Fire codes and fire safety are necessary for every building project. In the event of a fire, people must be able to escape from a building independently. Construction experts at SCS Construction Services ensure fire protection using complex security concepts when building planning. Including fire safety in the construction planning phase provides proper architectural design and prevents expensive retrofitting and other additional costs. But what does fire protection actually mean?
Types of Fire Safety
Preventive and defensive fire safety focuses on protecting or saving lives. Preventive fire protection includes preemptive measures intended to stop fires from starting and spreading.
Defensive fire protection is used if a fire has broken out despite preventive protective measures. This is where the fire department comes into play. Without delay, a firefighting crew extinguishes the fire and then focuses on rescue and recovery while keeping the accompanying damage as low as possible.
Smoke or extinguishing agents can also cause severe damage, so it’s important to have extensive preventive fire protection in your building.
Three Building Blocks of Preventive Fire Safety
Preventive fire protection is divided into structural, system-related, and organizational fire protection. In a new building, it’s the architect’s responsibility to implement the required fire protection measures. On the other hand, the fire protection officers, operators, or owners must deal with the applicable regulations with existing buildings.
Structural Fire Protection
The first component of preventive fire safety is structural fire protection. Your builders plan this in the beginning phases of construction. This requires a fire protection concept adapted to the condition of the building and its use.
An engineer or specialist planner creates the fire protection concept. It Is important to realize the exact authorities vary from state to state. The fire protection plan includes the floor plan, dimensions, the division and number of rooms, and the escape routes. This is particularly helpful for the fire protection officer to keep track of things. In addition, we can always compare the current status with the target status.
Technical Fire Protection
Technical fire protection is preventive, detecting fires at an early stage. This is achievable with the help of technological systems. They minimize the number of fires or eliminate them altogether. Technical fire protection includes:
- Fire extinguishing systems
- Systems for early fire detection
- Smoke and heat extraction systems
- Smoke protection pressure systems
- Automatic escape doors
In addition to early alerts, the technical fire protection also ensures the evacuation of the building by keeping escape routes clear of fire and smoke or preventing the spread of fire. In fact, fire protection systems are vital regardless of whether you’re building a new structure or converting an existing building.
Operational and Organizational Fire Protection
As the name suggests, operational and organizational fire protection includes all measures that are part of the company’s organization. These include, for example, the tasks of the fire protection officer, if there is one in the company. In principle, you can appoint a fire protection officer in every company. Further, fire protection regulations, rescue, escape plans, and the supply of small extinguishing devices are also a focus of operational and organizational fire protection.
Not only do you need to plan buildings and escape routes for emergencies, but the fire safety instructions for employees are also fundamental. Indeed, even the best escape plans are useless if the people in the building don’t know what to do in an emergency. Therefore, train all employees in fire prevention and behavior in the event of a fire. The respective fire protection officers or safety specialists handle this. Besides training, they provide support and advice and can also suggest additional safety measures.
Hiring the Right Construction Professionals to Ensure Fire Safety
The fire protection concept is a crucial part of fire protection planning. It contains important legal bases and essential building law requirements for fire protection planning and the planning objectives and deviations from building law regulations.
At SCS Constructions, we can help you meet fire safety requirements. Call us today at 317-272-0129 to discuss your building plans, goals, and budget.
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