FSE 101: Fire Prevention

!!!

Spring 2015

Week 1

!Professor Anthony R. Cole, P.E., CFPS, CFEI

Fire Protection and Safety Engineering

SSEM/College of Justice and Safety

Stratton Bldg 216

859-622-7990

Anthony.Cole@EKU.EDU

What is FSE 101?Introduction into fire and safety codes

The code development process

How to read, interpret, and implement the codes

Not your typical 100-level class.

BooksNFPA Fire Protection Handbook (20th ed.)

NFPA 1 Uniform Fire Code (2015 ed.)

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (2015 ed.)

Additional readings as required

Course Details

Check syllabus and course schedule

Test, quizzes, projects, and homework

Come to class and pass....

Course DetailsE-mail format

[FSE101]Topic e.g.: [FSE101]Homework

Please use first and last name in e-mail signature

Course DetailsSubmittal format

File name: FSE101ARC_HW1 or _TEST1 or _Project1

Who am I? 27 years of fire fighting and engineering experience

B.S. Fire Protection Engineering Technology (EKU)

M.S. Fire Protection Engineering (WPI)

Licensed Professional Engineer P.E.

NFPA/Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)

NAFI/Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator/Instructor

(CFEI/CFII)

Certified NFPA 1001 (I/II), NFPA 1041, NFPA 1081

Authored books, articles, and committee representative

(NFPA and SFPE)

Who am I?10 years as a Senior Fire Protection Engineer and Deputy Disaster Commander for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)

4 years as Fire Protection Superintendent/Fire Chief at SABIC/HADEED

6 years working as a Loss Control/HPR Engineer

26 years as a volunteer/paid fire fighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Chief in departments in Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi,

Who and What is a G.A.?

Andrew Rice

Who are you?

Name

Where are you from?

Fire related experience?

What are your goals?

What is a code?A code is a law or regulation that sets forth minimum requirements and in particular, a building code is a law or regulation that sets forth minimum requirements for the design and construction of buildings and structures.

Why do we need codes?Codes represent a minimum requirement to establish a unified method to protect health, well-being, and safety of society. It is an attempt to represent societies' compromise between optimum safety and economic feasibility.

ExamplesIroquois Theater: Chicago, IL 1903 killed 602

Cocoanut Grove Nightclub: Boston, MA 1942 killed 492

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: New York, NY 1911 killed 146

Our Lady of the Angels Fire: Chicago IL 1958 killed 95

The Station Nightclub Fire: West Warwick,

Does the national fire problem still exist

today?

History of Codes

Evolved from identification of need Experience from history

Pressure from Society

History of Codes: Code of HammurabiIf a builder build a house for some one and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

If it kill the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death.

History of Codes: Code of HammurabiIf it kill a slave of the owner, then he shall pay slave for slave to the owner of the house.

If it ruin goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, and inasmuch as he did not construct properly the house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.

History of Codes: Babylonia 1790 BC

Roman Empire 1st Century AD

London 1600s

1648 Regulate Chimneys

1700s Regulate walls, roofs

1875 Chicago - 1871 Chicago Fire

History of Codes: Model Codes

1905 NBFU Recommended Building Code (National Building Code)

1927 ICBO Uniform Building Code

1945 SBCCI Southern Standard Building Code (Standard Building Code)

1950 BOCA Basic Building Code (1976 - National Building Code)

History of Codes: Codes of Today

2000 International Code Council (ICC) International Building Code (IBC)/International Fire Code (IFC)

2002- NFPA 5000 - Building Construction and Safety Code and NFPA 1 Fire Code

Safety vs. RiskGreater Safety = Less Risk

Greater Risk = Less Safety

However:

Greater Safety = More Expensive

Greater Risk = More Economical

Acceptable Level of Risk

Can this change over time??

Types of Codes:Prescriptive Codes:

Also called specification codes

Spell out in detail a variety of attributes of a structure

Materials

Heights

Assembly of components

Very little leeway

Lack flexibility for unusual or alternative designs

Types of Codes:Performance Based Codes:

Outline the goals of the code. Provide little guidance on how to get there, just the end requirements.

Provide much more flexibility and often result in economical solutions to problems.

Types of Codes:Model Code:

A code developed and maintained by a standards organization independent of the jurisdiction responsible for enacting the building code.

Popularity can be attributed to:

Development of proprietary codes is expensive

Ability to accommodate local conditions

Types of Codes:Standards:

Spells out methods for achieving the desired result.

Building codes are largely composed of excerpts from standards.

Standard Organizations:American National Standards Institute Standard Developing Organizations

NFPA

ASTM

Scientific and Professional Societies

Industry Associations

National Fire Protection Association

NFPA Typically involved with codes relating to:

Fire Prevention and Protection Measures

Firefighting Operations

Hazardous Materials and Production Processes

NFPA Code DevelopmentStep 1

Call Goes Out For Proposals To Amend Existing Document Or For Recommendations On New Documents

Step 2

Committee Meets To Act On Proposals, To Develop Its On Proposals, And To Prepare Its Report

NFPA Code DevelopmentStep 3

Committee Votes On Proposal By Letter Ballot. If Two Thirds Approve, Report Goes Forward. Lacking Two Thirds Approval, Report Returns To Committee

Step 4

(ROP) Report On Proposals Is Published For Public Review And Comment

NFPA Code DevelopmentStep 5

Committee Meets To Act On Each Public Comment Received

Step 6

Committee Votes On Comments By Letter Ballot. If Two Thirds Approve, Supplementary, Report Goes Forward. Lacking Two Thirds Approval, Supplementary Report Returns To Committee

NFPA Code Development

Step 7

Supplementary Report -Roc- Report On Comments Is Published For Public View

Step 8

NFPA Membership Meets (Annual Or Fall Meeting) And Acts On Committee Reports (ROP Or ROP)

NFPA Code DevelopmentStep 9

Committee Votes On Any Amendments To Report Approved At NFPA Annual Or Fall Meeting

Step 10

Appeals To Standards Council On Association Action Must Be Filed Within 20 Days Of The NFPA Annual Or Fall Meeting

NFPA Code DevelopmentStep 11

Standards Council Decides, Based On All Evidence, Whether Or Not To Issue Standard Or To Take Other Action, Including Upholding Any Appeals

How is a code formed video...

http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/standards-development-process/how-codes-and-standards-are-developed/standards-development-process/standards-development-process-video-series

Fire Prevention and Code EnforcementNational

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

State

State Fire Marshall

Local

Local Building/Fire Inspectors Office

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement!

activities to decrease the incidence and severity of uncontrolled fires. -FPH

Development of Codes

Inspections

Enforcement of codes

Education

Design and Engineering Practices (Plans Review)

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Fire Prevention Personnel

State Fire Marshal/Commissioner

County Fire Marshal

Fire Inspector

Plans Examiner

Fire Protection Engineer (FPE)

Fire Investigator

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

National Professional Qualifications

NFPA 1031 Fire Inspector/Plan Examiner

NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator

NFPA 1035 Public Fire and Life Safety Investigator

NFPA 1037 Fire Marshal

NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)

E.I. Certifications

P.E. Certifications

Fire Prevention and Code EnforcementFire Prevention Inspections

Often performed by fire companies

Can be performed by fire marshals office

Depending on AHJ

Sometimes have entire divisions devoted to inspections

Objectives:

Ensure compliance with mandated life safety codes

Possibly prevent fires from ever occurring

Review fire/emergency evacuation plans

Fire Prevention and Code EnforcementCode Enforcement

Fire Prevention Codes

Code Administration

Enforcement Procedures

Permits

Licenses

Certificates

Enforcement Notices

Warnings or Notices of Violation

Red Tag or Condemnation Notices

Citations or Summonses

Warrants

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Plans Review

Site Plans Preliminary Building Plans

Final Building Plans

Certificate of Occupancy

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Other Enforcement Agencies

Building Department Planning and Zoning Department

Plumbing Department

Mechanical Department

Electrical Department

SummaryCodes and standards serve many purposes, but foremost is their contribution to the overall betterment of civilization

The successful implementation of fire prevention functions relies on the adoption of up-to-date codes and standards and the presence of technically capable and motivated personnel