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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
A fire fighting system is probably the most important of the building services, as its aim is to
protect human life and property, strictly in that order.
It consists of three basic parts:
• a large store of water in tanks, either underground
or on top of the building, called fire storage tanks
• a specialised pumping system,
• a large network of pipes ending in
either hydrants or sprinklers (nearly
all buildings require both of these systems)
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE STORAGE TANKS
The amount of water in the fire storage tanks is determined by the hazard level of the project under
consideration. Most building codes have at least three levels, namely,
• Light Hazard (such as schools, residential buildings and offices),
• Ordinary Hazard (such as most factories and warehouses), and
• High Hazard (places which store or use flammable materials like foam factories, aircraft hangars, paint
factories, fireworks factories).
The relevant building code lists which type of structure falls in each category. The quantity of water to be
stored is usually given in hours of pumping capacity. In system with a capacity of one hour, the tanks are
made large enough to supply the fire with water for a period of one hour when the fire pumps are switched
on. For example, building codes may require light hazard systems to have one hour’s capacity and high
hazard 3 or 4 hours capacity.
The water is usually stored in concrete underground tanks. It is essential to ensure that this store of water
always remains full, so it must have no outlets apart from the ones that lead to the fire pumps. These tanks
are separate from the tanks used to supply water to occupants, which are usually called domestic water
tanks. Designers will also try and ensure that the water in the fire tanks does not get stagnant and develop
algae, which could clog the pipes and pumps, rendering the system useless in a fire.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE PUMPING SYSTEM
Fire pumps are usually housed in a pump room very close to the fire tanks. The key thing is that the pumps
should be located at a level just below the bottom of the fire tank, so that all the water in the tanks can flow
into the pumps by gravity.
Like all important systems, there must be backup pumps in case the main pump fails. There is a main pump
that is electric, a backup pump that is electric, and a second backup pump that is diesel-powered, in case the
electricity fails, which is common. Each of these pumps is capable of pumping the required amount of water
individually - they are identical in capacity.
There is also a fourth type of pump
called a jockey pump. This is a small
pump attached to the system that
continually switches on to maintain the
correct pressure in the distribution
systems, which is normally 7 Kg/cm2 or
100 psi. If there is a small leakage
somewhere in the system, the jockey
pump will switch on to compensate for
it. Each jockey pump will also have a
backup.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE PUMPING SYSTEM
•The pumps are controlled by pressure sensors. When a fire fighter opens a hydrant, or when a sprinkler
comes on, water gushes out of the system and the pressure drops. The pressure sensors will detect this drop
and switch the fire pumps on. But the only way to switch off a fire pump is for a fire fighter to do this
manually in the pump room. This is an international code of practice that is designed to avoid the pumps
switching off due to any malfunction in the control system.
The capacity of the pumps is decided by considering a number of factors, some of which are:
the area covered by hydrants / standpipes and sprinklers
•the number of hydrants and sprinklers
•the assumed area of operation of the sprinklers
•the type and layout of the building
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The distribution system consists of steel or
galvanised steel pipes that are painted red. These
can be welded together to make secure joints, or
attached with special clamps. When running
underground, they are wrapped with a special
coating that prevents corrosion and protects the
pipe.
There are basically two types of distribution
systems
Automatic Wet systems are networks of pipes
filled with water connected to the pumps and
storage tanks, as described so far.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Automatic Dry systems are networks of
pipes filled with pressurized air instead of
water. When a fire fighter opens a hydrant, the
pressurized air will first rush out. The pressure
sensors in the pump room will detect a drop in
pressure, and start the water pumps, which will
pump water to the system, reaching the
hydrant that the fire fighter is holding after a
gap of some seconds. This is done wherever
there is a risk of the fire pipes freezing if
filled with water, which would make them
useless in a fire.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Some building codes also allow manual distribution
systems that are not connected to fire pumps and
fire tanks. These systems have an inlet for fire
engines to pump water into the system. Once the
fire engines are pumping water into the distribution
system, fire fighters can then open hydrants at the
right locations and start to direct water to the fire.
The inlet that allows water from the fire engine into
the distribution system is called a siamese
connection.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
In high-rise buildings it is
mandatory that each staircase
have a wet riser, a vertical fire
fighting pipe with a hydrant at
every floor. It is important that the
distribution system be designed
with a ring main, a primary loop
that is connected to the pumps so
that there are two routes for water
to flow in case one side gets
blocked.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
In more complex and dangerous installations, high and medium velocity water-spray systems and foam
systems (for hazardous chemicals) are used. The foam acts like an insulating blanket over the top of a
burning liquid, cutting off its oxygen. Special areas such as server rooms, the contents of which would be
damaged by water, use gas suppression systems. In these an inert gas is pumped into the room to cut off the
oxygen supply of the fire.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
When you design a fire fighting system, remember the following:
▪ Underground tanks: water must flow from the municipal supply first to the firefighting tanks and then to
the domestic water tanks. This is to prevent stagnation in the water. The overflow from the firefighting to
the domestic tanks must be at the top, so that the firefighting tanks remain full at all times. Normally, the
firefighting water should be segregated into two tanks, so that if one is cleaned there is some water in the
other tank should a fire occur.
▪ It is also possible to have a system in which the firefighting and the domestic water are in a common
tank. In this case, the outlets to the fire pumps are located at the bottom of the tank and the outlets to the
domestic pumps must be located at a sufficient height from the tank floor to ensure that the full quantity of
water required for firefighting purposes is never drained away by the domestic pumps. The connection
between the two tanks is through the suction header, a large diameter pipe that connects all the fire
pumps in the pump room. Therefore there is no need to provide any sleeve in the common wall between
the two firefighting tanks.
▪ The connection from each tank to the suction header should be placed in a sump; if the connection is
placed say 300mm above the tank bottom without a sump, then a 300mm high pool of water will remain in
the tank, meaning that the entire volume of the tank water will not be useable, to which the Fire Officer will
object.
▪ Ideally the bottom of the firefighting pump room should be about 1m below the bottom of the tank. This
arrangement ensures positive suction for the pumps, meaning that they will always have some water in
them.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
When you design a fire fighting system, remember the following:
▪ All pump rooms should without fail have an arrangement for floor drainage; pumps always leak. The best
way to do this is to slope the floor towards a sump, and install a de-watering pump if the water cannot flow
out by gravity.
▪ In cases where there is an extreme shortage of space, one may use submersible pumps for firefighting.
This will eliminate the need for a firefighting pump room.
▪ Create a special shaft for wet risers next to each staircase. About 800 x 1500 mm should suffice. It is
better to provide this on the main landing rather than the mid landing, as the hoses will reach further onto
the floor.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE HYDRANT
A fire hydrant is a vertical steel pipe with an outlet, close to which one or two fire hoses are stored (A fire
hydrant is called a standpipe in America). During a fire, firefighters will go to the outlet, break open the hoses,
attach one to the outlet, and manually open it so that water rushes out of the nozzle of the hose. The quantity
and speed of the water is so great that it can knock over the firefighter holding the hose if he is not standing in
the correct way. As soon as the fire fighter opens the hydrant, water will gush out, and sensors will detect a
drop in pressure in the system. This drop in pressure will trigger the fire pumps to turn on and start pumping
water at a tremendous flowrate.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
SPRINKLER
A sprinkler is a nozzle attached to a network of pipes, and installed just below the ceiling of a room. Every
sprinkler has a small glass bulb with a liquid in it. This bulb normally blocks the flow of water. In a fire, the
liquid in the bulb will become hot. It will then expand, and shatter the glass bulb, removing the obstacle and
causing water to spray from the sprinkler. The main difference between a hydrant and a sprinkler is that a
sprinkler will come on automatically in a fire. A fire hydrant has to be operated manually by trained
firefighters - it cannot be operated by laymen. A sprinkler will usually be activated very quickly in a fire -
possibly before the fire station has been informed of the fire - and therefore is very effective at putting out a
fire in the early stages, before it grows into a large fire. For this reason, a sprinkler system is considered very
good at putting out fires before they spread and become unmanageable. According to the NFPA of America,
hotels with sprinklers suffered 78% less property damage from fire than hotels without in a study in the mid-
1980s.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
SPRINKLER PIPING MATERIALS
The most commonly used steel pipe for sprinkler systems is black steel pipe. Copper tubing is another piping
material listed for sprinklers in NFPA 13. Also, plastic pipe (namely, CPVC and PEX tubing) is permitted for
certain types of sprinkler systems.
Steel Pipe
Steel pipe has long been the mainstay of piping materials for sprinkler piping
systems. Steel is considered strong, durable and resistant to fire. With a
melting point of about 2,700°F, steel pipe can withstand the heat within a
burning building.
Copper Tubing
Copper tubing is another piping material listed for sprinkler use in NFPA
13. The three copper tubing standards listed are ASTM B75, ASTM B88
and ASTM B251. The copper tubing can be either Type K, L or M. The
type indicates the wall thickness, with Type M being the lightest wall and
Type K being the heaviest wall thickness. The minimum size tubing
Plastic Pipe required for copper sprinkler systems is 3/4 inch.
Plastic pipe also is permitted for certain types of sprinkler
systems. The plastic pipe is required to be listed by a testing
agency. NFPA 13 identifies CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride)
and PB (polybutylene) as acceptable plastic piping materials.
While PB is listed in NFPA 13, the piping material has not been
available in North America for approximately 15 years. The CPVC
used in sprinkler installations is also called Blazemaster. The pipe
is orange in color.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Fire extinguishers are designed to tackle specific types of fire. There are six different classes of fire and
several different types of fire extinguishers.
Classes of fire Types of extinguishers
•Class A - fires involving solid
materials such as wood, paper or
textiles.
•Class B - fires involving flammable
liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.
•Class C - fires involving gases.
•Class D - fires involving metals.
•Class E - fires involving live
electrical apparatus. (Technically
‘Class E’ doesn’t exists however this
is used for convenience here)
•Class F - fires involving cooking oils
such as in deep-fat fryers.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
SMOKE AND FIRE SENSORS
A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial security
devices issue a signal to a fire alarm control panel as part of a fire alarm system, while household smoke
detectors, also known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible or visual alarm from the detector
itself or several detectors if there are multiple smoke detectors interlinked.
Smoke detectors are housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about 150 millimetres (6 in) in
diameter and 25 millimetres (1 in) thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be detected either optically
(photoelectric) or by physical process (ionization); detectors may use either, or both, methods. Sensitive
alarms can be used to detect, and thus deter, smoking in areas where it is banned. Smoke detectors in large
commercial, industrial, and residential buildings are usually powered by a central fire alarm system, which is
powered by the building power with a battery backup. Domestic smoke detectors range from individual
battery-powered units, to several interlinked mains-powered units with battery backup; with these interlinked
units, if any unit detects smoke, all trigger even if household power has gone out.
The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in
half in homes with working smoke
alarms. The US National Fire
Protection Association reports 0.53
deaths per 100 fires in homes with
working smoke alarms compared to
1.18 deaths without (2009–2013).
Some homes do not have any smoke
alarms, some alarms do not have
working batteries; sometimes the alarm
fails to detect the fire.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE ALARMS
The two main types of fire alarm systems are conventional and addressable. The various components that
make up these systems are either automatic or manual. The following information will help you decide what
type of fire alarm system will work best in your facility.
Type 1: Conventional Fire Alarm
Conventional fire alarm systems and
its components are all wired to the
same cable that connects them to a
fire alarm control panel. The control
panel displays a signal when these
components activate. These types of
systems are inexpensive and work well
in small facilities. The main problem
with conventional fire alarm systems is
that when a fire alarm component
produces a signal and it appears on
the control panel there is no way to
know which component it is in the
building. If you foresee this to be a
problem you may want to consider an
addressable fire alarm system.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE ALARMS
Type 2: Addressable Fire Alarm
Addressable fire alarm systems are the most modern type of system and its components have individual
unique identifiers. When one of the system’s components initiates, it indicates the component’s address on
the fire alarm panel. Large facilities utilize these systems because they can quickly pinpoint where the trouble
signal originated. This saves a lot of time because it eliminates the need to search for the component that
produced the signal.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS AND IOT
FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS
For years, first responders relied on paper maps to reach a fire in an apartment building or office. Incomplete
information would delay firefighters from arriving at an emergency, and false alarms would set them on the
wrong path altogether. Dispatchers in 911 centers would receive erroneous information on a problem with a
smoke detector rather than a sprinkler switch. “It gets to the point where you don't even trust the data,”
Now cloud computing, mobile apps, edge computing and IoT gateways will enable fire safety personnel to
gain visibility into how to reach an emergency.
Remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities of an IoT system help firefighters know where to position
personnel and trucks in advance. An IoT system tells fire personnel the locations of a smoke detector going
off, a heat detector sending signals or a water flow switch being activated. “You can see a map of the building
with the actual location identified where the fire really is, and you can actually watch it spread if you have
enough sensors,”.
IoT will make systems in commercial buildings work together like Amazon’s Alexa controls lights, thermostats
and audio/video (AV) equipment in a home, Curtis said. An IoT system could shut down an HVAC system or
put elevators in fire mode if smoke is blowing around a building. A mobile app populated with sensor data can
provide visibility into emergency systems and how to control specific locations in a building. It provides a
holistic view of sensors, controls and fire panels.
Firefighters speeding to the scene will know what floor the fire is on and which sensors the emergency
triggered. They’ll also learn how many people are in the building, and which entrance to use when they get
there. “The more sensors and different types of sensors means earlier detection and greater resolution as
well as greater precision on exactly where the fire is and how it is moving,”.
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FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS AND IOT
How IoT Fire Detection Works
Honeywell introduced a cloud platform for its Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS) that allows first
responders to access data on a fire system before they get to an emergency. It’s now possible to evaluate the
condition of devices and get essential data about an emergency in real time using a mobile app.
The CLSS cloud platform connects to an IoT gateway at a central station, which collects data from sensors
around a building. CLSS transmits data on the building location that generated the alarm to fire departments.
It also provides a history of detector signals over the previous 24 hours and indicates whether the smoke
detector had previously triggered a false alarm. Smart fire IoT platforms like CLSS indicate precisely where
an emergency is occurring and will enable firefighters to take the right equipment to the correct location.
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FIRE CODE
NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) Codes
Fire Code of the Philippines
RA 9514, IRR – 26 June 2009
Building Codes (International and Local)
**Please PM Arch. David C. Barcelona for access to these books**
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THANK YOU!
