Fire Protection Systems Chapters 1-4

Automatic fire sprinkler system

a network of underground and overhead piping designed to supply water from one or more sprinkler heads.

Occupancy

building code categorization of building and structures based on the manner in which the building structure, or any part of the building or structure, is used or will be used.

Combustion

A chemical reaction process in which a combustible material and an oxidizing agent(typically the oxygen in the air) produce heat, energy , and other products that continuously sustain or promote the process.

Annunciation panel

A device that used indicating lamps, alphanumeric displays, or other means to provide first responders with status, condition, and location information concerning fire alarm system components and devices.

Fire alarm system

A group of components assembled to monitor and annunciate the status of automatic and manual initiating devices so building occupants may respond appropriately.

Candela (CD)

A measurement of luminance or light intensity in a given direction.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

A non profit member-supported organization that develops and maintains over 300 codes and standards for use by any organization.

International Code Council(ICC)

A nonprofit member-supported organization that developed and maintains construction codes which are made available to government agencies for adoption.

Addressable notification appliance

A notification device that is identified by an electronic address and interfaces with a fire alarm control panel to provide programming capabilities and information concerning the device's status, integrity, condition, and location.

Hazard

A place, process, material , or condition that, unmanaged, could create or expose people to an unacceptable level of risk or danger.

Premixed flame

A process of mixing a fuel and oxygen before ignition.

Fire

A rapid oxidation process that produces varying degrees of heat, light and flame.

Coded signal

A signal that generates a predetermined visual or audible pattern to identify the location of the initiating device that is operating.

Referenced standard

A standard that is incorporated or adopted as part of the model code and provides specific information as a guide or model regarding the performance, design, installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements of systems, materials, and equipment.

Fire protection system

A system installed to detect, notify, and protect building occupants and property from fire conditions.

Initiating device

A system of components and devices that provide a manual of automatic means to activate fire alarm and supervisory signals.

Model code

A system of rules, guidelines, methods, and regulation typically developed through the consensus process by private, not-for-profit organization.

Code

A system of rules, regulation , or laws usually developed by government that has usually developed by government that has statutory authority to be enforced.

Automatic fire detector

A type of detection device that automatically initiates an alarm signal once it detects the presence of the fire signature element(smoke, heat, flame, or gas) it was designed to detect.

Fixed-temperature heat detector

A type of fire detector that activates when the sensing element reaches a predetermines temperature.

Fixed-temperature/rate-of-rise heat detector

A type of heat detector that detects and sends a signal to the fire alrm control panel by employing the features of the fixed-temperature heat detector and the rate-of-rise heat detector.

Heat detector

A type of initiating device that operates after detecting a predetermined fixed temperature or sensing a specified rate of temperature change.

Air sampling smoke detector

A type of smoke detector designed to draw air from the protected area into a detection chamber for analysis

Duct smoke detector

A type of smoke detector that samples the air moving through the air distribution system duct work or plenum; upon detecting smoke, the detector sends a signal to shut down the air distribution unit, close any associated smoke dampers, or initiate smoke control system operation.

Alarm signal

A warning signal that alerts occupants of a fire emergency.

Exit-marking audible notification alliance

An audible device that propagates distinctive tones at varying intensities to guide people towards the nearest exit or area of refuge.

Preplan

An evaluation of a facility or location, from which the emergency responders develop a plan of action to deal with the potential hazards and emergencies.

Use

Building code categorization of buildings and structures based on their use and the characteristics of their occupants.

Smoldering

Burning where Sufficient air flows over the surface area of the material to provide enough oxygen to sustain a slow combustion process although there is no flame.

Class K fire

Classification of a type of fire that develops from combustible cooking products such as vegetable oils, animals fats, and animal oils.

Class D fire

Classification of a type of fire that develops from combustible metals such as aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, titanium, and zirconium.

Class C fire

Classification of a type of fire that develops from energized electrical equipment.

Class B fire

Classification of a type of fire that develops from flammable liquid and gas products , and materials such as oil, grease, tar, oil based plants, aerosols, cutting gasses, and fuel gases

Class A fire

Classification of a type of fire that develops from ordinary combustible products and materials such as paper, cloth , grain, wood, rubber, cellulose, and some plastics.

Galvanic corrosion

Corrosion that occurs when dissimilar metals are in direct contact and exposed to a moist or wet environment that, in relation to fire protection system, causes piping to break down and leak or form hard crystal-like structures in and around the point of contact between the metals.

Fire alarm control panel

Equipment that monitors the integrity of the fire alarm system's circuits and devices, processes manual and automatically input signals from the initiating devices, drives the notification appliances, provides an interface to control or activate other fire protection and building systems in a fire emergency, and provides the power to support all of the system devices.

Material Safety Data Sheet(MSDS)

Information sheet concerning the health and physical hazards of a material or product, such as its flammability, combustibility, toxicity, reactivity, and the appropriate method of handling it during an emergency.

Addressable technology

The Technology used in fire alarm and detection systems that provides devices and system components an assigned data address, two-way communication capabilities , and the ability to perform certain activities based on signal output.

Conduction

The Transfer of heat from one body of material of another by direct contact.

Ignition

The energy formed when a heat source, fuel, and oxygen come together to generate more heat than dissipated, promoting an uninhibited chain reaction.

Fire tetrahedron

The geometric depiction of the relationship between fuel, heat, oxygen, and the uninhibited, chemical, or self-sustaining chain reaction necessary to sustain combustion; each element is represented by one side of the tetrahedron.

Fire triangle

The geometric depiction of the relationship between the fuel, oxygen, and heat necessary for combustion; each element is represented by one side of the triangle.

Auto-ignition temperature

The minimum temperature at which ignition of a mixture of a vapor and air occurs without the application of an external heat source such as a spark of flame

Smoldering/decay stage

The point at which the available fuel of a fire is exhausted or the oxygen level has dropped below 16 percent.

Diffusion flame

The process by which the gas, fuel and oxygen move into the reaction zone of a flame.

Spontaneous combustion

The process in which a material starts to break down chemically, resulting in heat that cannot dissipate , continued heating of the material, and eventually fire.

Saponification

The process in which the fatty acids in a cooking medium react with the extinguishing agent and convert to foam.

Oxidation

The process of combing a substance or material with oxygen.

Adopt

The process of officially accepting and putting something into action.

Code amendment

The process of revising, changing, correcting, or improving a code.

Heat transfer

The processes and methods of heat spreading to materials or between molecules within a material.

British thermal unit (Btu)

The quantity of heat energy necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Flammable limits

The range in which the concentration of a fuel and air are in the proper mix to propagate combustion when ignited; the limits for a material are defined by the upper flammable limits(UFL) and the lower flammable limits(LFL).

Flash-over stage

The stage of a fire at which the energy level begins to grow by consuming the air and materials necessary to generate a flammable gas and sustain combustion

Free burning stage

The stage of a fire at which the energy level begins to grow by consuming the air and materials necessary to generate a flammable gas and sustain combustion.

Incipient

The stage of a fire at which the heat source, fuel, and oxygen come together to generate more heat than is dissipated to promote an uninhibited chain reaction

Intelligent technology

The technology used in fire alarm and detection system components an assigned data address, two-way communication capabilities, and the ability to perform certain activities based on signal input.

Convection

The transfer of heat from one body of material to another through a medium such as a liquid or gas.

Radiation

The transfer of heat through electromagnetic energy, such as light.

Conventional technology

the technology used in fire alarm and detection systems that provides limited communication between the fire alarm control panel and system devices and, upon activation of an alarm, provides general information concerning the device and its location.