Subject: [NEXTEL-1] OT- Re: Sprinklers Are Too Slow for Life Safety]

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 12:34:07 -0400

OFF TOPIC-

-------- Original Message --------
From: "marcel_rf1" <[email-masked]>
Subject: [fr2] Re: Sprinklers Are Too Slow for Life Safety

Fast-response residential sprinklers ? How Temperature?

Fire Protection 101A- 

Sprinkler heads come in several flavors starting at approx. 135F to
approx. 165F. Until the room reaches the predetermined 
temperature nothing will happen. Lowering the trip temperature below
135F is dangerous since the chances of false alarms are more 
likely.

What they should have recommended is a "Deluge" system, which is
found in most theaters  in NYC (based on occupancy and other 
conditions under Local Law # 57 under public assembly). This
system requires cross-zoned  (2 or more) smoke detectors or a
waterflow switch to be activated before the water is released 
into the protected area. 

This system is more expensive to install and once activated the
damage is greater because the water is typically delivered in greater
volumes. 

The water is released from multiple heads v.  only heads in the area
of the fire with a conventional sprinkler protection system. Deluge
Systems are VERY effective,  however false alarms will occur and 
the results can be devastating.

Deluge systems are only mandatory in theaters and a few other 
locations.

There are 2 types of smoke detectors commonly used in these system 1)
ionization 2) photoelectric ionization detectors.  Ionization 
detectors are more sensitive than photoelectric and can be triggered
by such things as paint fumes and cleaning solutions. The 
photoelectric detectors require larger particles of smoke in order to
activate, which could translate into lost time and lives.

Both detectors have their problems and it is hard to find a middle of
the road solution. NYC has one of the toughest fire codes in the 
nation including Local Law #5 which requires Smoke detection / Manual
activation devices (pull stations at every path of egress) and 
2-way communication to the Fire Command Station located in the lobby
in certain high rise buildings. The other alternative is chemical 
based fire suppression systems as used in computer rooms and dispatch
centers.

The problem here is the protected area needs to be almost airtight
and in a residential environment this is almost impossible to 
achieve.  The other issue since the days of "Halon" people have been
weary of being in the room when the agent is released because 
they feel it is dangerous to their health and it "Sucks the Air Out
of the Room" .. This is simply not true but many people panic when 
an agent  (Halon or not) is released into the room that they are
located in. Most well designed communication dispatch centers 
utilized some sort of chemical suppression agent to protect the
occupants in the location and the millions of dollars of equipment.

Tomorrow we will examine "Purge Systems" in an residential
environment, does it really suck?. (Only kidding)

Marcel-

BTW- I wish the report indicted how they would increase the reaction
time of smoke detectors and sprinkler system because many of 
us her in the USA would be very interested.

--- In [email-masked], thefullmenotomy@w... wrote:
> SPRINKLER systems too slow to save lives New Zealand Herald -
> Auckland,New Zealand The Fire Service is changing the way it
promotes
> fire safety after a study revealed that sprinkler systems fail when
it
> comes to saving lives. ...

> <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?stor
yID=3565433&thesection=news&thesubsection=general>
> (smoke detectors in addition to fast response sprinkler heads are
> recommended in all high rise apartment buildings due to research by
2
> college students)
> 
> Egads - I live in a fire trap again!

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