Fire Protection

The primary objective of fire protection engineering is to safeguard lives, property, and the organization’s mission continuity. The philosophy of fire protection centers on having a detection, notification, and alarm system that is linked to a suppression system, whether manual or automatic. The sooner a fire is detected, the faster the fire protection systems can be activated to mitigate its effects. Historically, detection and alarm systems have been the first line of defense once ignition has occurred. That said, practical considerations suggest that a detection, notification, and alarm system must be operational, and that on-site personnel must be properly trained.

The characteristics of the facility will determine the type of protection best suited to your needs and the mitigation of its effects (airborne particles, toxic gases, and heat-related effects); this will depend on thorough planning of quantitative risk assessments (QRA) as well as fire hazard and risk analyses (FHA/FRA). These must take into account all necessary measures to respond promptly in terms of occupants, assets, and property in general. Pre-planning for emergency response must cover all aspects of the fire protection value chain, including escape routes, evacuation plans, and mitigation technology, whether manual or automatic.