Standardizing fire alarm panels Freestone, Ann Responding to the needs of the fire service, NFPA is considering new requirements to standardize icons on fire alarm panels, making them more firefighter-friendly. * Ann Freestone If you were in a foreign country and had to rent a car, chances are you’d be able to figure out the […]
How to use foam systems Hague, David R justask NFPA 11 offers guidelines for dealing with environmental issues and regulations. Low-, medium-, and high-expansion foam systems present a variety of challenges. Here’s how NFPA standards can help. Given the withdrawal of 3M Corporation from the market, can I use another manufacturer’s foam concentrate in my […]
Panic hardware & fire exit hardware Carson, Chip We all use it, but how does the Life Safety Code® define it? PANIC HARDWARE is defined by NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® as “A door-latching assembly incorporating an actuating member or bar that releases the latch bolt upon the application of a force in the direction […]
Teenagers injured while making napalm Tremblay, Kenneth J Two teenaged boys were burned as they tried to make homemade napalm using a recipe they copied from the Internet. The mixture ignited, and flames spread to kitchen cabinets in the singlefamily home. News acounts said that the boys, ages 13 and 14, received first- and second-degree […]
Emergency alarm communications systems Moore, Wayne D How do today’s fire safety requirements for high-rises differ from earlier requirements? Fire safety in high-rise buildings has nagged many in the fire protection community for more than 30 years. When high-rises were first built, fire safety experts felt that their concrete– and-steel construction made them inherently safe. […]
Computerized design challenges Foo, Simon Complying with the codes in a performance-based environment requires a review of methodologies used to produce the designs. WITH THE RELEASE OF the 2000 edition of NFPA 101(R), Life Safety Code(R), NFPA entered the age of performance-based codes and performance-based design. As a result, Life Safety Code users must learn […]
Fire Protection and Safety Almand, Kathleen H In this anniversary year, we prepare for the next 25 years. This year, the Fire Protection Research Foundation celebrates its 25th year supporting the research needs of the fire protection community. Our mission is “to plan, manage, and communicate research in support of the NFPA mission.” While we […]
Challenges in aircraft hangar design Manley, Bonnie E NFPA 5000(TM) balances demands for structural safety and economics in aircraft hangars. Building in today’s world is, in a word, challenging. And NFPA 5000(TM), Building Construction and Safety Code(TM), has risen to the occasion by giving owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and building officials the flexibility to design […]
What’s new in sprinklers Seaton, Michelle The explosion in specialized sprinklers is creating greater protection options at lower cost. But it’s also introducing new challenges the fire safety community will have to address in the coming decade. For most of the industry’s history, the primary task of the sprinkler manufacturer was to design a generic […]
Assembly: Sprinkler controls natural-gas fire Tremblay, Kenneth J COLORADO A restaurant that was closed for the night suffered minor damage when a single sprinkler controlled a natural-gas kitchen fire. The fire marshal later stated that the sprinklers and other required fire protection features allowed the firefighters into the building quickly by detecting the fire’s presence, […]