
1. High expansion foam: expansion ratio 1200:1. when driven on fire, one vol. of liquid is
flashed into steam & resulting expansion of water into steam creates mixtures of 1700
volumes of steam & 1000 volumes of air.
2. Medium expansion foam: expansion ratio of 300:1, heavier than high expansion foam, used
outdoors.
3. Low expansion foam: expansion ratio 20:1, used for fire hazards like boilers rms, transformer
areas & inflammable liquid storage tanks, injected below surface of burning liquid at base
of tank.
 Premix high expansion foam installation
 used for various fire risks & entirely independent of outer water supply.
 Used for transformer areas/inflammable liquid stores& other isolated situations
 storage cylinder designed for working pressure of 1034.22kPa, filled with soln of foam
compound & water.
 Cylinder fitted with an inlet connection from CO2 gas cylinder with disc closure valve & lever
operating piercing head.
 discharge of CO2 is controlled pressure of 689.5-827.4 kPa is maintained.
 Has distribution pipe work, with foam makers
& spreaders, a fusible link fire detecting
system; an alarm bell or similar warning
device.
 In fire fusible link breaks allowing wt. to fall &
lever to rise, piercing seal in piercing head,
CO2 released & passes to foam solution
storage cylinder.
 Foam soln. is forced up along siphon tube &
outlet pipe to foam maker device, foam is
sprayed over the fire.
 Foam Inlet System

 Installed for protection of oil-fired boilers & oil storage tanks.

 Foam inlet box, built in wall, at point & approved by fire authority.
 For branch pipes, an inlet adapter sleeve 64-76mm dia reqd. 64 mm male instatenous
adapter inlets for mech. Foam generators.
 76 mm galvanised mild steel piping, screwed & socketed finished with cone type foam
spreader or an open ended pipe.
 Layout of piping as direct as possible with easy bends, without elbows & slope towards
outlets.
 Internal discharge pipe not less than 150 mm above fire risk placed centrally.
Water fog System

Fig: Pre-mix foam fire

extinguishing installation

 Water in an atomised state developed mainly for fire in frying pans. System fixed with
atomising nozzles & fusible link over pans.
 Water fog smoothers fire, excludes oxygen & causes rapid cooling of burning fat, making
re-ignition impossible.
 Holds 9 lts. Of water, sufficeint for 3 pans.
 Liquefied CO2 in cylinder released automatically & changes to gas by break in fusible link.
 Wt. falls opening valve in operating head of water container, which allows CO2 gas to flow
into container & discharge water through water fog nozzles.
Dry Chemical System

Fig: Dry chemical fire

extinguishing installation
 Dry chemical extinguishing agents are powders such as sodium bicorbonate, potassium chlorid
or ammonium chloride, treated with metallic steorite as water proofing agent.
 Fire extinguishment by interrupting chain action of O2 uniting with burning fuel.
 Non toxic, non conductive used for fires involving live electrical eqpt., inflammable liquid &
ordinary carbonaceous materials: wood, cloth, paper etc.
 Disadvantage: relatively low cooling power, possibility of re-ignition, leaves residue, fine
powder presence can cause distress to some people.
 Heat detectors sense overheated conditions, signals control head, open valves.
 Assembled for large capacity needs.
 Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems
• Used in most new commercial kitchens
• Use a proprietary liquid extinguishing agent
– Much more effective on vegetable oils
than the dry chemicals used in older
kitchen systems

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Carbon Dioxide System
 CO2 gas is most versatile & ideal extinguishing
agent in most cases.
 Gas covers flames with blanket of heavy gas that
suffocates fire by reducing oxygen content making
combustion impossible.
 Gas is dry, odorless, non-conductive, heavier than
air so that it flows thru obstacles.
 Installed for computer rms., textile mills, power
stations, transformer cubicles, fur vaults, museums
& archives.
Fig: high pressure system for an electrical
sub station
 High pressure systems

Liquid CO2 stored at 5200 kPa at 20 deg C ready for immediate use in steel cylinders.
 Low pressure systems
Liquid CO2 is stored in a refrigerated tank at 2000 kPa , joint protection system for discharge in
several risk areas. Economical for large areas
BCF System
 Suitable for protection of small isolated risks
requiring self contained FF installations.
 Suitable for vehicle & boat engine comp., fuel
stores, electrical power supply cabinets & small
cable ducts.
 System instantly smothers the fire of inflammable
liquids, being non-conductive used for fires in live
electricity.
 Pre wired hence simple to install, nylon tubing, 5m
long arranged around the area to be protected.
Halon 1301 System
 Tubing which acts as detectors & discharger,
 Less toxic than any other compressed gas
used. softens in area of most intense heat bursts &
discharges BCF on fire.
 Odorless, colorless, non-conductive gas
suitable for comp. rm. & tape libraries.  Reduction in pressure operates pressure switch &
activates fire warning panel.
 One or more storage cylinders containing
the gas are mounted at strategic pts.,
valves open automatically by heat
detectors fitted at ceiling level.