ABSTRACT
Preventing fires from happening is the preferred course of action to take toward fighting fire. Fires can be prevented through enforcement of building and fire codes, public education, and inspection programs. If, however, fire does occur despite our best efforts to prevent it, it is important to have a fire suppression system in place to contain or extinguish the fire before the fire department arrives. Sprinkler systems and other suppression systems such as clean agents, halon, dry chemical, and carbon dioxide provide early fire control or extinguishment, helping to mitigate the hazards for occupants and firefighters alike. Building codes, fire codes, and life safety codes specify when to provide sprinkler or other type of suppression system. Sprinkler requirements may be located in either locally written codes or adopted model codes such as the IBC, the IFC, NFPA 1, NFPA 101, or NFPA 5000. In addition, various sections of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require the installation of sprinkler systems in certain types of occupancies. A widely accepted installation standard for commercial system design is NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Other standards include: NFPA 13D, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One-and Two-Family Dwellings and Mobile Homes; and NFPA 13R, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies up to and Including Four Stories in Height. Designers may also refer to NFPA 13E, Recommended Practice for Fire Department Operations in Properties Protected by Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems, although any given fire service organization may follow different standard operating procedures.
