Why do we require Fire Fighting system or what is the need of Fire Fighters?

Before we know why Fire Fighting system is necessary for us, we should know what exactly Fire fighting system is all about and what do they do. As the name implies, it is a system that fight backs with fire. Fire can occur anywhere anytime. It does not tell us before it reaches to us. So, for that, Aakaar Building Solutions have an ample of solutions that can help us with knowing the early signs of fire occurring.

In technicalities, fire means combustion. So, for the combustion to take place, the presence of the below combination is required:

·         Oxygen,

·         Spark/ light/ heat or flame and

·         Fuel

Only when these products of combustion are present, fire can take place anywhere anytime and can prove to be hazardous to life.

In the presence of fuel and oxygen, if heat occurs, it can catch fire. Sometimes, that heat is visible and sometimes it is not. When it is visible, chances of controlling it is always there for most of us. So, let us talk about when it is not visible and only its smell is there. In that case especially, Fire Fighting system works. Aakaar Building Solutions have some Fire Fighting Systems that starts working at the very initial stage and controls even the minimum damage. All the invisible situations of fire occurrence can be easily controlled by Fire Fighting Systems. Apparently, ABS controls fire in situations when there are:

1. ·         Visible signs of fire, and
2. ·         Invisible signs of fire

Now, at a crowded place, when fire occurs or if there is heat, people do panic and sometimes they fail to do what they are supposed to do. In that case too, these Fire Fighting System works. No matter how people react to the situation, these systems do their work at their best. They not only stop the fire but also come to know the early warning signs of it.

 Aakaar Building Solutions have a list of the Fire Fighting systems and these are:

1.       Water Based Fire Fighting system

·         Fire Hydrant Systems

1. Internal Hydrant System

 2. Yard Hydrant System

·         Water Curtain System

·         Automatic Sprinkler System

Under the Water Based Fire Fighting System, fire is being controlled by the means of water. This very traditional method has been modified by ABS a little. This way, fire can be controlled by using a very less water. This will not even waste water and help combat the occurrence of fire. All of the above systems provided by the Aakaar Building Solutions have been satisfied with the standards of National and International level.

2.       Fire Fighting for Special purpose

• Gas based fire suppression system
• C02 flooding system
• AFFF – Foam system
• Modular Extinguisher system
• Portable Fire Extinguishers
• High Velocity Water Spray System
• Medium Velocity Water Spray System
• High Pressure Water Mist System

The gas based fire suppression system is when fire is needed to be suppressed. If fire occurs in any electrical appliances of machinery where water will do nothing but increase the fire, gas based fire suppression system works there. It suppresses the fire because for obvious reasons water based fire fighters cannot work. As you can see, for every possible way in which a fire can occur, Aakaar Building Solutions actually have a solution to it. Somewhere, the intensity of water required is very high and sometimes very low. For every type, the fire fighting systems by ABS for special purpose is available.

 3.    Fire Detection Systems

·         Smoke / Heat Detection System

·         Gas Detection System

·         Flame Detection System

·         Laser Detection System

·         LHS - Lenoir Heat Sensing

·         Aspiration System - Early Detection

The above systems provided by ABS detect the early signs of fire. Whether a little amount of smoke/ heat/ gas/ flame takes place, these systems detects them at the very early stage and stops them at the core. This way, fire do not takes place. They sense the heat which a lay man cannot ever sense. These systems are of very much importance in every sphere of the buildings whether residential or commercial. These can control a lot of damage that could have been possible if they do not detect or sense the early warning signs of the fire.

Now, we hope you understand why these fire fighting systems are must haves for any building. These are actually very essential for the building, the people living or working there, and for the smooth working of the concerned people.

For more information please visit - www.aakaarbs.co.in

Why Do We Need An Early Warning Or A Fire Detection Or A Fire Alarm System In Residential Buildings?

What is a Fire Alarm System or an “Early Warning” system, what does it do and why installation of the same is important for buildings, its occupants and the property? 

Most of us know about the “Fire Triangle” and the following three arms of the triangle;

1.       Oxygen,

2.       Heat/Flame/Spark and

3.       Fuel

 When all the above mentioned combine, a fire is caused, which in technical language, is known as “Combustion”. And the product of fire, commonly known as Smoke, in technical language is called Products of Combustion.    

When a Fire or combustion takes place, in most of the cases smoke (Products of Combustion) is emanated by the burning material, which is generally referred to as Smoke, as the same can be seen with our naked eyes. However, there are chemicals, which burn with very high temperature, but without producing any smoke or the visible products of combustion. 

In residences it is not only the clothes, curtains, carpets, wooden furniture that catch fire due to negligent acts, the electrical circuitry of the building, the electrical distribution boards within the house/flat and the electrical appliances also catch fire due to various reasons. 

When any one or a combination of the above mentioned items or the circuitry or wiring of an electrical gadget, such as a Maxie, Microwave Oven, Refrigerator, Dishwasher and the like gets overheated due to a fault in the machine or unintentional overloading of the equipment, products of combustion (at times invisible smoke) is generated and the same, because of its characteristic, rises towards the ceiling and spreading horizontally.

The said phenomenon also applies to the power points (commonly known as the electrical power socket on to which plugs of the abovementioned gadgets are inserted to make the gadget work). Visible and invisible products of combustion (Smoke) may emanate from these points if the same are overloaded or if there is a loose connection or if the wiring of the socket is improper/underrated. The products of combustion generated by the said electrical points, because of its characteristic, will rise towards the ceiling spreading horizontally, and if an appropriate type of electronic detector is placed appropriately on the ceiling/false ceiling, the said product of combustion will get detected in the incipient stage of fire, i.e., even before the wiring or the equipment bursts into flames, involving the combustible materials around it.

If appropriate type of Smoke Detectors/Heat Detectors have been installed on the ceiling/false ceiling and above the false ceiling (if there is a false ceiling), conforming to relevant standards, the smoke or heat detector would detect smoke or heat, as the case may be, within about a minute of onset of fire/heat and generate an alarm to alert the occupants and the security/firefighting personnel. 

Note: Here is a quick and a simple experiment for those who neither know anything about the invisible products of combustion (Invisible Smoke) or have not heard of the same. 

1.       Place a vessel (other than a non-stick pan/vessel, because overheating of the non-stick pan/vessel for the experiment, may damage the coating) on the gas stove. Do not pour water or oil or anything else in the pan/vessel.

2.       Light the gas burner and turn it on to the maximum or high flame position.

3.       Move away, say about 6 or 8 feet, from the vessel. 

4.       The vessel will get overheated in less than a minute and

5.       You will get a smell, similar to the smell you experience when something burns with flames, emanating smoke. But, in this case, you will neither see flames, nor the visible smoke, except for the smell. ( Your nostrils, of course, have to be sensitive enough to catch the smell of the overheated vessel, the way you catch the aroma of good food from a distance 😊)  

Caution: Pl make a note of the following and follow the advice;

1.       Please DO NOT touchthe overheated pan/vessel or pour water in it to cool it down quickly. Touching the hot vessel will cause burn injury and pouring water on the overheated vessel may cause it to collapse and the steam generated by it may cause severe burn injuries.

2.       Turn off the gas immediately after the experiment and

3.       Allow the pan/vessel to cool down on its own and after a few minutes remove it from the gas stove with the help of Tongs. 

The smell experienced by you is nothing else but the invisible products of combustion (Invisible Smoke), and this is what we have talked of herein above. 

Hence, for a better understanding it would be appropriate to refer, the products of combustion as; 

1.       Visible Products of Combustion and

2.       Invisible Products of Combustion. 

Therefore, irrespective of the material on fire, products of combustion are bound to be there; visible or invisible as also the heat produced by the burning material. 

This is where an Early Warning System or an Automatic Fire Detection & Alarm System comes into play; be it an; 

1.       Automatic Smoke Detection System or

2.       Automatic Heat Detection System or

3.       Automatic Combined Smoke & Heat Detection System 

An Automatic Fire Detection system detects the fire in its incipient stage and immediately triggers an alarm to notify the occupants of the building and the Fire & Security personnel, well within the first couple of minutes so that the fire may be controlled/extinguished before it spreads and the occupants may be evacuated without any loss of time. 

The Automatic Fire Alarm Systems employ Detectors, Manual Call Points, and either just sounders or sounder cum strobes (Combination of Sounder & Bright Flashing Light) to attract the attention of personnel by just the loud sound produced by the sounder or with a combination of sound and a flashing light mounted on the sounder, as the light can be seen from a distance even if the ambient sound level were to be very high to drown the sound of the Fire Alarm Sounder. A Strobe comes in very handy for the people with hearing disability. 

You may choose to install one of the following Automatic fire alarm systems;

 1.       A conventional system or

2.       An Intelligent Addressable System. 

An Intelligent Addressable fire alarm system is preferred over the Conventional system for its built-in intelligence, for the ease of identification of the affected zone/area and the faults emanating from the system, analysis of all events stored in the memory of the system and above all, ease of maintenance of the system etc., etc. 

CONCLUSION: 

As mentioned herein above, the purpose of an Early Warning System or a Fire alarm system is to detect the fire in its incipient stage and notify the building occupants and transmit a warning signal to the command control station for an early action to save the lives and property. As soon as a fire takes place, detectors located in strategic locations detect the fire and transmit a signal to the Control Panel, which in turn generates an audio-visual alarm identifying the affected zone, thus enabling the firefighting personnel to rush to the spot of fire and douse the fire and arrange for immediate evacuation of the occupants of the building.

For more information -www.aakaarbs.co.in

Why is Fire & Evacuation Drill so Important!!

Emergency Evacuation

Emergency evacuation is the urgent immediate egress or escape of people away from an area that contains an imminent threat, an ongoing threat or a hazard to lives or property. Examples range from the small-scale evacuation of a building due to a storm or fire to the large-scale evacuation of a city because of a flood, bombardment or approaching weather conditions, especially a Tropical Cyclone. In situations involving hazardous materials or possible contamination, evacuees may be decontaminated prior to being transported out of the contaminated area.

A safe evacuation plan is very important for the occupants of any high rise building. (Refer Annex-D (Clause-4.11) of Part-4, Life & Fire Safety under National Building Code-2016, India.) The systematic evacuation plan ensures that staff, customers or their visitors to your premises understand what they need to do if there is a fire.  A fire & evacuation drill is a simulation of a real life emergency event and should be treated as such, for the safety of all concerned.

Simple Outline of the Procedure are:

1. Mimicking a situation for the designated Evacuation Team to act and effectively evacuate the occupants of the building, as they would do in case of an actual fire.

2. Creating awareness of the “Emergency Exit Route” and the “Emergency Exits” for safe exit from the building to reach assembly point.

3. Carrying out a Roll call

Post the fire and evacuation drill, evaluation of the mistakes made by the Evacuation Team and the occupants should be done to ensure proper training to all to ensure smooth, effective and calm evacuation in the future drills or in an unfortunate event of an actual outbreak of fire, without causing any panic.

Prior to conducting the Fire & Evacuation Drill, it is most important to evaluate the Emergency Lighting System, Exit Signage, Fire Escape Door and Staircase/s, especially clear path to rush through the escape route to the assembly point. Proper functioning of the access controlled doors, its smooth function to release the access lock, immediately on receipt of the “Fire” signal, actual or simulated, to facilitate smooth exit of the occupants.

Things To Remember:

1.       Do not panic

2.       Stop work

3.       Proceed to the nearest Emergency Exit

4.       Do not run, walk fast

5.       Follow the instructions of the Evacuation Team Leader of your floor

6.       Use the “Fire Escape” staircase to exit the building, DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR/LIFT

7.    Walk on the left side of the staircase, leaving the right side for the Fire Fighters, Life Savers and the Rescue Team.

8.       Do not talk while you walk

9.       Give preference to physically challenged people, expectant mothers, and elderly people.

10.    Proceed to the predesignated “Safe Assembly Point”.

11.    DO NOT RE-ENTER THE BUILDING UNTILL THE SIGNAL IS GIVEN

12.    Maximum time to evacuate should not exceed 2.5 to 3.00 minutes

Aakaar Building Solutions conduct these drills post the project completion and train their safety/security staff, customers and occupants of the building in accordance with the procedure defined in the National Building Code.

For more information plesae visit us: www.aakaarbs.co.in

Automatic Sprinkler System - Installation of Sprinkler Heads

As we all know, the automatic water sprinkler system is one of the most commonly installed fire suppression systems.

Sprinkler heads are mounted on to the range pipes, which are connected to the branch pipe and then to the main riser. The defined piping system is known as the piping network, which is kept under constant predetermined pressure terminating at the sprinkler head where the pressurized water is held by the Quartzoid Bulb (Commonly known and appearing as a Glass Bulb).

When a fire breaks out and the ambient temperature increases to the predetermined operating temperature of the Quartzoid bulb, such as 57°C, 68°C or 79° C, as the case may be, the Quartzoid Bulb, installed on to the sprinkler head, shatters, thus allowing the pressurized water in the pipe line to flow out and sprayed in a definite pattern over the affected area to extinguish the fire.

It can clearly be understood from the abovementioned preamble that the following factors are very crucial for installation of Sprinkler heads;

1.     Quartzoid bulb and the deflector of the Pendent type sprinkler head should be installed on to the ceiling/false ceiling in a manner that it is clear of all obstructions around and below it.

2.     Quartzoid bulb and the deflector of the Side Wall type sprinkler head should be installed in a manner that it is clear of all obstructions around and below it.

3.     Pattern of spray of water for the area covered by a sprinkler head is determined by the height at which the Sprinkler head is installed.

4.     Therefore, distance between two sprinkler heads (Spacing) installed on one range pipe as well as the parallel range pipe/s, should be worked out based on the height of installation of the sprinkler head to ensure slight overlapping of water sprayed on all sides by each sprinkler head.

5.     If the ceiling/false ceiling is of Waffle, Baffle or Cove type, the Quartzoid bulb should be installed in a manner that it is totally clear of any obstruction and the deflector plate of the sprinkler head is clearly below the waffle/Baffle /cove so as to allow clear flow of water.

It is observed that in many a building aesthetics take priority over safety. And Sprinkler heads are either hidden above the false ceiling/waffle/Baffle /cove or installed very close to beams/rafters to make them inconspicuous, apparently for better looks, thus rendering them ineffective.

While aesthetics of a building is important, safety of the occupants and the building is of prime importance and it takes priority over aesthetics and therefore, care should be taken by the Architect, Builder, Project Management consultant, Owner of the building or the representative of the owner and the Fire Protection system integrator/contractor to install the Sprinkler system in line with the laid down standards.

Sprinkler heads have to be installed at least 25mm projecting below the ceiling, as can be seen from the representative photographs appearing hereunder, considering its pattern and the flexible drop or rigid drops have also to be installed firmly in place.

Aakaar Building Solutions designs, installs, commissions and maintains the following systems;

•    Addressable Fire Detection & Alarm System

•    Automatic Sprinkler System

•    Fire Hydrant System

•    Public Address and Voice evacuation System

•    Two way communication / Talk back system

https://www.aakaarbs.co.in/builder/contact.php

Fire Detection & Fire Fighting Systems and Fire Extinguishers

"Automatic Sprinkler & Fire Detection System and Portable Fire Extinguishers – Commissioning & Post installation guide by Aakaar Building Solutions Private Limited, Gurgaon."

It is observed that in most of the buildings, where Fire detection and sprinkler systems have been installed, more often than not, the dust protection cover of the detector and the protective cover of the sprinkler head are not removed after commissioning of the said systems. Also, even after installation of the fire extinguishers, the locking wire & seal, meant for safety during transit, are not removed. 

Can you guess what will happen if the said dust protection cover, protective cover and the locking wire & seal are still in place after commissioning? None of the abovementioned systems/equipment will work.

Several methods of inspection have been outlined in NFPA 25 (National fire protection association) for inspection, testing, and maintenance of such systems. Here we will highlight some of the important points pertaining to the safety covers, caps on the Smoke & Heat Detectors and the locking wire & seal on the Fire Extinguishers installed on your premises.

Sprinkler heads are supplied with a safety cover to protect the same against damage during transit and installation.  Soon after the sprinkler lines are pressurized, the safety cover over the sprinkler head, be it an upright, pendent and/or the sidewall type, should be removed.  

What would happen if the protective cover over the sprinkler is not removed;

1.    The Quartzoid bulb of the sprinkler head comes with a predetermined temperature setting of, 57°, 68° or 79° C and so on, so that the bulb may sense the predetermined temperature and burst, thus allowing the water to flow in a set pattern to protect the affected zone. But, if the sprinkler head/s were still to have the safety cover in place even after commissioning of the system, it will not allow the Quartzoid bulb to sense the rise in temperature as fast as it is expected to, thus causing an inordinate delay in activation of the system and impeding the flow of water through the sprinkler head for spray over the affected area. If the safety cover is in place, the Quartzoid bulb will burst only when it comes in physical contact with flame after it has burnt the protective cover, and by then the fire would have engulfed the entire area and caused immense damage.  

2.    As a result of the abovementioned delay in activation of the sprinkler system, the fire would have spread and caused irreparable damage. This, in spite of having a sprinkler system in place, but an improperly commissioned system !!

Smoke and/or Heat Detectors come with a dust protection cover. The cover is kept in place to protect the detector from mechanical damage and ingress of dust till completion of installation. The cover is to be removed at the time of commissioning of the system and thereafter the same should not be mounted on to the detector under normal circumstances. If the cover were to be left in place, it will not allow the ingress of smoke or products of combustion into the Smoke detector and transmission of heat into the Heat detector, as the case may be, thus making these detectors ineffective.   Once the devices are installed and commissioned and handed over to the owners, the detector covers should be removed. 

What would happen if the protective cover of the Smoke & Heat detector is not removed;

1.    If the smoke detector is installed/commissioned and left covered with its protective cap, in the event of fire no smoke will enter in the detector chamber and in the case of Heat detector, the sensing element of the said detector will not be able to sense the increase in the ambient temperature and therefore, neither of these detectors would be able to generate a fire alarm. 

2.    As a result of the delay in detecting the outbreak of fire, fire and smoke would spread and cause irreparable damage to property and endanger the lives of the people present in the building. This, in spite of having a smoke/heat detection system in place, but improperly commissioned !!

Note: Electronically operated Smoke & Heat Detectors are essentially installed in a building to detect fire/smoke in its incipient stage, allowing enough time to the occupants of the building and/or the Security/ Fire Fighting personnel deployed there, to take immediate corrective action and extinguish the fire. 

Fire Extinguishers are transported from the manufacturer’ s premises to the site of installation with its Safety Clip or the Safety Pin duly secured with locking wire and a seal to protect it from getting discharged during transit. The locking wire and the seal is to be removed at the time of installation of the Fire Extinguisher so that when required, the operator can operate the fire extinguisher without any loss of time.

What would happen if the protective locking wire and the seal are not removed?

1.    During an emergency, fire fighters/people will not be able to operate the Fire Extinguisher instantly as one would lose time in trying to remove the locking wire and the seal to release the safety clip/pin, thus causing a delay in extinguishing the fire thereby allowing the fire to spread and cause damage to property and endanger human lives.

2.    Portable Fire Extinguishers are also known as First-Aid fire fighting appliances, which, as the name suggests, are meant to tackle a fire in its incipient stage. And, if the operator is unable to operate the portable or the first-aid fire extinguishers within the first few minutes of detection of fire, then the very purpose of installation of the said fire extinguishers is defeated, because the delay caused in operating the fire extinguishers would have allowed the small fire to turn into a conflagration, rendering the portable fire fighting appliances ineffective.

In the interest of the safety of the occupants of buildings and the property, Aakaar Building Solutions recommends that all facility managers should have the abovementioned post-installation checks put in place in their existing installations and ensure safety of the occupants of the buildings as well as the entire property.

Aakaar Building Solutions designs, installs, commissions and maintains the following systems;

•    Addressable Fire Detection & Alarm System

•    Automatic Sprinkler System

•    Fire Hydrant System

•    Public Address and Voice evacuation System

•    Two way communication / Talk back system

https://www.aakaarbs.co.in/builder/contact.php

Fire Protection System Integration with Smoke Extraction System Installation & Maintenance by Aakaar Building Solutions

There is an age-old saying " There is no smoke without fire", but in real life there is.

What is known or is classified as "Smoke" in common language, is categorized as "Products Of Combustion" in technical language. And some chemicals burn at a very high temperature without creating any "Smoke" (in common man' s language), but in reality invisible "Products Of Combustion" are generated because of the fire.

Fire Protection System Integration with Smoke Extraction System

The presence of such "Products Of Combustion" (Invisible Smoke) can be detected through the installation of a special type of "Smoke/Heat Detection System" to initiate an alarm, enabling the Security/Fire Fighting Team to take action.

Statistics from all over the world have established that in a fire accident deaths caused by suffocation (Asphyxia) and stampede, far exceed the deaths caused by physical contact with Fire/Flames. Suffocation is caused by the acrid smoke and the toxic gases present in it and stampede is caused by the low visibility due to accumulation of dense smoke and the panic due to extreme difficulty in breathing and inability to escape from the smoke bound burning building.     

Although in some buildings "Smoke Extraction / Ventilation System" is installed, quite often, it is not integrated with the "Fire Detection System".

In view of the foregoing, it is absolutely essential to integrate the "Smoke Extraction / Ventilation System"  with the Fire Detection System of the building for early detection of Smoke and to initiate an immediate corrective action to extract the smoke from the building.

https://www.aakaarbs.co.in

• Fire Protection System Integration 
• Fire Protection System Integration in India
• Fire Protection System Integration by aakaarbs.co.in
• Fire Protection System Integration Service Provider in Gurgaon
• Smoke Extraction System Installation Services