Estimates of the Operational Reliability of Fire Protection Systems

Fire protection strategies are designed and installed to perform specific functions. For example, a fire sprinkler system is expected to control or extinguish fires: To accomplish this, the system sprinklers must open, and the required amount of water to achieve control or extinguishment must be delivered to the fire location. A fire detection system is intended to provide sufficient early warning of a fire to permit occupant notification and escape, fire service notification, and in some cases activation of other fire protection features (e.g., special extinguishing systems, smoke management systems). Both system activation (detection) and notification (alarm) must occur to achieve early warning. Construction compartmentation is generally designed to limit the extent of fire spread as well as to maintain the building’s structural integrity as well as tenability along escape routes for some specified period of time. In order to accomplish this, the construction features must be fire “rated” (based on standard tests) and the integrity of the features maintained.