FIRE FIGHTING IN

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

SNEHA COUTINHODHWANI KARIASONALI DESHMUKHPRIYANKA BHAGATDHWANI KARIA

CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDINGS• GROUP A-RESIDENTIAL

• GROUP B-EDUCATIONAL

• GROUP C-INSTITUTIONAL

• GROUP D-ASSEMBLY

• GROUP E- BUSINESS

• GROUP F-MERCANTILE

• GROUP G-INDUSTRIAL

• GROUP H-STORAGE

• GROUP I-HAZARDOUS

• GROUP D, GROUP E AND GROUP F ARE INCLUDED IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

GROUP D: theatres, motion picture houses, assembly halls, auditoria, exhibition halls, museums, skating rinks, gymnasiums, restaurants, places of worship, dance halls, club rooms, passenger stations and terminals of air, surface and marine public transportation services, recreation piers and stadia, etc.GROUP E: halls, town halls, court houses and libraries shall be classified in this group so far as the principal function of these is transaction of public business and keeping of books and records.GROUP F: These include any building or part of a building, which is used as shops, stores, market, for display and sale of merchandise, either wholesale or retail.

COMMERCIAL VS RESIDENTIAL

MAIN REASONS WHY COMMERCIAL FIRES SHOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM RESIDENTIAL FIRES1.Commercial buildings lack the compartmented features of a house2.Hidden fire3.Access, egress & ventilation:4.In a residential building, we have a relatively small area to search. We also have more available access and egress points, as well as a better ability to ventilate the search area

• BMC and Fire Brigade rules for buildings with glass facades:1. Every floor must have a two-way opening measuring 5×5 ft in the wall, as access points for rescue

workers. They must properly labelled as ‘Emergency Exit’.2. The distance between building structure and glass facade must not be more than 300 mm3. Smoke seals made of non-combustible material must be laid between building structure and glass

facade.4. To restrict spread of fire, there must be an automatic water curtain system on each floor5. Each ceiling must have a pop-up vent, which can be easily reached from the floor, to be integrated

with the smoke detection system6. All glass walls must not have any coating of combustible materials like plastic, and must be

designed to resist fire for atleast 2 hours

• As per Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, for buildings:1. The owner or occupier has to furnish to the Chief Fire Officer, a certificate issued by a Licensed

Agency regarding compliance of the fire prevention and safety measures in the building, twice every year, in January and July.

2. The Chief Fire Officer can report deviations in the Inspection report of the building and issue a notice thereafter directing removal of objects that will cause the risk of fire. The deviations can be rectified by the owner. The Chief Fire Officer can also take the assistance of the local police station to ensure compliance and then issue NOC under section 390 and 394 of BMC Act

• As per the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, Section 3(1), Schedule I, pages 29-37:

1. Fire Extinguishers are required at prominent places2. Hose reel, Wet Riser, Down comer, Sprinkler systems, courtyard hydrant, Smoke and Fire Alarm

System (manual or automatic) may be required3. Underground static water storage tank is required (depending on the type of the building) with a

corresponding water pump4. A separate terrace tank is required to store water to fight fire; along with a corresponding booster

pump on the terrace5. Sand buckets have to be installed at prominent places6. Floor indicators and signages for fire alarms and fire extinguishers have to be given in lobbies,

staircases, refuge areas and any other escape routes.7. Proper training of fire fighting system, including operation of water pumps, must be given to

security personnel8. Self closing devices must be used in staircase doors9. Waste and scrap materials must be cleared immediately from staircase and lobbies.10. Terrace door must not be kept locked11. Mock fire drills must be conducted at regular intervals (ideally 2 times in a year)

HEAT DETECTORS•A 'heat detector is a fire alarm device designed to respond when the convected thermal energy of a fire increases the temperature of a heat sensitive element. •Two types : "rate-of-rise" and "fixed temperature.“•Heat detectors are not meant to replace smoke detectors. A heat detector will nonetheless notify of a fire in a kitchen or utility area (i.e., laundry room, garage, or attic), where smoke detectors should not be installed. This will allow extra time to evacuate the building or to put out the fire if possible.

TYPES OF HEAT DETECTORSFixed temperature •when the heat sensitive alloy reaches the a point changing state from a solid to a liquid. •The most common fixed temperature point for electrically connected heat detectors is 136.4°F (58°C). •Technological developments have enabled the perfection of detectors that activate at a temperature of 117°F (47°C), increasing the available reaction time and margin of safety.

Rate-of-Rise (ROR)• heat detectors can operate at a lower temperature fire condition than would be possible if the threshold were fixed. •Detector responds when first’s temperature increases relative to the other.

SMOKE DETECTORS• A smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. • 150 millimetres (6 in) in diameter and 25 millimetres (1 in) thick.• Smoke detectors in large commercial, industrial, and residential buildings • usually powered by a central fire alarm system, which is powered by the building power with a

battery backup

IONIZATION: In this type radioactive source is used to ionize the air within sensing chambers.

PHOTOELECTRIC :In this type principle of

reflected or scattered light is used to indicate

the presence of visual smoke.

IONIZATION DETECTOR and PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE DETECTOR

ALARM INITIATIVE DEVICES:MANUAL FIRE ALARM BOXES:• should be installed at unobstructed, readily accessible locations throughout the protected area with

at least one box on each floor• Travel distance to a box should not exceed 200 ft. from any point in the area• The operable part of each manual fire alarm box shall be not less than 42 in. (1.07 m) and not more

than 48 in. (1.22 m) above floor level and• the box location should be positioned in the normal path of exit from the area• The mounting surface shall be of a contrasting colorTypes of Manual Fire Alarm Boxes (Stations) a. Non-coded - Contains a normally open or closed switch that is housed within a distinctive enclosure- Once actuated, the box must be reset to restore the unit to normalb. Coded - Contains a mechanically or electrically driven motor, or an electronic pulse generator- When activated, the motor turns a code wheel causing contacts to momentarily open or close or the

pulse generator operates to reproduce the code of the box- The box is required to repeat its code a minimum of three timesc. Breakglass - To initiate an alarm, one must first break glass or some other element- The purpose is to identify which box was operated and to discourage tampering with the box when

there is no fire to report

c. Non-Breakglass -A manual fire alarm box that does not have a breakglass feature d. Single Action -A single action of breaking a glass or other frangible element or pulling a leaver or other movable part initiates an alarm e. Double Action -Two actions are necessary to initiate an alarm-Either break a glass to open a door or lift a cover to gain access to a switch or lever to initiate an alarm-Manual fire alarm boxes may be used for the following types of systems: General Alarm When activated, the fire alarm evacuation signals sound immediately throughout the premises

RESIDENTIAL:•TYPES OF FIRE ALARMS IN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES:•smoke detector used in residential properties:

a.photoelectric :-use light beams, which cause a reduction in light passing to a photocell if smoke is present

b.ionisation-work by ionisation reactions inside the alarm being disrupted by the presence of smoke particles-In a residential setting, photoelectric alarms are more responsive to smouldering fires whereas ionisation detectors are better for fl aming fires-Photoelectric tend to be more commonly used in homes, as they are quick to detect smoke coming from burning fabrics and furnishingsPOSITIONING AND SIZE OF RESIDENTIAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM:a.tend to be fairly small and simpleb.usually consist of one or two smoke or heat detectors fitted in a central location or near to areas that pose a greater risk of fire, such as kitchens-Where there are compartmented areas, such as a block of flats, smoke detectors will needed to be fitted in each flat and ideally these should be interlinked

COMMERCIAL:COMMERCIAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS:• Size, positioning and interlinking of commercial fire alarms• usually much bigger and more complex than in residential applications• With larger sized buildings such as big office blocks or retail areas, fire alarm systems will need careful design

and planning, with a full fire risk assessment taking place before installation• Fire detectors will need to be spread out across buildings, with several in each main area as required to provide

full coverage – so that anywhere a fire starts, the alarm will be able to quickly alert people to the danger• All fire alarms or sub components of such need to be interlinked together with a central control panel, which

should ideally be monitored around the clock• These systems should preferably be addressable, so that the exact location of the fire can be pinpointed

FIRE ALARM ACTIVATION POINTS:• As well as detecting fire, call points will be needed in commercial buildings • These trigger points, are usually activated by the user breaking a glass which will sound the alarm• With the types of fire alarm systems used in commercial premises, there is more flexibility provided with the

central control panelDIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRE ALARM USED IN COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT:• These include wireless or radio fire alarms, VESDA and voice alarms with built-in public address systems.• Voice systems allow public announcements to be made, which can speed up evacuation and save lives• Wireless and radio fire alarms Large buildings will require wireless or radio fire alarms. The advantage of these is that they do

not need hardwiring and can cover a large range of up to 1.5k• VESDA VESDAs (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus) is a type of alarm system that constantly samples air and processes

it looking for smoke, as opposed to waiting for smoke to be detected – which is the way that most conventional fire detectors work

• These systems are essential for more sensitive applications, where there are a large number of people gathered

FIRE ALARM CONTROL PANEL

The Fire Alarm Control panel should normally be sited in an area as follows: •Preferably in an area of low fire risk and on the ground floor by the entrance•located in an area common to all building users and where automatic detection is in use,• the Control Panel should be in a protected area.

• A Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP), or Fire Alarm Control Unit (FACU), is the controlling component of a Fire Alarm System.

HEAT AND SMOKE VENTS

• Heat and Smoke Vents are installed in buildings as an active fire protection measure • They are openings in the roof which are intended to vent the heat and smoke developed by a fire inside the building by the action

of buoyancy, such that they are known as "gravity vents".

REASONS TO ADD VENTS• Storage occupancies - The heat release rate from high piled storage commodities is expected to be

very high. In such cases, it is considered by some fire protection professionals desirable to vent the heat from the building if the temperatures in the building reaches sufficiently high levels to endanger the structural stability of the roof system.

• Smoke venting is also considered to provide a minor benefit to increase the visibility in the interior space to facilitate manual fire fighting efforts for a limited period of time.

• The use of vents in sprinklered buildings has been controversial over the last 25 years. Vent technology and sprinkler technology were developed independently of one another. Their interaction as beneficial technologies working together has not been successfully demonstrated. Many fire protection professionals are concerned that vents may cause sprinkler systems to fail to control a fire.

• Large internal volume spaces – Venting smoke from large spaces which regularly contain large numbers of people, such as malls and atria

HOSE REEL • Hose reel system is intended for the occupant to use during the early

stages of a fire and comprises hose reel pumps, fire storage tank, hose reels, pipe work and valves.

• A typical hose reel installation is shown.

TYPES OF HOSEAttack Hose •is a fabric-covered, bring water from the fire pumper to the nozzle. •inside diameter from1.5 to 3 in (38 to 76 mm) •designed to operate at pressures up to about 400 psi (2,760 k Pa). •The standard length is 50 ft. (15.24 m). Supply and relay Hose •is large-diameter, fabric-covered, bring water from a distant hydrant to the fire pumper or to relay water from one pumper to another over a long distance. •nominal inside diameter from 3.5 to 5.0 in (89 to 127 mm). • designed to operate at pressures up to about 300 psi (2,070 k Pa) for the smaller diameters and up to 200 psi (1,380 k Pa) for the larger diameters. •standard length is 100 ft. (30.48 m) Forestry Hose •is a fabric-covered, used to fight fires in grass, brush, and trees where a lightweight hose is needed in order to maneuverer it over steep or rough terrain. I•1.0 and 1.5 in (25 and 38 mm) nominal inside diameters •designed to operate at pressures up to about 450 psi (3,100 kPa). •The standard length is 100 ft. (30.48 m).

• Booster Hose is a rubber-covered, thick-walled used to fight small fires. Booster hose comes in 0.75 and 1.0 in (19 and 25 mm) nominal inside diameters and is designed to operate at pressures up to 800 psi (5,520 kPa). The standard length is 100 ft. (30.48 m).

• Suction Hose or Hard Suction is a rubber-covered, semi-rigid hose with internal metal reinforcements. It is used to suck water out of unpressurized sources, such as ponds or rivers, by means of a vacuum. Suction hose ranges in nominal inside diameter from 2.5 to 6.0 in (64 to 152 mm). The standard length is 10 ft (3.05 m).

FIRE ESCAPEMulti-storeyed, high rise and special buildings shall be provided with fire escape stairs, which will be free of FSI, and they should conform to the following:•They shall not be taken into account in calculating the evacuation time of a building.•All of them shall be directly connected to the ground.•Entrance to them shall be separate and remote from the internal staircase.•Routes to the fire escape shall be free of obstruction at all times, except for a doorway leading to the fire escape, which shall have the required fire resistance.•They shall be constructed of non-combustible materials.•They shall have a straight flight not less than 75 cm. wide with 15 cm. treads and risers.•They shall be provided with handrails at a height not less than 90 cm. above the tread.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM• All Fire Alarm Systems essentially operate on the same principle. If a

detector detects smoke or heat, or someone operates a break glass unit, then alarm sounders operate to warn others in the building that there may be a fire and to evacuate.

TYPES : • Conventional • Addressable • Analogue Addressable

FIRE ALARM CONTROL PANEL• A Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP), or Fire Alarm Control Unit (FACU), is the

controlling component of a Fire Alarm System. • The panel receives information from environmental sensors designed to detect

changes associated with fire, monitors their operational integrity and provides for automatic control of equipment, and transmission of information necessary to prepare the facility for fire based on a predetermined sequence.

The Fire Alarm Control panel should normally be sited in an area as follows: • Preferably in an area of low fire risk and on the ground floor by the entrance used

by the Fire Brigade and preferably viewable from outside of the building. • It should be located in an area common to all building users and where automatic

detection is in use, the Control Panel should be in a protected area.

EMERGENCY LIGHTING• Lighting provided for use when the supply to the normal lighting fails. • Emergency lighting is provided to ensure that the escape route is illuminated at all material times.• Escape lighting luminaries should be sited to cover the following locations: (a)Near each intersection of corridors, (b) At each exit door, (c) Near each change of direction in escape route, (d) Near each staircase so that each flight of stairs receives direct light (e)Near any other change of floor level(f)Outside each final exit and close to it(g) Near each fire alarm call point(h)Near fire fighting equipment, and(i)To illuminate exit and safety signs as required by the enforcing authority.

PRESSURISATION SYSTEM

• Pressurisation is a method adopted for protected escape routes against ingress of smoke, especially in high-rise buildings.

• In pressurisation air injected into the staircases, lobbies or corridors, to raise their pressure as compared to the adjacent parts of the building .

• As a result, ingress of smoke or toxic gases into the escape routes will be prevented.

• Pressurisation system may be of two types: (a)Single-stage, designed for operation only in the event of emergency.(b) Two-stage, where normally a level of pressurisation is maintained in the

protected escape routes, and an increased level of pressurisation can be brought into operation in an emergency.

FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS 1.Pump house equipments and accessories.

2.Mcc and related electrical works

3.Wet riser cum down comer system along with yard hydrants

4.Automatic sprinkler system

5.Analogue addressable fire detection and alarm system.

6.Portable first aid fire extinguishers

7.Photo luminescent safety signage

CLASS OF FIRE CAUSES PRINCIPLE OF

EXTINGUISHMENT

EXTINGUISHING MEDIA

A WOOD, CLOTH, PAPER COOLING WATER

B PETROLEUM PRODUCTS,

SOLVENTS, PAINTS ETC

STARVATION FOAM

C FUEL GAS, HYDROGEN,

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS

ETC

SMOTHERING

CARBON-DI-OXIDE

D OCCUR IN COMBUSTIBLE

METALS GENERALLY CALLED

ALKALI METALS SUCH AS

MAGNESIUM, SODIUM;

TITANIUM ETC

INHIBITION OF ACTIVE

RADICALS

DRY CHEMICAL POWDER

PORTABLE FIRST AID FIRE EXTINGUISHER 

1. DRY CHEMICAL POWDER TYPE:

• CYLINDRICAL SHAPE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WITH FIXING HANGERS, HOSE, BRACKETS, SCREWS TO REQUIRED SIZE ETC.

• WALL MOUNTED TYPE.• 5 KG. CAPACITY 

.

2. CO2 TYPE• CYLINDRICAL SHAPE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WITH FIXING HANGERS, HOSE, BRACKETS, SCREWS TO REQUIRED SIZE ETC• WALL MOUNTED TYPE.•4.5 KG. CAPACITY

3. ABC TYPE•FIRE EXTINGUISHER WITH FIXING HANGERS, HOSE, BRACKETS, SCREWS TO REQUIRED SIZE ETC•WALL MOUNTED TYPE 5 KG.• CAPACITY2KG.

5. MECHANICAL TYPE FIRE ENGINES, FOAM TYPE

• EXTINGUISHERS WITH FIXING HANGERS, HOSE, BRACKETS, SCREWS & TROLLEY AS PER IS:13386 – •TROLLEY MOUNTED TYPE • 50 LITRES CAPACITY.

4. MECHANICAL FOAM TYPE

• FIRE EXTINGUISHERS OF 9 LIT CAPACITY       • WITH FIXING HANGERS, HOSE, BRACKETS, SCREWS TO  REQUIRED SIZE •WALL MOUNTED TYPE

.

PORTABLE FIRST AID FIRE EXTINGUISHER 

• A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected.

SPRINKLER SYSTEM 

• THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO SPRINKLERS SHOULD BE AT MAXIMUM OF DISTANCE OF 4.6 METERS- 3 METERS

•FIGURE SHOWS THE INTERVAL BETWEEN 2 SPRINKLERS AND THE SURFACE COVERAGE OF EACH SPRINKLER; WHICH IS 3 METERS.

• THE STANDARD TYPE NORMAL PENDANT SPRINKLER.• THE WATER SPRINKLER CONTAIN A HEAT- RESPONSIVE GLASS BULB FILLED WITH RED

LIQUID WHICH PROHIBITS WATER FROM DISCHARGING FROM THE SPRINKLER’S ORIFICE. • THE BULB USE PRESSURE TO HOLD THE METAL CAP IN PLACE. WHEN HEAT FROM FIRE RISES

TO 68 DEGREE CELSIUS, THE GLASS BULB WILL BREAK AND SPRINKLER WILL RELEASE AND SPRAY WATER OVER THE FIRE.

STANDPIPE/RISER SYSTEMS:• an internal system of water mains(standpipes) connected to fire-hose stations and landing

valves Trained occupants or employees of the building management operate the hoses until the fire department arrives

• Fire fighters can also connect their hoses to outlets near the fire • Types There are two types of standpipes/ riser : “Wet Risers" and “Dry Risers" Standpipe

WET RISER SYSTEM:• internal hydrant for the fireman to use • always charged with water• only required for building where the topmost floor is higher

than 30.5 meters above the fire appliance access level • comprises duty fire pumps • standby pump discharging into riser pipe with landing

valves at each level and to jet at the fire

• A jockey pump is usually provided to maintain system pressure• A typical wet riser installation is shown

PUMPS USED:• used to boost the water pressure in sprinkler and standpipe systems• to deliver the required amount of water• The pipes supplying water to the hoses are pressurized all the time. Three pumps

supply the water from the tank to the hoses• The pumps are the duty pump, the stand-by pump, and the jockey pump. Pressure

switches along the pipe control the starting of each pump• The pressures are monitored at the pump room to control the pumps• A typical system for a high-rise building is described below

JOCKEY PUMP:•set to start the pump at a pressure of 150 psi and stop it when the pressure reaches 230 psi. • If a small leak exist in the wet riser piping - either on the wet riser or hose reel - the pump will start in order to compensate for the leak.

DUTY PUMP:•If the pressure drops below 125 psi, this means a wet riser landing valve or a hose reel gate valve has been opened• The pressure switch that senses this set pressure activates and starts the duty pump

STAND BY PUMP:•pressure continues to drop below 125 psi, it means either the duty pump has not started or is not available (under repair)•set to cut-in at 95 psi.• Once the water flow is not needed any more the pressure builds up in the piping network. The duty or stand-by pumps stops after the cut-out pressure is reached at 220 psi

The jockey pump continues to run until the system pressure reaches its cut-out pressure of 230 psi

DRY RISER SYSTEM:•internal hydrant for the fireman to use and are always charged with water•Wet risers are only required for building where the topmost floor is higher than 18.3 meters and less than 30.5 meters above the fire appliance access level •depend on the fire engine to pump water into the system•comprises a riser pipe with landing valves at each floor and to which rubber- lined hose with nozzles can be connected to direct the water jet at the fire. •Breeching inlet into which the firemen pump water are provided at ground level and connected to the bottom of the dry risers.

WHY DRY RISER ARE USED IN COLD COUNTRIES?•tend to freeze up when water is held inside them

•a hosepipe or a sprinkler system that does not have any water in it but instead is filled with air

SUPPRESSION GAS SYSTEM :•Gas cylinders, steel piping, discharge nozzles, heat, and smoke detector and a control panel, which monitors the space, activates both visual and audio alarms before releasing the gas.•The gas discharged after a time delay upon detection of fire to warn any Occupant to evacuate the room•provided for electrical transformer room, switch room and standby generator room and should not be installed for room, which is normally occupied

WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM:•provide fire protection for commercial kitchen hoods•provide efficient, automatic detector response with fast-acting fire suppression with no danger of re- flash or re-ignition•The installation comprises gas cylinders, steel piping, discharge nozzles, control head, detector with fusible element and manual pull station•provides automatic actuation and can be manually actuated through a manual pull station•Upon actuation, the system discharges a pre- determined amount of agent to the duct, plenum, and cooking appliancesFOAM DELUGE SYSTEM: •Foam deluge systems, sprinkler heads are open and the pipe is not pressurized with air•connected to a water supply through a deluge valve that•opened by the operation of a smoke or heat detection system

•Foam is mixed in with the water supply from a foam bladder tank•installed in the same area as the sprinklers•When activated foam water discharges through all of the sprinkler heads in the system•used in places that are considered high hazard areas such as power plants, off shore oil rigs, aircraft hangars and chemical storage or processing facilities.