Fire, Friend or Foe?

What does this mean?

Fire, friend or foe? There is a saying, “It takes a tree to produce one million matches,
but it takes a match to destroy a million trees”. That’s the power
of a fire. It can also destroy tremendously. It can go out of
control. Efforts must be made to tame it.

There should not be any doubt in the minds of people. Fire is a boon to mankind. But it needs to be controlled well in order to use it.

People who makes use of fire, (that includes all of us), must know the nature of a fire, and how a fire can start. It is a fundamental rule to understand what we are dealing with.

In order for us to use fire properly, we should know something about how a fire can occur. People who have a natural fear of fire usually do not know much about fires. If they know how a fire can start, they will not fear it as much, but rather treat it with
respect. The more you find out about fires, the better you will be
at preventing it from going out of hand.

So, just how can a fire start?

In order for a fire to start, three conditions must be met, and they
must be present together. The conditions are heat, fuel, and oxygen.
If you take any one of them away, a fire will not occur. It is called
the “Fire Triangle”.

The Fire Triangle principle is used in all fire prevention and fire fighting measures. It is very simple. Remove any one of the three, and you will not have a fire. Put all of them together and you will have a fire or even an explosion. An explosion is just a rapid burning of a fire.

The three components of a Fire Triangle are heat, fuel and oxygen. The components can appear in many forms and it important for those of us who want to adopt fire prevention measures to look carefully.

Sometimes, people do not realize that all the three are present until
it becomes too late. For example, a tiny electrical spark that can
become a source of heat often cannot be seen at all. Sometimes, even when the three conditions are present, the energy of the heat may not be sufficient to cause a fire.

As with all accidents, when nothing terrible happens, people tend to get careless. Why worry? It did not happen the last time, it will not happen now. What they do not realize is that sometimes there is not sufficient heat to vaporize the fuel.

And fuel does not have to be petrol or kerosene. A piece of wood is combustible when it becomes heated enough. Cloth and paper are also fuels for a fire. The plastic chair in your dining room can be a fuel.
In fact all organic materials can burn if it is hot enough.

Oxygen is always present in our atmosphere. In fact we thrive on the oxygen in the air to live. Oxygen occupies about 21 percent by volume in air, the rest being nitrogen. So in normal conditions, this part of
the Fire Triangle will always be present and is very difficult to avoid having when we plan our fire prevention measures in our homes. It will be more relevant when we want to stop a fire that has already started.
In this case, one of the ways to break the Fire Triangle is to remove oxygen. There are ways to do this, one of them is by blanketing or smoldering.

However, in our planning for fire prevention, we can look at ways of reducing the chances of oxygen rich atmosphere forming anywhere around the fuel and the heat. This has been known to start fires rapidly.

Everybody knows that heating can cause fires. However, we must not be unduly alarmed if there are sources of heat around us. We simply cannot avoid the heat. In fact we use heating for our own benefit. Simply put, we must treat heat and fire with respect. We should also study the mechanism of a fire. 

Yours in Fire Safety

Alex

The History of Fire Fighting

The history of fire and fire fighting dates back to thousands of years. Right from the time man gained knowledge of how to start a fire, accidents related to fire have occurred time and again. With time, we have established many agencies, forces and groups to fight fire and to help people recover form the loss of lives and monetary losses that a conflagration brings about. 

Man had learnt to control fire thousands of years back, and archeological evidences found in Egypt and China are a testimony to this fact. According to sources in the history, the first ever fire fighting crew was formed by Caesar to protect Rome against fires.

Let’s take a look at America. Through the history of the United States, there have been massive fires; the first one being at Jamestown in 1608, just one year after it was founded. This was a mass conflagration and led to huge losses of life, property and money. This left the people with only two options, either to move back to England or to face the brunt of the angry Indians and the belligerent winter chill. This was the first major fire in the history of the United States, and many more were to follow.

In 1630, Boston was founded, and this city has probably been a witness to the most conflagrations in the United States. Fires in 1631, 1654 and 1676 hit Boston time and again. These fires accounted for losses unaccounted for even today. The fires were so harsh that it led the administration to give firefighting and fire prevention and serious thought. All this led to the formation of new codes and rules regarding fire fighting, including laws pertaining to the usage of open spaces, fire resistant building material and formation of fire fighting departments. These were the first ‘written’ rules pertaining to fire fighting and prevention.

Again, it was after the first great conflagration of Boston in 1631, that a law banning smoking at public places was passed at Massachusetts in 1638 in order to curtail the devastation caused due to fire and to ban public display of fire-causing elements. Peter Stuyvesant was the first American Governor to form a fire fighting association in the form of the “Fire Wardens” in 1648, who were supposed to protect the new establishments being set up at New Amsterdam (now New York). The ‘Fire Wardens’ was the first fire fighting group in America. Some of the responsibilities of the fire wardens include assuring the safe exit of everyone caught in the inferno, to specially escort persons with disabilities to the pre-defined safe exit, to ensure that all the doors, windows and all equipments that may cause fire in the future should be turned off provided there is no danger to the personal safety of the firefighters. Most of the rules and responsibilities laid down for the fire wardens have served as the base for most of the existing rules and guidelines, especially in the US.
Because Boston had been witness to some of the most devastating conflagrations of the 17th century, the first fire department, engine, and paid firefighters were established here in the later part of the same century.

Following in the footsteps of Boston’s administration, administration of New York also established the Volunteer Fire Department in 1737. According to America’s internal government records, about 73% of all the fire fighters in America have entered via VFDs or Volunteer Fire Departments. The main difference between voluntary fire fighters and regular firefighters lies in the fact that voluntary firefighters do not actually work on fixed shifts and do not reside in firehouses; rather they are called as and when they are needed. Right from the inception of Voluntary Fire Department in New York, firefighters have been coming to the service of the nation time and again through this medium.

Firefighting, as we know today, is not only limited to fighting and preventing fires, rather, firefighters are looked upon as those heroes who have come to the rescue of many lives caught in dangerous situations, be it a child caught on a high rise building or an old woman stuck in a manhole. The role of firefighters has changed over the years, and one major incident in history, which led to this metamorphosis, was the earthquake in 1906 at San Francisco. This earthquake had lasted for more than 90 minutes and had destroyed more than 500 city blocks, killing over 600 people. Firefighters were responsible for saving lives of people caught in the rubble, under the debris or caught in a fire. Traditional roles changed from here on, and led to the new roles of the firefighters, evolving from firefighters to heroes for many.

Even after so many drills were carried out, preventive measures were taken and so many rules were established, devastating fires kept striking from time to time, reminding us of the importance to involve latest technology and ideas in firefighting. One such incident, which happened in the modern times, was the Boston nightclub fire, which struck the Coconut Grove Nightclub, leaving 500 dead, and registering itself as the worst nightclub fire ever in the history.
Things changed with times, and after the Boston Nightclub incident, the use of technology and the sedate use of modernity in firefighting equipment led to the phasing out of traditional equipments. Gasoline driven firefighting engines were introduced in 1900 and the last steam engine had retired in 1932 at New York. The concept of paid fire fighters was also introduced, and caught up with the department really fast. Wes Barnes, was the first paid firefighting chief for the city of Jefferson, and was paid a salary of $45 a year.

In the series of fresh changes pertaining to firefighting and fire prevention, ‘Sparkey’, the fire dog was introduced as the mascot of NFPA as the symbol of national safety in 1950. The story behind Sparkey is an interesting one. Sparkey was a shy puppy, who sat outside the fence of a school and wanted to play with the children, but being shy, this Dalmatian kept away. One day, while following these children to their homes, he saw that the children’s house was on fire. The dog went barking to the firefighting station to call the fire fighters, and this led Sparkey into being the symbol of national safety.

It has not been a comfortable ride for the firefighters and their respective departments. During the September 11 attack on the WTC twin towers and on the days following it, there have been some tragic days for the firemen. During the incident, many firefighters, most of who were voluntary fire fighters, had either gone missing or had lost their lives. There were skeptical views about the then Mayor of New York – Rudy Giuliani regarding the unprepared-ness of the firefighters he had sent on duty, because of which so many of them had to loose their lives. Whatever the end result, firefighters fought the circumstances with full vigor in that situation also, and were the silent heroes of so many lives they had saved.

Alex

True Value of the Fire Consultant

Consultants focus their attention on human behaviours that occur during a blaze. The true value of the fire consultant is in assisting with establishing an environment where all people in the presence of the fire can be safely evacuated.
The consultant is responsible for establishing a proper fire detection protocol, assisting with active fire protection, passive fire protection, establishing evacuation protocols, and helping to mitigate smoke and manage it. Other areas that consultants assist with are fire modelling, prevention programs, and performing risk analysis of the location they are surveying.

Establishing A Fire Detection Protocol

There are many common ways to detect a fire. Most are familiar with the various methods they can use to alert them of a fire. Fire detection devices are designed to recognise fire phenomena. These devices are designed to pick up on smoke, gas, ultraviolet lights, and heat.

Smoke detectors are one of the most popular types of fire detection products that are available to the general public. These smoke detectors in dwellings, serve as standalone items. When they catch a whiff of smoke, the detector will sound an alarm informing anyone within the nearby vicinity that there is a fire event occurring. In commercial buildings, fire detection devices are normally modelled in an entire fire alarm system.

The system will incorporate several devices that are designed to recognise fire events. The automatic devices that are normally deployed by corporate businesses can be one or more of the following: smoke detectors, heat detectors, fire and gas detector, or a flame detector.

Active Fire Protection Assistance

Active fire protection differs in comparison to passive fire protection. With active fire protection, there are certain systems and items that are employed that require motion and response to the devices to work. There are five different categories of active fire protection.

These categories include: fire suppression, sprinkler systems, fire detection, hypoxic fire prevention, and construction and maintenance. Suppression reviews over the various ways that fires can be extinguished. There are two ways, either through manual intervention or automatically on their own. Sprinkler systems are a device that can be employed to prevent the spread of fires. Detection items are your basic smoke detectors.

Passive Fire Protection Assistance

Working with a fire engineering consultant, building owners will receive passive fire protection assistance along with active fire assistance. Both of these protocols are important and must be employed for the safety of the building that a commercial entity resides in. Passive fire protection is important when it comes to protecting structures and promoting fire safety within the building.

Passive fire protection differs from active protection in the extensive approach that it takes. Passive fire protection focuses on containing fires and slowing their spread through utilising the building as a barrier. With this type of model, the walls, floors, and the doors of the building will be equipped with fire-resistant materials.

There are many different types of fire-retardant materials that can be used in a building to prevent the spread of a fire, if it were to occur. Some of the things that can be incorporated in the design of the building to safeguard it from spreading fires include: fire-resistant glass and walls, fire stops, grease ducts, special enclosures, and occupancy separators. The fire engineering consultant will be responsible for communicating and working with architects to ensure the proper passive protocols are set into place.

Establishing Evacuation Protocols

One of the main reasons why people get hurt whenever there is a fire in a building is because they panic. When you fail to plan, you plan too fail. A fire engineering consultant will work with business and building owners to establish proper evacuation protocols for their center. It is vital that in the event that a fire does occur, that the people in the building know what to do.

Panic can only make things worse. Therefore, it is important that there are proper evacuation guidelines set into place, through signage, evacuation plans, training, and compliance. Emergency exits should be highlighted, informing people of where to go. Fire lifts should also be installed along the outside of the building to help people who are on higher levels, escape the area safely.

Controlling and Managing The Spread of Smoke

Most adults are aware that in many circumstances where a fire breaks out, the fire is not what hurts the people in its presence, instead it is the smoke. Smoke inhalation can cause a person to become disorientated and pass out. In grim situations, an individual exposed to a fire will pass out because of the accumulation of smoke, and be unable to evacuate the building successfully.

A fire consultant can help building and business owners control and manage how smoke spreads within their building. This is a vital component to any fire detection program that is employed. While working with a consultant, business owners will be informed of the proper steps to take to eliminate smoke in their building, either through ventilation systems or other means.

What Is The Purpose of A Fire Engineering Consultant?

Owning a building or business of your own comes with many responsibilities . It is important that the building you own and operate out of is safe for anyone that enters its premises. This is why it is vital to have an expert, such as a consultant come by and perform a risk analysis and ensure that proper fire safety protocols are employed and adhered to.

Your in Fire safety 

Alex

Fireproofing Is An Important Part In Hotel Safety

Fireproofing

Whenever you go to stay at a hotel, there are a few forces at work that you may not even know about that are helping to keep you safe. That is because most hotels have all their rooms and whole building fireproofed. This is because fireproofing is an important part in hotel safety. Hotels want to make sure that you are safe whether you know it or not. After all, there are a lot of things that hotels can do to keep you safe, but fireproofing is one of the best ways that they can, not only protect you, but protect themselves as well. Fireproofing their hotels makes them rest assured that if one of their rooms catches on fire, that it will more than likely not spread to other rooms. Any hotel that is not adequately fireproofed is not worth staying in. So what are some of the fire proofing measures you would expect to see in a fully compliant hotel or motel?

• automatic fire detection and alarm systems
• automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinkler systems
• emergency lighting and exit signs
• fire hose reels, fire hydrants and portable fire extinguishers
• fire doors and mechanical air-handling systems
• lightweight fire-resistant construction materials.

Also there are many different ways that hotels go about fireproofing their rooms. First of all, they usually place fire walls in between the rooms. This helps keep fires from spreading if they get started in a room. Of course, we all know that the best way to avoid having fire damage is to not have a fire started in the first place. So to help stop a fire from starting, they like to use fire retardants all over the room. This means that their floors and their curtains are all fire retardant. If not sure ASK!! 

If you are going to be staying in a hotel or motel, you might as well make sure that they fireproof all of their rooms before you stay there, again ASK or check prior to making your booking. Even if the fireproofed walls do not stop the fire from starting or spreading, it will slow it down. This will give you and your family enough time to get out of the room. Also, it’s important to know that all hotels are covered by smoke alarms. Check to see they are in working order, ASK when they were last tested. Also the type of smoke alarm is very important. Photoelectric smoke alarms are usually much faster at detecting smoke from smouldering synthetic material than ionisation alarms, but the earlier a fire is detected the better your chances of getting you and your family out before the fire takes hold. The hotels today are a lot better than the older style hotels that lots of us are use too, but the same rules apply, check prior to booking and if you can’t do that ASK management or cast your eyes around, your family’s life may depend upon it. So when you want to stay somewhere that is, not only going to give you a nice place to sleep, but are going to to make you feel safe as well, then you need to look for flame retardant hotels that have flameproof rooms. After sleeping in one of these rooms, you will never want to go back. It’s always easier to sleep when you feel safe, and not having to worry about fires is a great start.

Yours In Fire Safety

Alex