BC Ch. 6 Defintions

Fire Protection Systems and Concepts

• Air Flow in Fire Protection: High air velocity is employed to stop smoke movement in a fire zone.
• Automatic-Wet Standpipe System: Always attached to a water supply which meets system demand continuously.
• Carbon Dioxide System: Suited for areas where water could damage materials; suppresses fires effectively.
• Clean Agent System: Utilizes gaseous agents that leave no residue after extinguishing fire.
• Compartmentation: Divides buildings into smaller areas to limit fire and smoke spread.
• Conflagrations: Large, rapidly spreading fires that are overwhelming for typical fire department response.
• Critical Radiant Flux (CRF): Refers to the external radiant heat energy threshold necessary to stop flame spread.
• Demand Area in Sprinkler Systems: Designated area expected to activate the most sprinklers based on design standards.
• Density in Fire Protection: Measured as the water application rate (gpm/ft²) for firefighting efficiency.
• Dry Chemical System: Automatically releases a dry agent to combat fires without water.

Safety Measures and Building Design

• Egress: Adequate exits must be available within buildings to ensure safety.
• Fire Barriers: Typically rated for 1- to 2-hours, enclosing hazardous spaces to contain fire.
• Fire Dampers: Prevent fire from spreading through HVAC systems by blocking paths.
• Fire Partitions: Create fire-resistant corridors and separate spaces in buildings, especially in malls.
• Fireproofing: Application of materials to structures enhancing resistance to fire.
• Fire-Rated Materials: Classified based on their ability (in hours) to withstand standardized fire tests.
• Fire Resistance Rating: Indicates the duration a structure can withstand fire exposure without failure.
• Fire Retardant: Substances that help delay or prevent combustion in materials.

Structural Fire Safety

• Firewall: A rigid, fire-resistant assembly designed to segment large structures, rated for 2- to 4-hours.
• Flameproof: Indicates materials that are resistant to catching fire easily.
• Flammable: Materials that are easily ignited and burn rapidly.
• Foam System: Combines foam with water to suppress certain types of fires efficiently.
• Halon System: Manages halogenated agents carefully to prevent atmospheric release.
• Horizontal Exits: Fire-rated walls that provide alternative safety zones on the same level.
• Houseline: Class II standpipe providing a minimum of 100 gpm, designed for trained fire personnel.

Fire Protection Equipment

• Inherent Fire Resistance: Resistance attributed to the structural material itself without additional treatment.
• Initiating Device: Triggers alarms; includes smoke detectors and manual pull stations.
• Listing: A record of fire-rated assemblies tested and deemed compliant by labs.
• Manual-Dry Standpipe System: Lacks a fixed water supply; manually operated.
• Manual-Wet Standpipe System: Maintains water but does not meet full system demand.
• Noncombustible: Materials that do not aid combustion under foreseeable conditions.
• Peened: Refers to the attachment of monitoring devices to structural elements.

Additional Fire Safety Systems

• Purge: Removes combustibles from an area, replacing them with non-flammable substances.
• Remote Annunciator: Signals conditions in fire systems through visual and audible cues.
• Semiautomatic-Dry Standpipe System: Requires manual control to supply water while connected to a water source.
• Silence Switch in Alarms: Mutes alarms while keeping the system active for safety.
• Smoke Barrier: Limits smoke spread with a 1-hour fire-rated structure.
• Smoke Control System: Uses pressure differences to manage smoke dispersion during fire events.
• Stairwell Pressurization System: Maintains a positive pressure in stairwells to keep them clear during fires.
• Steiner Tunnel Test: Measures material flammability by assessing smoke spread potential.