Built-In Fire Protection
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© Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION CHAPTER 9 Flames: © Drx/Dreamstime.com; Steel texture: © Sharpshot/Dreamstime.com; Chapter opener photo: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Courtesy of MIEMSS. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Chapter opener photo: © Sharpshot/Dreamstime.com; Steel texture: © Drx/Dreamstime.com; Flames: Built-in Fire Protection OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: • Explain the need for built-in re protection systems and why they are bene cial to building occupants and re ghters. • Describe what the main water control valve is and what it does. • Identify the three primary types of main water control valves, and explain how to determine whether they are in the open or closed position. • Given a diagram, locate and identify the re department connection (FDC). • Describe the various means by which sprinkler and standpipe systems may be supplied. • Outline the major components/valves of a sprinkler or standpipe system. • Identify and explain the operation of pressure-reducing valves found on standpipe systems. • Explain the differences among the four types of sprinkler systems and how they activate and operate. • Explain the differences between a residential sprinkler system and those installed in commercial facilities. • Explain the differences and similarities, along with the minimum requirements, of the three classes of standpipe systems. • Describe the types of special extinguishing agents and the hazards associated with each. • Explain the need for re department support of built-in re protection systems. • Outline the minimum items that should be addressed within a standard operating guideline for the support of built-in re protection systems. 9781284036435_CH09_Pass3.indd 165 18/11/13 1:48 PM © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Case Study Paper: © silver-john/ShutterStock, Inc.; Photo: © Dale A. Stork/ShutterStock, Inc. Stork/ShutterStock, A. © Dale Photo: Inc.; © silver-john/ShutterStock, Paper: Inc.; Vitaly Korovin/ShutterStock, © photo background: Stacked © Sharpshot/Dreamstime.com; Steel texture: Inc.; © Jag_cz/ShutterStock, Flames: On May 22, 2010, a re ghter (the victim) died while conducting a search in a residential house re after vomiting, removing his face piece, and inhaling products of combustion. A captain and the victim entered the 6000-square-foot residential structure with an uncharged 1¾-inch hose line to perform search and rescue opera- tions for an elderly occupant and a dog, while an attack crew began re suppression operations in another part of the structure. After locating and extricating the dog, the captain and the victim continued the search in increasingly heavy black smoke. The victim became separated from the captain after he vomited, clogging his nose cup. The victim tried to clear his mask and verbally called out that he was in trouble. The captain called a mayday and immediately began searching for him. Two rapid intervention crews (RICs) also searched for the victim. The victim was found approximately 11 minutes later and approximately 24 feet from where he was last seen. The RIC removed him from the structure to the front yard where paramedics performed medical care. The victim was transported to the local medical center where he was pronounced dead. After the incident, it was determined that the elderly occupant was not at home. Contributing factors include the following: • Fire ghter became ill, causing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) emergency and separation from his captain. • The location of the victim was not immediately known. • Fire growth contributed heavy smoke, zero visibility, and heat conditions. Key recommendations include the following: • Develop, implement, and train on a procedure that addresses what to do if the SCBA becomes inoperable due to a clogged nose cup, such as with vomitus. • Ensure that re ghters are trained on primary search and rescue procedures, which include maintaining crew integrity, entering structures with charged hose lines, and following hose lines in low visibility. • Ensure that re ghters are trained and retrained on mayday competencies. • Ensure that staf ng levels are appropriate to perform critical tasks. Additionally, state and local governments should adopt and enforce requirements for automatic re sprinkler protection in new buildings. 1. Describe how your department assigns the RIC on the re-ground. 2. What type of training is provided in your department for dealing with malfunctions of the SCBA when in a re? Information for this case study came in part from “Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Report F2010-13,” CDC/NIOSH (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ re/ reports/face201013.html). Introduction and more combustible materials, built higher, built Built-in, or private, fi re protection systems are and larger, and then packed with a higher fi re load- will continue to be an important ally of the fi re ser- ing than ever, control and confi nement of fi res in vice. They will become ever more prevalent due to these structures has become more labor-intensive, owners’ desires to protect their property and the time-consuming, and dangerous. ever-increasing local mandates on their installation. Fire offi cers and fi re fi ghters alike must have a With today’s structures being built of lighter weight good working knowledge and understanding of fi re 9781284036435_CH09_Pass3.indd 166 18/11/13 1:49 PM © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Chapter 9 Built-in Fire Protection 167 protection systems and how to use them to their piping. The main control valve is the valve that controls advantage. This chapter discusses various common the fl ow of the water from the domestic water supply types of fi re protection systems and how the fi re system and/or on-site fi re pump(s). The main control department can and should support them. valve is an indicating valve: At a glance, a fi re fi ghter can tell whether it is open or closed. This valve is manually operated and, along with other valves, should always Sprinkler Systems be chained or locked in the open position. It is typically There are four main types of sprinkler systems: located just under the sprinkler alarm valve. There are three common types of main water con- 1. Wet pipe systems trol valve. The most common is the outside screw 2. Dry pipe systems and yoke (OS&Y) Figure 9- 2 . This valve has a threaded 3. Deluge systems stem that controls its opening and closing. When 4. Preaction systems the stem is visibly outside of the valve, the valve is These systems have many common components, open; when the stem is not visible, the valve is closed. and the fi re fi ghter must be able to recognize these Another common type of valve is the post indicator components and understand their operation. valve (PIV) . It has no visible stem because it is located According to statistics from the National Fire Pro- inside the post Figure 9- 3 . This type of valve has a win- tection Association (NFPA), about 96 percent of fi res dow through which a moveable target can be viewed in sprinklered buildings are either extinguished by that has the words open and shut printed on it. These the sprinklers or held in check until they can be com- words indicate the position of the valve. The operating pletely extinguished by the fi re department Figure 9- 1 . handle for this valve is attached and secured on the All sprinkler systems have some form of main water side of the post. The third type of main control valve control valve along with other test and drain valves and is the wall post indicator valve (WPIV) . This valve is generally the same as the PIV except that it protrudes horizontally from a structure’s wall Figure 9- 4 . Figure 9- 1 When properly designed and maintained, sprinkler systems control 96 percent of the fi res when they Figure 9- 2 An outside screw and yoke valve, which is the are activated. most common main water control valve. Courtesy of Craig Maciuba. Courtesy of Bob Markford, EMS Safety Chief, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue. 9781284036435_CH09_Pass3.indd 167 18/11/13 1:49 PM © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION 168 Firefi ghting Strategies and Tactics, Third Edition Figure 9- 5 Various other sprinkler system valves and Figure 9- 3 An example of a post indicator valve. components attached to the sprinkler riser. Courtesy of Craig Maciuba. Courtesy of Bob Markford, EMS Safety Chief, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue. drainage and alarm silencing; likewise, globe valves are used for system drainage and as test valves. These valves are manually operated, but unlike the main control valve, they are of the non-indicating type. Check or clapper valves ensure that water can fl ow in only one direction. A simple example of these valves can be found on a ground monitor/deluge gun that is fed by two or more lines. Each input connec- tion of the monitor has one of these valves so that if only one line feeds the monitor, the water will not back-pressure the other line(s), or fl ow backward out of it. Automatic drain valves are used to drain the sprinkler system automatically once the pres- Figure 9- 4 An example of a wall post indicator valve. sure on the system has been relieved. The alarm test/ The chain and lock are to ensure the valve cannot be inspector test valve is used to simulate actuation of inadvertently closed. the sprinkler system to ensure it is working properly. Courtesy of Bob Markford, EMS Safety Chief, Palm Harbor Fire Rescue. The main drain is also a common component of all sprinkler systems. This drain piping and valve combination is used to drain the system to Other common components of sprinkler systems replace heads (activated or otherwise) or to con- include a pressure gauge and valving such as stop- duct system repairs.