Fire protection systems consist of building current systems, fire-suppression systems, and fire alarm systems. At Aura Fire Safety, our objective is to ensure that both residential and commercial buildings are safe with the best San Francisco fire alarm systems.
Fire prevention regulations stipulate protocols that every commercial and residential building owner must meet to ensure proper maintenance equipment. Fire protection requires the installation and utilization of operational and structural systems to reduce the effect of fire on property and people.
There are two major categories for fire protection are active fire protection and passive fire protection.
Passive protection of fire
Passive fire protection is the use of building mechanisms to limit or control fire. Floors, ceilings, and walls can be constructed or designed in such a way that they are can’t allow fire or smoke to pass through.
For example, a wall can be built with barriers to offer compartmentation. The wall is then divided into several parts to minimize standard fires.
However, it is important to note that compartmentation is not effective if the floor, ceiling, or wall is not well protected.
Property managers in San Francisco should ensure there no openings through which smoke and fire can spread. In case penetration is a must, you should ensure that the penetration is guarded as per the code so as to adhere to the barrier’s fire rating.
Walls and Doors
Fired-rated walls and related fire doors are typically used in any compartmentation system. The objective of these walls is to avoid the passage of fire in a horizontal manner. The fire rating of the wall may differ from 20 minutes up to several hours.
Although a fire door is meant to prevent a fire from spreading, it won’t function properly if it is blocked or difficult to operate.
Below are the common types of walls:
- Fire partitions and fire walls – with fire-resistance-rated walls extending from slab to slab
- Smoke barriers –continuous membrane designed to resist smoke movement
- Party walls – fire walls located at the interior joined between two buildings
Floor Ceilings
The other is a fire-resistant floor and ceiling – designed to create a horizontal barrier to block the spread of fire. Sometimes it might comprise of a protected steel wall, concrete slab, or a combination of both. Most older-high-rise commercial buildings in San Francisco depended on compartmentation as the main system of fire protection. However, it is always advised to take an active approach to fire protection.
Active Fire Protection
Active fire protection involves taking direct physical action to minimize the rate of fire spread, like upgrading your San Francisco fire alarm systems. Such systems include smoke control systems or fire sprinklers.
Most of them are triggered manually or automatically to function as intended. It is up to you to ensure that the alarms are checked by and repaired by a fire alarm inspection company such as Aura Fire Safety. Another form of active fire protection includes the installation and maintenance of fire alarm systems. They work by detecting any signs or presence of smoke and fire before sounding an alarm or activating fire sprinklers.
It is important to hire an experienced fire alarm inspection company to regularly check if the alarms are functioning properly. With Aura Fire Safety, we will not only keep your building fire code compliant, we will assist you in finding the best San Francisco fire alarm system to fit your needs. Fire protection in San Francisco starts with Aura Fire Safety!
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