BUILDING UTILITIES: FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM

Class A

Fires involving ordinary combustible solid materials.

Class B

Fires involving flammable and combustible liquid and gas.

Class C

Fires involving energized electrical equipment.

Class D

Fires involving combustible metal fires.

Class K

Fires involving combustible cooking fluids such as oils and fats.

Fire Fighting Systems

Any of the systems installed in buildings that are designed to mitigate the unwanted effects of a destructive fire.

Passive Fire Fighting Systems

Integral architectural or structural elements that are built to ensure safety of the occupants & property. (Firewalls, Fire rated doors, Fire exit stairwells and Fire Escape stairs).

Active Fire Fighting Systems

Devices or an assembly of devices that requires sensor triggers or human interaction in order to work. (Fire detection and alarm system)

Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS)

Are group of devices designed to discover fires, alert the building occupants and contact the fire department.

Smoke Detector

Is a sensor device that detects particles in the air caused by smoke and activates an audible or visual alarm.

Heat Detector

Detects fire by sensing temperature increases or fixed temperature thresholds. It’s commonly used in kitchens, garages, boiler rooms, and industrial areas.

Fire Alarm

A device that uses audible and visual signals to warn occupants of a building about a fire, smoke, or other emergencies.

Fire Protection System

A method of active fire fighting that involves the conveyance of water in pipes to extinguish ordelay the spread of fire in a building.

Siamese Connection

An inlet with two or more couplings to which a hose can be attached so that fire engines can pump water into the sprinkler system of a building.

Standpipe

Extends into the building to supply fire fighting water to the interior of the structure via hose outlets, often located between each pair of floors in stairwells in high rise buildings.

Dry Standpipe

Are not filled with water until needed in fire fighting.

Wet Standpipe

Is filled with water and is pressurized at all times. In contrast to dry standpipes, which can be used only by firefighters, it can be used by building occupant.

Fire Hose

Is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to afire to extinguish it.

Fire Sprinkler

Is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded.

Fire Tanks

Are water storage containers that provides water to a firepump.The size of the tank is determined by the flow and duration requirements of the systems the tank issupplying.

Pump Assembly

Comprises a combination of electric motor driven pump, diesel engine driven pump and electric motor driven jockey pumps that supply for fire suppression systems.

Fire Suppression System

A method of active fire fighting and are any product designed to stop a fire from growing and spreading.

Clean Agent

Fire suppression system uses either a chemical or inert gas to suppress a fire at the inception stage before it can grow and is incredibly effective in extinguishing Class A, B, and C fires.

Water Based / Water Mist

Water is housed in a reservoir and or connected to the water supply. The system detects the fire and sprays a water mist or heavier water level to put out the fire.

Fire Extinguishers

Is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish orcontrol small fires, often in emergencies.

Chemical Foam

Is a type of wet sprinkler system that combines both water and a foaming agent for large scale fire extinguishment. This water-based fire sprinkler suppression system can extinguish extensive fires in mere seconds with incredible efficiency

Pressurized Gas System

The gas is kept as a liquid under pressure using liquid nitrogen.When a fire is detected, the system releases the gas, and it has a chemical reaction with the fire to extinguish it.

Foam Deluge

Dispenses large quantities of a fire suppressing fluid- typically either water or foam -very quickly when a fire is detected or the system is manually activated.This starves the fire of oxygen and or fuel, helping to extinguish the flames proactively.

Fire Sprinkler Systems

Is a type of automatic extinguishing system (AES) that prevents fire growth and spread by releasing water through a series of sprinkler heads connected to a distribution piping system.

165 degrees Fahrenheit ____________

Water is released through the sprinkler heads once the surrounding air reaches

Pendent

Fire sprinkler hangs from above ceiling pipes and distributes water in a domed circular pattern.

Upright

Heads project upwards into the open ceiling and have deflectors that spray the water downward for better coverage especially between obstructions like beams or ducts.

Sidewall

Heads stand out from a wall and have a deflector that sprays water away from the wall in a half circle spray pattern. A second deflector also sprays water back toward the wall so that the wall is protected.

Concealed

Heads are recessed in a ceiling and are covered with a decorative cap.The cap will fall away a couple degrees lower prior to activation of the sprinkler. |Once the sprinkler reaches its rated activation temperature,the head will drop below the ceiling.

Deflector

Is the metal plate at the bottom of a fire sprinkler head. When the sprinkler activates (usually due to heat), water is discharged and hits the deflector, which breaks the stream into droplets and directs them in a specific spray pattern to maximize fire suppression coverage.

Glass Bulb

In a fire sprinkler is a small, sealed tube filled with a colored liquid that expands when heated. When the ambient temperature reaches a certain threshold, the liquid expands enough to shatter the bulb, releasing a plug and allowing water to flow.

Frame

Is the outer body or skeleton of a fire sprinkler head. It supports and positions the heat-sensitive element (like a glass bulb), keeps the seal or cap in place, and directs water flow toward the deflector when the sprinkler activates.

Plug

A small component that seals the water outlet of the sprinkler head until it is activated. It is held in place by the glass bulb or fusible link, and when the sprinkler is triggered, the plug is released or blown out, allowing water to flow through the nozzle.

Thead

Is a helical ridge (groove) formed on the external (male) or internal (female) part of a pipe or sprinkler head. Threads allow for tight, leak-proof mechanical connections between components in the sprinkler system.

Orifice

Type of sprinkler that uses a precisely sized opening (orifice) to control the flow of water. The water is forced through this orifice, creating a specific spray pattern and pressure. These sprinklers are often used in irrigation systems to distribute water efficiently over lawns, gardens, or crops.