Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It is made up of three (3) components, these components are:
Component of the Fire Protection System
1. Active fire protection (AFP):
This is characterized by items and systems, which require a certain amount of motion and response in order to work. Examples include – Use of fire suppression system like fire extinguisher and sprinkler system, Construction and maintenance fire structures, hypoxic air fire prevention and the use of fire detection devices.
2. Passive fire protection (PFP):
It attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors.
3. Fire prevention:
This includes minimizing ignition sources, as well as educating the occupants and operators of the facility, ship or structure concerning operation and maintenance of fire-related systems for correct function, and emergency procedures.
Difference Between Fire Protection and Fire Prevention
Fire protection involves a combination of different fire safety equipment and procedures to defend your property line from fire while fire prevention involves adopting measures to stop fire from igniting.
Fire protection plan (FPP): Provides you with detailed floor plans of the building that shows all exits, doors, corridors and partitions serving as fire barriers and also feature all fire barriers with ratings. The other part to the FPP is the narrative portion. This narrative touches on all forms of safety systems and features in the building such as places of assembly, location of fire command stations and alarm systems.
Fire prevention involves the following:
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- Teaching people about fire hazards, safe practices, and how to use fire safety equipment effectively.
- Identifying potential fire hazards in buildings, workplaces, or public spaces, and taking steps to eliminate or minimize them.
- Ensuring that buildings, facilities, and processes comply with fire safety codes and standards to reduce fire risks.
- Raising awareness among the general public about fire safety practices and the importance of fire prevention measures.
The goal of fire prevention is to eliminate or reduce the factors that could lead to a fire, thus minimizing the risk of property damage, injury, and loss of life.
Fire protection design: This helps to protect the building against fire either actively, passively or through fire prevention. The design work through either of these 3 blueprint:
- Fire Detection.
- Alarms and notification for fire, and
- Fire Suppression.
Fire protection involves:
- Installing smoke detectors, heat detectors, and fire alarms to alert occupants in case of a fire.
- Installing fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and other suppression systems to control or extinguish fires once they start.
- Developing plans and procedures for safely evacuating buildings in the event of a fire, as well as training occupants on how to respond to fire emergencies.
- Constructing buildings with fire-resistant materials and designing fire-resistant barriers to contain fires and prevent them from spreading.
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