Categories of Fire Protection Systems

Fire Sprinkler System

• Fire sprinkler systems run pipes through the ceilings of buildings, with sprinklers releasing spurts of water to put out fires by separating heat from oxygen and by cooling the fire. The sprinklers must connect to a fire detection system to immediately release water at around 10 psi. Sprinklers only need enough force for gravity to drop the water on the flames. Pipes are either made of plastic or steel.

Pull Alarms

• Pull systems allow anyone to pull a fire alarm. Normally, facilities place these near exits so that occupants can pull the alarm on the way out. Pulling the handle sets off an audible alarm that alerts everyone in the building of the fire and also sends an electronic signal to a local fire department and also often a main office in the facility. Some pull systems have covers that you lift, designed to prevent moisture from damaging the pull switch. For the visually impaired, pull systems often have braille signs.

Smoke Detectors

• Fires burn materials, releasing smoke into the air that fortunately can alert those who smell the smoke. Smoke detectors also detect the smoke and dust, setting off both an alarm and sometimes send a signal to a fire department. Heat detectors can actually identify high temperatures indicative of fires. These systems sometimes have false alarms, especially when someone burns food while cooking. Some alarms have strobe lights that alert the hearing impaired to fires.

Fireproofing Materials

• Some buildings have fireproofing materials that resist combustion, keeping the building from burning in the first place. These materials are either fiber-based or foam materials, including fiberglass, polymeric materials, glass wood, cellulose fibers and ceramic material. Fireproof materials do not conduct heat easily and won't degrade unless heated at high temperatures.

Fire Extinguishers

• Fire extinguishers allow those trapped in a building to escape by spraying a material that either cools the fire or separates it from its fuel source. Three different types of fire extinguishers put out three different fires: combustible material, liquid and electrical fires. These fire extinguishers are not designed to fully put out large fires, but are rather designed to aid in escape, since the extinguisher will run out of fuel quickly.

Fire Escapes

• Since fires can start suddenly, trapping someone, fire escape ladders allow for escape when the fire blocks the stairway. Through emergency exits, evacuees climb down a ladder that extends towards the ground. Besides buildings, some vehicles have emergency escapes such as buses.