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FEATURES

COVER STORY The Big Dig 42 NFPA standards and technical cormnittee members play a role in life safety at the largest public works project ever. by Ed Comeau and Bill Fiynn

Over Under 5 6 NFPA standards for bridges and tunnels make life safety a safe bet. by KennethJ. Harris, PE

Live Burn 62 NFPA 1403 guides firefighter safety during hazardous five fire training, by John Paradise

Controlled Tower 68 The tallest air traffic control tower in North America follows NFPA codes and standards, by Pare Weiger

Constant Vigilance 7 4 Done properly, fire department inspection programs save lives, by Ed £omeau

Behind Closed Doors 8 0 A deadly fire in a highly reguL health-care occupancy is leadir stricter sprinlder requirements. by Alisa Wolf

A Priority Capitol Expense 8 6 Study takes a critical look at fire safety in Capitol buildings. by Stephen Barlas

Looking Up 9 0 Canadian power plant utili- tizes NFPA codes and the expertise of technical committee members, byJohn Nicholson

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DEPARTMENTS

First Word 6 by James Shannon

Hail Call 8

In a Flash! 1 3 by John Nicholson

Firewatch 1 4 by Kenneth Tremblay

Section News 96

Exhibitors' Showcase 104

Datebook 139 Classifieds 143

Looking Back 1 4 4

COVER PHOTOGRAPH OF ZAKIM BRIDGE: JEFF ADAMS

Copyright © 2003 NFPA. All rights reserved, PRINTED ]N USA. NFPA Journal (ISSN 1054-8793) is a membership magazine published bimonthly, plus a Buyers' Guide annually In February, by NFPA, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-910]. NFPA annual dues: members, $135 (includes $40.50 subscnpttor to NEPA Journal), organization membership, 5500. Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, MA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEPA Journal, NFPA, EO. Box 910I, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-9101. All issues of NFPA Journal are available in m~crofilm from University Microfilms, International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106.

NOTICE CONCERNIr, IG ADVERTISING NFPA reserves the right to accept or reject any advertisement submitted for publication Ln NFPA Journal. However. NFPA doesn't attempt to investigate or verify claims, including claims of comphance with NFPA codes and standards, made in advertisements appearing in NFPA Journal. The appearance of adverhslng in NFPA Journal m no way implies endorsement or approval by NFPA of any advertising claims or of the advertiser, ~ts product, or services. NFPA disclaims any liability whatsoever in connection with advertising appearing in NFPA Journal.

NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 3

Heads Up 26 by Russell R Fleming

Structural Ops 2 8 by Sanders & Klaene

just Ask 3 0 by lark Conroy

In Compliance 3 2 by Chip Carson

Inside the Beltway 3 4 by Stephen Barlas

Buzzwords 36 by Wayne Moore

Ins and Outs 38 byJenna Padula

Outreach 4 0 by Heri-K Appy

COLUMNS 40

by Gahriela Hazal

Building to Code 24 by Jerry Wooldridge

May/June 2003 ] Volume 97 ] Number :3

nfpa Volume 97/Number 3

Publisher Kathleen M. Robinson

Executive Editor Stephen D. Murphy

Managing Editor

John Nicholson

Art Director David Yount

Production Manager Adrienne M. Albrecht

Editorial Secretary Liz MacDonald

Associate Publisher/Director of Marketing and Sales T. R. Fitzpatrick

Advertising Traffic Manager Dorinda Fergason

Advertising Systems Manager Susan Richard

Online Advertising Lynne Grant

Advertising Sales Assistant

Maureen Kean (617) 984-7520

NOTICE CONCERNING CONTENT The content of articles contained in NFPA Journal solely reflects the personal opinions of the authors or contributors and doesn't necessarily represent the offioal position of NFPA, which, as to the meaning and intent of NFPA codes and standards, can only be obtained through NFPA's published procedures for requesting formal interpretations. Contents must not be reprinted without the wntten permission of NFPA. NFPA Journal is a registered trademark of NFPA.

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ABOUT NFPA NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.

MEMBER BENEFITS Membership in NFPA gives you access to the most current fire and life safety research, professional contacts and code updates you need in your job. Benefits include: Code Newsletter: Enter r a r i l ~ , ~ your preferred email address at www.nfpa.org for access to your online issue of NFPA News for the latest codes and standards . ~ • activities. Be sure to also register for NFPA Update, a 1 " supplementary email newsletter delivered monthly to your desktop. Free Section Membership: Get additional benefits targeted to your profession. Joining one of NFPA's 16 specialty sections connects you to other industry experts worldwide. Trade tips and ideas, solve problems and build a network of peers you'll value throughout your career. Subscription to NFPA JournaP: NFPA's official members-only bi-monthly magazine helps you stay on top of the latest news and trends in fire and life safety, prevention techniques, post-fire investigations and code developments. Advisory Service and Technical Help: Save time searching for answers to your compliance questions with free technical assistance from NFPA fire and life safety staff specialists. Free Directory and Buyers' Guide: Keep these references at hand so you know who to call for what. The NFPA Directory lists staff contacts and areas of expertise, as well as guides to technical committees you may wish to serve on. The NFPA JournaP Buyers' Guide helps you locate products, manufacturers, consultants, and trade names quickly. Online Privileges at www.n~a.org: Enjoy members-only access to online features, special reports and code information, which is especially useful if you're preparing reports or presentations. Sign up for special e-mail bulletins on jobs posted in our Career Center or search for qualified employees for your organization. Voting Rights: Have a voice in codes and standards you work with. Vote on proposed changes to codes and standards at the May and November meetings. Voting privileges begin after 180 days of individual membership. Member Discounts: Get a 10% discount on all NFPA workshops, services, code books, field guides, continuing education seminars, handbooks, and manuals.

To loin NFPA, or to update your membership refor- mation, call TOLL FREE 1-800-344-3555, or write NFPA, EO. Box 9101, One Batterymarch Park. Quincy, MA 02169

NFPA'

NFPA OFFICERS Corinne Broderick, Chair Executive Vice President, Massachusetts Medical Society George Ockuly, 1st Vice Chair Chesterfield, MO Warren E. McDaniels, 2nd Vice Chair New Orleans Fire Department Paul M. Fitzgerald, Treasurer Holliston, MA Vinnie Bollin, Secretary International Association of Fire fighters James iV/. Shannon, President and CEO, NFPA Arthur E. Cote, Executive Vice President, NFPA Bruce Mullen, Sr. Vice President, Finance, Chief Financial Officer, NFPA Dennis J. Berry, Assistant Secretary Board of Directors The president, the elected officers, and: Martin H. Reiss, Past Chair President and Chief Executive Officer, The RJA Group Inc. Term F.xplms in 2003: Dan Bailey, Staff Officer, UBDA Forest Service, Northern Region Dennis Compton, Fire Chief, Mesa, AZ Mary Corso, Washington State Fire Marshal Tom Jaeger, President & CEO, Gage-Babcock & Associates, Inc. Louis Jekel, Jekel & Howard LLP Fred Leber, CEO, Leber Rubes Consulting Engineers Term Expires In 2004: Philip C. Stittleburg, Fire Chief, La Farge, Wl, Fire Department Ronald Bertone, Bertone Associates H. Wayne Boyd, President and CEO, U.S. Safety and Engineering Corp. Martin J. Maddaloni, General President, United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Sprinklerfitters Jaime Moncada-Perez, President, Pirotec, Limited Term Expires In 2005: S. Joe Bhatia, C00 and Executive Vice President, Underwriters Laboratories Robin Paulsgrove, Chief, Arlington, Texas, Fire Department Russell Fleming, Vice President of Engineering National Fire Sprinkler Association Steve Muncy, President American Fire Sprinkler Association Todd Gritch, Architect/Construction Official, HKS, Inc. Douglas P. Forsman, Fire Chief/Consultant, Union Colony Fire/Rescue Authority, CO Luther L. Fmcher, Jr., Fire Chief Charlotte, NC, Fire Department

4 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

If It Doesn't Say FM-200

It's Not.

You may have heard about other clean agents "just like FM-200®." But no other clean agent is backed by a decade's worth of performance and safety experience. No other clean agent can boast more than 100,000 space-efficient installations in more than 70 nations around the world. And no other brand has been here since the beginning,

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FIRST FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS, NFPA has worked to make the world safe from fire and those efforts, along with those of the fire service and the e~fforcement community, have contributed to great advances in protecting lives and preserving property. In the last 25 years alone, the rate of deaths in structural fires has decreased by 50 percent.

These three incidents wouldn't have occurred if basic rules of safety and common sense had been followed. While the fire investigations are still underway, it's already clear that each tragedy demonstrated failure to follow practices specifically called for in NFPA codes, including NFPA 101 ", L~ Saf~ Co~". The system that's supposed to protect safety broke down in each incident with tragic consequences.

work if they're part of a system of safety that includes educated and responsible owners and skilled, aggressive enforcers. We have to do all we can to shore up the whole system that keeps people safe.

Our greatest challenge might be to fight the inevitable sense of compla- cency that comes with all of the progress that has been made. After the fire ha West Warwick, a long-time and

The challenge recent tragedies presents NFPA

However, incidents still occur that abrupdy remind us how much there is yet to do. In the space of two weeks last winter, three tragic events in Chicago; West Warwick, Rhode Island; and Hartford, Connecticut, resulted in horrific loss of life.

ha Chicago, security guards tried to break up a fight in a crowded nightclub using pepper spray. The ensuing crowd crush blocked the one available stairway, killing 21 people. In West Warwick, the same week, a pyrotechnics display set off by a rock band's helper ignited foam improperly used to soundproof the walls of a nightclub. The fire that followed killed 99 people and injured 190 others, many of them seriously. And in Hartford, less than a week later, a fire in a 150-bed nursing home killed 14 patients.

All those concerned with life safety must examine these tragedies care- fully. For the industries involved, the enforcement community, and the code-writing organizations, the appropriate question to ask is: "What can we learn from these events, and how can those lessons help us prevent this from ever happening again?"

Experience has shown that the lessons incidents like these teach often lead to advances in safety. The classic case is the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston in 1942, where 492 lives were lost. That fire led to a major re-vamp of codes and enforcement in the United States that saved an inestimable number of fives in subsequent years.

NFPA responded immediately to the incidents in Chicago, West War- wick, and Hartford, sending investigators to Connecticut and Rhode Island. Right after the West Warwick disaster, we called an emergency meeting of our Technical Committee on Assembly Occupancies to consider both it and the Chicago incident, invit- ing public comment. The committee has already proposed code changes.

However, it isn't just the codes that must be reviewed. Codes will only

highly respected fire protection professional said to me, "'I didn't think I'd see another fire with this kind of loss of life in this country in my career."

These three tragedies, in such a short time, humble all of us. Our goal is still no deaths like this again, but we have a lot of work to do to get there.

James M. Shannon President, NFPA


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MAILCALL COMMENTS? Please send your letter to NFPA Journal, NFPA,

One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169. You may also fax us at (617) 984-7090 or E-mail us at [email protected].

When sending E-mail, please include your city and state.

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PROFESSIONAL TONE I would like to mention a matter that lowers the professional tone of "Fire- watch:' On page 22 of the November/December 2002 issue, "Stage lights ignite... ;' the roof is described as a metal roof covered with built-up materials.

I realize that these items are drawn from press reports, but it would help the item to add an editorial comment, such as, "This type of roof presents special problems. It is known as a combustible metal deck roof (CMDR) and is described on page 179 of the upcoming edition of the Fire Protection Handbook and in more detail in Building Comtntction for the Fire Service, Third Edi- tion, pages 302-308."

... This problem is well recognized in the "improved-risk" segment of the insurance industry but has rarely, if ever, been considered in building codes and often goes unrecognized as a major contributor to losses ....

I think NFPA should provide infor- marion that helps the reader understand the problem and perhaps avoid it.

Frank Brannigan [email protected]

NFPA RESPONDS: NFPA only uses press reports to identify incidents that may be worthy of our attention. "Firewatch" author Ken tremblay contacts the officials responsible for investigating the fire and asks for their report. "Firewatch" is limited to a brief description of each incident, highlighting its important characteristics. We omit rely discussion of the larger context of the incidents.

John R. Hall, Jr., Ph.D. Assistant Vice-President NFPA Fire Analysis and Research

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? We applaud the NFPA for fmally addressing the gap that has long existed


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for requiring functional and sensitivity testing of single-station and multiple-station detectors in multi-family residences. The new revision in Chap- ter 11 of NFPA 72 '~, .ACational Fire Alarm

Code ~- , (2002 edition), requires that "fire-warning equipment shall be main- rained and tested in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and per the requirements of Ghapter 10:'

Chapter 10 (with references to Chapter 2) makes it clear that the same requirements for testing smoke detectors listed under UL 268 and UL 1730 shall be applied to those listed under UL 217, namely for functional smoke entry and sensitivity testhlg in multi-family dwellings, including hotels, motels, apartments, and assisted 1Mng care facilities.

Now, what about single-family dwellings? There 's a far more com- pelling reason to ensure that homeowners ha single-family dwellings be made aware of these same methods of smoke alarm testing and maintenance, particularly for smoke entry testing. Statistics clearly show that it is in residential structures where the majority of deaths and injuries from fire occur. For this reason, we believe that UL, NFPA, and the manufacturers of UL 217 detectors have a fundamental obligation to make homeowners and end users aware of the importance of including the smoke entry test as a part of a proper smoke alarm testing and maintenance routine, thereby helping to reduce the loss of lives and injury from fire. UL, NFPA, and manufacturers of UL 217 detectors have a similar obligation to inform fire departments, especially fire marshals, of these new requirements.

NFPA should revise the educational materials targeted to educators and children so that we can begin to change testing behavior.

Scott A. Pyle President, CEO Home Safeguard Industries, LLC


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Maintaining sprinkler performance by JOHN NICHOLSON

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS are highly effective elements of a building's total fire protection system, reducing the chances of fire deaths and the average property loss by one-half to two-thirds the numbers in comparable unsprinklered structures. What's more, this comparison understates the potential value of sprinklers because it lumps together all sprinklers, regardless of type, coverage, or operational status, and is limited to fires reported to fire departments. If unreported fires were included and statistics for complete, well- maintained, and properly installed systems were isolated, sprinkler effectiveness would be even more impressive.

The tables demonstrate the three keys to obtaining the full benefit of sprinklers and other automatic suppression systems: proper maintenance, appropriate design, and adequate support.

According to the U.S. Experience with Sprinklers Report published by NFPA's Fire Analysis and Research Division, sprinkler systems need to be maintained and tested regularly, and their water supply must always be available. A tag system that provides an unam- biguous visual reminder of the system's on/off status and valve supervision using a tamper switch connected to a central alarm monitoring station will help prevent the water from being shut off inadvertently.

Sprinkler systems must fit the current needs of a property and if the property use changes, the sprinkler system's adequacy must be reviewed. Time can also dictate a system review. And no one should confuse a partial sprinkler system with complete sprinkler protection.

Finally, the other elements of the building's fire protection system must support the sprinklers and be designed to automatically detect a fire, slow its growth, suppress it, confine it, and allow safe evacuation.

Leading Reasons for Unsatisfactory Sprinkler Performance

Groups of Reasons:

nadequate erformance by prlnkler system Iself

Specific Reasons:

System designed for partial protection

Syster adequate for le' hazard in occur

System frozen

Inadequate water supply

Faulty building )n

- Antiquated system - Slow operation

of sprinklers .r Defective dry-

pipe valve ; Exposure fire Other/unknown

Obstruction to water ~ 8.2% j

distribution ~ ]

Inadequate s'4% W a t t s : : off j

maintenance

SOURCE: "Automatic Sprinkler Performance Tables, 1970 Edition," Fire Journal, July 1970, page 37. Based on 3.134 fires reported to NFPA during 1925 to 3.969 for which sprinkler performance was deemed unsatisfactory. Of these, 75.0% were in industrial facilities, 12.0% were in storage facilities, 5.6% were in stores, and 7.4% were in all other properties.

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL,ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 1 3

WATCH HEALTH CARE Hospital fire quickly extinguished MASSACHUSETTS

A maintenance worker used a portable fire extinguisher to control a fire in a hospital cafeteria soda machine, while another staffer used a manual pull station to sound the fire alarm. Responding firefighters extinguished the blaze before the property's fire detection and suppression systems activated.

The fire occurred in the basement of the four-story, steel-framed hospital, which had concrete floors mad masonry walls. The steel- deck roof of the 300- by 100-foot (91- by 30.5-meter) building was covered with a built-up composition material. and portions were topped with slate. A wet- pipe sprinkler system provided full coverage, as did the fire detection system. and both were monitored by a municipal fire alarm system.

The fire started when the soda machine's electric motor malfunctioned and overheated, causing the plastic insulation of the machine's wiring jacket to reach igmition temperature. When the employee activated the manual pull station at 6:20 p.m., the hospital's emergency plan went into effect, alerting the fire department, which arrived three minutes later.

The building wasn't damaged, although the fire did an estimated $1,000 in damage to the soda machine. There were no injuries.

Two children died in a fire in this Massachusetts house. A 2-year-old and a 3-year-old child died and 10 people suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, mostly from jumping from upper stories.

Sprinkler controls fire in detention facility WASHINGTON A single sprinkler extinguished a fire in the laundry room of a juveifile detention facility that began when grease-laden rags stored in a burlap bag spontaneously ignited. Although the water- flow alarm sounded, the facility's security staff delayed notifying the fire department, mad firefighters finally arrived on the scene in response to a neighbor's 10:03 p.m. call to 911.

The fire occurred in a single-story steel-framed btfilding that was detached from the detention areas, and the laundry shared the space with the maintenance department. It was 80 feet (24 meters) long and 40 feet (12 meters) wide, with

metal-framed walls covered in gTpsum board. Although the building had a wet-pipe sprinkler system that provided full coverage, its fire detection system o~fly provided a local alarm and didn't automatically alert the fire deparmmnt.

The fire department arrived a minute after the neighbor's call to find light smoke coming from the building. As the first-arriving crews advanced a 13/4-inch hose line into the building, other companies established a water supply and set up ventilation fans. By the time firefighters reached the laundry room, however, the sprinkler system had extinguished the flames.

Damage to the building and its contents came to $500. There were no injuries.

RESIDENTIAL Child playing with lighter ignites deadly blaze MASSACHUSETTS

A 7-year old boy lit paper and bedding on fire. The fire spread and trapped his 2-year old brother and 3- year old sister. Efforts by the mother and firefighters to save the children were thwarted by spreading smoke and heat. The children died of smoke hfllalation and several occupants of the apartment building were injured during the fire.

The three-story, six-unit apartment building was constructed of wood framing and measured 60 feet (18 meters) in length and 40 feet (12 meters) in width. The building was configured ~_ with a front and rear stair-


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well with an asphalt-shingled roof. Smoke detectors were in each unit with additional coverage in common hallways mid the basement. There were no sprinklers.

Firefighters responded to a 911 call reporting an inside fire at 9:28 a.m. mid arrived on scene in less than a minute. Fire was in a rear first-floor bedroom and spread to the unit's living room and kitchen, as two teams of firefighters entered the apartment in search of two trapped children. The young girl was found [11 the living room and the boy was found in the bedroom of origin. Smoke and flames spread to the upper floor via a rear stairwell and trapped other occupants. A total of five engines, a ladder, mid aerial platform, along with nine ambulances responded to the scene. Firefighters laddered three sides of the building and removed many trapped occupants on upper floors. Several people fell from windows and six people were injured during the fire.

The young children did- n't react when the fire started as the older boy went to wake his mother then fled the apartment. The mother attempted to rescue the children but was driven back by the fire.

Damage to the structure valued at $300,000 was estimated at $150,000 with contents of $150,000 suffer- ing $50,000 in losses.

Unattended candle fire damages apartment MASSACHUSETrS An unattended candle left in an entertairnnent center in the living room of a fourth-floor

apartment ignited the room's furniture. Fortunately, a sprin- Her extinguished the fire as it began to spread up the wall.

The five-story building, originally a mill, had a hardwired fire detection system and wet-pipe sprinkler system, both connected to the municipal fire alarm system.

Firefighters received the alarm at 3:50 p.m. and arrived three minutes later to fmd that the sprinkler system had activated. Fire companies responding to the fourth floor reported smoke in the hallway and the sound of water rumfing in the locked apartment. By the time they entered the unit, the sprinkler had extinguished the blaze.

The apartment's resident told investigators that she'd come home from work during a break to do some cooking and lit the candle to mask the odor. When she left to go back to work, she forgot to extinguish the candle, the heat from which eventually broke the glass candleholder. Molten wax dripping down the front and back of the entertainment center ignited the cardboard covering its back, and the fire spread up the wall until the sprinlder extinguished it.

Smoke damage in the unit of origin and common areas of the fourth floor, and fire damage to the entertainment center, its contents, and the wall behind it were estimated at $10,000. There were no injuries.

Lightning strike ignites siding CONNECTICUT A building containing eight townhouses was struck by

lightning, which damaged its cedar wall siding and started a fire in the concealed chimney space that soon spread to the building's wall and ceiling voids.

The two-and-a-half story, wood-framed building, which was 120 feet long (36 meters) and 30 feet (9 meters) wide, had an asphalt shingle roof. It had no smoke detectors or sprinklers, although fire- wails divided the attic space. All units were occupied at the time of the early-morning fire.

At 2:01 a.m., approximately 15 minutes after he saw a brilliant flash of light and heard a "horrific" clash of thunder, a resident discovered the fire and called 911. Responding firefighters found the exterior of the building in flames and, with the help of the police, evacuated the building's occupants. They then used a 1 3/4-inch hose line to extinguish the exterior fire and advanced a second hose line into the first floor of the end unit, where they opened the ceiling and walls to stop the fire spread. A third hose line was stretched to the second floor. The fire reached the attic before firefighters finally extinguished it.

Damage to the building, valued at $560,000, was estimated at $20,000, while damage to the contents came to $6,000. No one was injured.

Child's fire play leads to three deaths NEW YORK A 12-year-old boy with a history of fire play started a blaze that quickly spread

from his bedroom throughout the first floor of the two-family home, trapping his 4-, 6-, and 8-year-old brothers. A lack of smoke alarms may have contributed to their deaths.

The wood-framed house, which had an asphalt roof, was 45 feet (13 meters) long and 25 feet (7 feet) wide and had an apartment on each floor. A smoke alarm had been installed in the hallway of the first-floor unit near the bedrooms, but it didn't have a battery, and the residents had removed several other smoke alarms in the unsprinklered home. On the night of the fire, there were six children and three adults [11 the first-floor unit.

A neighbor called 911 to report the fire at I2:01 a.m., and firefighters arrived minutes later to find smoke and flames coining from a side window. A ladder crew entered the house from the rear and quickly found the three young victims in a bedroom next to the room of origin. All three boys died of smoke inhalation and burns.

Investigators discovered that the 12-year-old had been soaking cotton balls in rubbing alcohol, igniting them, and dropping them on the floor, where he'd stomp them out with his feet as another brother watched from the top of their bunk bed. The boy told them he poured too much alcohol on one cotton ball, and the flames grew so large that he dropped it and kicked it under the bed. The flames quickly ignited the mattress, and the fire spread to other combustibles in the room. The


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An airplane hangar in Nebraska was a total loss, but there were

no injuries.

two boys ran to wake their father, who was sleeping on the couch in the living room. The man and another resident tried unsuccessfully to rescue the three boys but fled as the heat and flames intensified.

The structure, valued at $40,000, and its contents, valued at $10,000, were total losses.

Explosion, fire kill three children OHIO Natural gas escaping from a malfunctioning water heater ignited explosively, resulting in a Fire that spread quickly through a single-family home, then to the house next door. The three adults in the house of origin were injured, and the three children, ages 1, 2 and 6, were killed. The two-story, wood- framed house had no smoke alarms or sprinklers.

A neighbor called 911 to report the fire at 11:56 p.m., and firefighters arriving two minutes later found that the blaze had already spread to both floors of the building and was moving to the house next door. The three adults had managed to escape and were taken to the hospital for treatment of

burns, while firefighters tried unsuccessfully to rescue the children, who all died of exposure to products of combustion.

Witnesses all reported hearing an explosion before seeing flames and investigators determined that it occurred in a rear porch on the first floor, near a gas-fired water heater surrounded by a clutter of common combustibles. They couldn't determine how the gas had leaked from the unit, but they suspect the regulator failed or a falling object damaged the heater.

The building, valued at $45,000, was destroyed, and the house next door, also valued at $45,000, suffered damages estimated at $25,000. The injured all suffered from burns and smoke inhalation.

MANUFACTURING Epoxy manufacturer loses building NEW JERSEY Liquid epoxy resin overheated, ignited, and boiled out of its container, spreading aftre that quickly consumed a siugle-story manufacturing building.

The 8,000-square-foot (743-square-meter), steel-

framed structure, which was 20 feet (6 meters) high, was a pole-type, barn-style building sheathed in metal and standing on a concrete pad. A dry-pipe sprinkler system was supposed to protect it, but the area did- n't have a municipal water supply, and the system had- n't been connected to a water source. A central station alarm company monitored the structure's heat detectors.

Nearly 500 gallons (1,893 liters) of liquid epoxy resin were being thickened in a 750-gallon (2,839-liter) vat when the natural gas-fired burner under the vat malfunctioned, heating the resin faster than anticipated. The resin began to boil and soon ignited, spilling onto the floor. The flaming liquid spread throughout the building, igniting it, too.

A 5- to 10-minute delay ha alarm gave the fire a head start, making it difficult to control. It took nearly 60 firefighters almost an hour to control the blaze, which destroyed the building and contents. The loss was estimated at $500,000.

Fire damages manufacturing plant MISSOURI When a cutting torch ignited plastic insulation in a plant that manufactured chemical storage tanks, employees tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire before calling the fire department. By the time Firefighters arrived, the plant was fully involved.

The single-story, steel- framed building, which had metal walls and a metal roof with a built-up surface, was

350 feet (107 meters) long, 200 feet (61 meters) wide, and 70 feet (21 meters) high. A wet-pipe sprinkler system had been installed in portions of the building, though not in the area of origin. A concrete- block firewall that divided the building into sections was effective during the incident.

A building occupant called the fire department at 10:02 a.m., and firefighters arrived four minutes later. As the companies laid water supply lines, crews took up defensive positions to protect exposures. Engine companies using large-diameter hose lh~es and master streams through the open overhead doors brought the main body of the fire under control in 20 minutes, although it took them longer to extinguish several smaller fires in concealed areas of the roof.

Eight firefighters suffered heat-related injuries and were taken to hospitals. The fire substantially damaged the building, but loss estimates were not reported.

STORAGE Cutting torch ignites airplane hangar NEBRASKA Work crews using a cutting torch to remove an old overhead door track from an airplane hangar started a fire that smoldered for nearly five hours before it was detected. By that time, the fire had spread into concealed roof spaces. A 30-mile-per-hour (48-kilo- meter-per-hour) wind and a limited water supply ham- pered extinguishment efforts, and the fire eventually destroyed the structure and its contents.

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The unsprinklered hangar, which was 180 feet (55 meters) long, 120 feet (37 meters) wide, and 40 feet (12 meters) high, was constructed mainly of wooden bowstring trusses with concrete buttresses. Metal covered the roof and walls, and there was no fn:e detection equipment. At the time of the fire, the structure housed two planes, hazardous materials, and fuel.

The fire department received a 911 call from a passerby and responded at 6:52 p.m. with an engine, a ladder truck, and an ambu- lance. The initial attack using two 2 1/2-inch hose lines was quickly withdrawn to defensive positions, as the fire spread through an 8-foot (2-meter) void near the roof. Fire crews set up unmanned portable monitors just inside the door, and played deck guns and hose lines into the burning building.

The extinguishment effort was complicated by a limited water supply. An 8- inch (20-centimeter) main fed the hydrants, and the amount of water needed to supply the large-diameter nozzles far outweighed the supply in the system. Addi- tional resources were called, and all companies laid 5- inch feeder lines from hydrants some distance from the hangar

The hangar roof collapsed at 7:18 p.m., only 26 minutes after the 911 call.

Occupants told investigators that they originally smelled wood burning about 4:30 p.m.. but thought a cof- feepot had overheated. An hour later, the odor was still present, but no one could

locate its source. The contractors working on the overhead doors remained on site with a water bucket and hand sprayer until about 5:00 p.m. without detecting the fire.

Evidendy, the wooden framing near the repair site ignited during the cutting operation and the fire smoldered until it burst into flame, spreading up into the concealed attic space. Open doors allowed wind to fan the flames, and the delay in alarm gave the fire a head start.

The building, valued at $700,000, and its contents, valued at $8.3 million, were total losses. There were no injuries.

M E R C A N T I L E Carpet padding used as sound- proofing ignites NEWYORK A dry-pipe sprinkler system extinguished a fare of suspicious origin that began on the second floor of a warehouse used primarily to store paint. The structure also contained an apartment and band practice area in which carpet padding had been glued to the walls to absorb sound.

The three- to four-story warehouse was constructed of heavy timbers, with brick exterior walls and an asphah-covered wooden roof. The sprinkler system was installed throughout the building, but it only provided a local alarm. There were no smoke alarms. Only the apartment was occupied at the time of the fire.

A passerby noticed smoke coming from the building at 2:29 a.m. and called 911. Police units arrived first and reported light smoke from the second-floor windows.

Firefighters arriving four minutes after the alarm heard sprinklers operating on the second floor when they entered the first-floor stairwell and removed the occupant from the apartment. Five sprinklers in the band practice area controlled most of the fire, and crews used a 1 3/4-hose lhae to extinguish a small fare in the second-floor rafters.

Investigators found that the carpet padding on the wall in the practice area ignited 2 or 3 feet (61 or 91 cen- timeters) above the floor and the ftre spread to other combustibles in the room when pieces of burning padding fell to the ground. Although they found dis- carded cigarettes throughout the space, none was discovered near the point of origin. Investiga- tors listed the cause of the fare as suspicious.

The building, valued at $175,000, suffered $7,000 worth of damage. The contents of the practice area, valued at $100,000 were a total loss.

SPECIAL Boat fire spreads through large marina WASHINGTON Fanned by strong winds, flames from a burning houseboat spread to 10 other boats moored in a large marina around 7:30 p.m. As the fire grew, it melted mooring lines, sending burning boats drifting into the waterway.

Dozens of pleasure boats in Washington caught fire when one burning boat drifted from its pier to a nearby pier housing 40 boats.

The marina had approximately 152 slips in three docks that extended 240 feet (73 meters) to 460 feet (140 meters) into the waterway. Each dock provided a variety of recreational and live-aboard vessels with utilities and covered berths. The marina had no fare detection or suppression equipment.

When investigators found a downward burn pattern through the carpet and decking beneath a damaged power strip on the 32-foot (10-meter) houseboat, they determined that power strip had started the fare.

Damage to the boats and marina is estimated at nearly $7 million. There were no injuries.

KENNETH J. TREMBLAY is a technical project assistant with Firewise Communities and a career lieutenant with the Lexington, Massachusetts, Fire Department.

20 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW,NFPAJOURNAL.0RG

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MEETINGS SAVE THE DATES of July 22 through 24 for the third annual NFPA Americas' Fire Expo (AFE) in Miami Beach.

At the three-day conference, our international constituents can network in Spanish and English with indusu T colleagues and exchange with NFPA global information critical to our mission. We'll offer two tracks of four tecbnical sessions daily, from 8 a.m. to noon on July 22 and 9 a.m. to noon on July 23 and 24.

We'll also team up with the Interna- tional Association of Hispanic Firefighters to offer sessions on haz-

Expo delivers domest ic and Latin American audiences mat response and technical rescue operations and training. Members of Miami/Dade Fire Rescue's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force will present these sessions. And we'll offer several p re -and post-conference technical seminars, including the Certified Fire Protection Specialist pr imer and exam.

Among the seminars we will offer in English and Spanish are:

• Extreme Events: A N e w Perspect ive for Building Owners

• Sprinklers in NFPA 5000 TM

• Fire Protect ion in Ref ineries

• Fire Incident C o m m a n d System

• Per formance Test for Sprinklers

• AFFF Environmental Issues

• Protection for Outside Storage Tanks

• Fire Protect ion Engineering: N e e d or Expense?

• Handling Risk f rom a Corporate Standpoint in a Global Environment

• Fire Safety Solutions for High Rises with One Exit

• N e w D e v e l o p m e n t s in Water Mist Suppress ion

• Very Early Detect ion: Latin Ameri- can Exper ience

• Sizing o f Fire Pumps at Industrial Facilities

• Performance-Based Tools for Clas- sifying Hazards in Fire Extinguisher Select ion

• Handling o f Hazardous Materials in Accordance with NFPA Standards

• Fire Safety Certification: What Is Happening?

• Psychology o f the Masses: Evacuation

Speakers include Milosh Puchovsky and Chris Marion ofArup, Rev Carta- gena and ,-M~tonio Santiago of [RI GE GAPServices,,Iose Figueroa of FM Global, Martin Razynskas andJorge Snarez Peredo of liAR-Mexico, Ing. Ram6n Do,ninguez B. of IFSC Mex- ico, Femando Vigara of FVA-Spain, andJaime A. Moncada of IFSC. Mso participating are Maria Figneroa of the Metro Dade Fire Department, Brian RinDvelski of Hughes Associ- ates, Tom Cortina of,Mcade & Fay, Sean Casev of Vision Systems, and FeP nando Escalante of the R.]A Group.

Last yem; approximately 4,000 participants from more than 70 countries and 45 U.S. states registered for the conference, and 970 companies exhibited. Be part of the action this year.

We'll see you in Miami!

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IERRY WOOLDRIDGI:

BUILDINGTOCODE ON MARCH 13, I attended a special meeting of the Technical Committee on ,Msembly Occupancies to review the nightclub lragedies that resulted in the deaths of 99 people in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and 21 in Chicago, Illi- nois. In an open forum before the official committee meeting began, a number of people talked about what

and forward-thinking people in the country, if not the world. This document represents a true consensus of whars considered a safe building by code officials, indusn y representatives, and the architectural and engineering comintmities.

The NFPA 5000 provisions that specifically deal with assembly occu-

Assembly Occupancies and NFPA 5000 TM

they perceived to have COlltributed to the loss of lives and what might be done to prevent a similar tragedy. Se> eral spoke from tl]eir hearts and described how the loss of friends, family, or loved ones in the Rhode Island fire had affected their lives.

The personal stories they told weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone who attended, and their message to us as code officials and autlmrities having jurisdiction was difficult to listen to. Howevel. we needed to hear them.

In their grieL these people asked the hard questions. Should all assembly occupancies be sprinklered? Are the number of exits the codes reqtfire really adequate for emergency evacuation? Shotfld pyrotechnics be used in indoor assembly occupancies? Should sprinkler requirements apply to existing buildings? Do the codes provide enough protection for the unsuspecting public?

I may never be smart enough to answer those questions, but I do know there would have been significantly fewer lives lost in Rhode Is land~pos- siblv none - -had the building complied with NFPA 5000 TM, Building Construction a~d S({//'h' Co(h 'TM.

NFPA 5000 was developed by some of the brightest, most knowledgeable

pancies can be tbund in Chapter 16, which references the more general requirements in Chapters 3 to 15. In Chapter 16 are, among other things, instructions for determining minimum occupant load, which is used to establish a building's egress requirements. There were reports of overcrowding at both incidents.

The minimum occupant load is determined by applying the occupant load factor found in Table 11.3.1.2 to the net square footage of the building. This net floor area is the space that remains after hallways, stairs, closets, the thickness of interior walls, columns, or other features are deducted from the building's gross square footage.

When other applicable provisions of the code have been met, Section 16.1.6 allows the architect to use maximum probable population of the space instead of the occupant load factor. The maximum probable population shouldn't be more than one person far every 5 square feet (0.46 square meters) of space in buildings 10,000 square feet (929 square meters) in area or smallei: In buildings larger than 10,000 square feet, the maximum probable population shouldn' t exceed one person per 7 square feet (0.65 square meters).

Requiremems h)r l[]e numl)cr ()f exits, the general ar rangement of" those exits, and exit illmniuation and signage are all found in Chapter 11, while more specific requirements for exiting and the arrangement of exits are in Chapter 16. For example, Sec- tion 16.2.3.3 requires that the main entrance to an assembly btfilding be sized to accomlnodate no less than 50 percent of the occupant load for exiting. Section 16.2.5.2 specifically disapproves of travel through kitchens, s toreroonls , res t rooms, closets, or hazardous areas for exiting.

:kssembly occupancies may be located above or below the level of exit discharge only when the occupancy is housed in a building constructed using tim type of construction allowed in Table 16.1.5.2.

Obviousl B doors and door locks or latches are extremely important in assembly occupancies. Section 11.2.1.4.2 requires doors to swing in the direction of egress when serving an occupant load of 50 or mo,'e people, and an); door in a required means of egress serving 100 or more people inust have panic or fire exit


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HEADSUP THE CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICA- TIONS INSTITUTE (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada are proposing to overhaul the MAS- TERFORMAT ®, the organizational system professional specification writers use to produce specifications for building projects. Several different schemes have been advanced during

the form of electrical supervi: and alarm service for the spri systems. Most significant, ho~a is the fact that these systems t tmiqne work products and co strnction practices, and thus deserve to be recognized sepa rately in project specifications.

Specifying Changes to the MASTERFORMAT

2002 and 2003, and the final version promises to be the largest change in decades. While many in the construction industry have an interest, the fire protection community should also monitor the process because the implications of such changes are significant for automatic sprinkler and other fire protection systems.

To date, CSI has used a 16-division system, of which Division 15 applies to mechanical systems and Division 16 applies to electrical systems. Auto- matic sprinkler systems were traditionally included in Division 15, and fire alarm systems were found in Division 16. This produced problems, since fire alarm systems are usually installed by fire sprinkler spe- cials' contractors, using unique trade practices and technology. Inclusion in these larger divisions generally meant that these contractors were subcontractors, which put fire systems installers further down the food chain from project designers and increased the cost to building owners when the added overhead and profit were passed upward. It also resuhed in difficuhies coordinating the two types of systems, coordination that modern building codes require in

In 1995, when CSI last proposed revising the MASTERFORMAT, the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the Society of Fire Protection Engi- neers, and the Automatic Fire Alarm Association successfully pushed for a minor change to the 16-division format that allowed for an alternate specification point for fire protection systems in Division 13, "Special Construction." This led to the development of a coordinated fire protection specification by knowledgeable fire protection engineers who understood the role of these systems in building codes and could advise the building designer.

The first reorganization draft advanced in 2002 appeared to expand on the concept of independent status for fire protection system specifications. However, several schemes proposed in the subsequent revision put fire suppression systems back in a "mechanical" division and fire alarm systems back under the "electrical" division. As the third and final draft moves forward, it appears that fire suppression and fire alarm systems will be given their own divisions in a broad grouping addressing facilities services:

F A C I L I T Y S E R V I C E S ( 6 0 S )

Division 61 - Mechanical Division 63 - Fire Suppression Division 6 5 - Electrical D i v i s i o n 6 7 - Communication Division 68 - Life Safety (electronic safety and security) Division 69 - Integrated Automation

The arrangement is typical of other groupings in the proposed MASTER- FORMAT, allowing for flexibility and new technologies by reserving some divisions for future use. Simuhane- ously, the section numbering system will be expanded to allow more room within each division.

If the revised MASTERFORMAT goes forward in this manner, it will be a great improvement and will allow better project specifications. With today's new emphasis on fire and security systems, the need to ensure proper attention to these systems at the specification stage, ensuring proper coordination and system performance, is greater than ever. As this project nears conclusion, I encourage members of the fire protection community to visit the CSI Web site at www.csinet.org to comment positively on the proposed new changes.

26 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW, NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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STRUCTURALOPS DURING AN INSPECTION several years ago, a Cincinnati, Ohio, fire inspector found a large inventory of organic peroxide stored hi drums inside a warehouse. As he dug further, he found that the truck terminal's owner was buying the peroxide by the truck-

Loading and unloading trailers using forklifts requires that the dock area be wide open, thus creating a large, undivided fire area. This large, open area, combined with the possibility o f an extra-hazard fire load, requires tactics using large-diameter

areas: a dock / s to r age area; offices; ma in t enance and garage facilities: and a yard where tractors and trailers are parked. There might also be o ther facilities, such as addit ional warehouses. The location of, and access to, each of these areas should

Truck terminals require pre-incident planning as a potential high-risk/large-loss hazard load and selling it at a profit to a local chemical company. Evidendy, the owner didn't know that the peroxide has a self- accelerath~g decomposition temperature of 90°F (32°C), and could easily have ignited during the summer, when temperatures in the terminal shot up.

Firefighters face a varie~, o f similar challenges when conf ron ted with a fire in a highway transportation facility. Like trains, trucks can carry different kinds of freight, and firefighters must take special precautions responding to a fire in a tractor- traileL particularly when hazardous materials are invoh'ed.

At one time or another; nearh' eve~ T terminal in the United States contains large quantities of high-hazard Class A materials, such as plastics, pose an extreme hazard at truck terminals because the numerous trailers carDfing them may be parked in a small area. The trailers themselves may be flfll of freight, and there may be freight on the dock, too, resuhing in a t remendously high fire load.

Given these parameters, it's imperative to develop pre-incident plans ['or truck terminals, stating whether such hazards exist. And it's wise to prepare for the worst-case scenario, since the fire load at truck docks is transient and stock temporarily stored on pal- lets may be unstable.

fire streams and can quickly become a defensive operat ion. The large overhead doors can be used to vent the fire, but improperly open ing these doors can have disastrous effects.

Modern truck terminals are likely to be made of lightweight, non- combust ible construction, creat ing a triple threat to firefighters a t t empt ing offensive ext inguishment : large fires, possibly invoh4ng hazardous materials; unsta- hle storage; and lightweight construct ion.

We advocate an offensive attack whenever it can be safely and effectively accomplished. While pre- incident p lann ing for truck terminals won ' t identify the exact fuel load, many o ther impor t an t factors can be known in advance. Rate-of- flow can be pre-calculated based on normal fire loads. If an extraordinary fire load is found at the time of the f re , tactics can be adjusted.

Truck terminals will typically have at least four different f imctional

Fire destroys trucking company office, dock, and maintenance area.

be noted on pre- incident plans. Materials s tored on a loading dock

may be ve~' valuable, and a new tractor can cost as much as $85,000. Muhiply the loss o f a single t ractor by the total n u m b e r o f tractors at the facili~,, a long with the value o f the contents , and you can see that a fire at a truck terminal is likely to be a large-loss fire.

Al though many truck terminals opera te 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, others don ' t , so the actual days and hours o f opera t ion should be r eco rded on the pre- incident plan, a long with a note out l in ing security measures to be taken when the facility

38 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL,ORG

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~IARK CONRO~t

JUSTASK NFPA 403 , Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Services at Airp~nts, addresses the minimum num ber of fire service vehicles and the amount of extinguishing agent these vehicles should carry to the scene of an aircraft accident.

The proposed 2003 edition to be voted on at this year's World Safety

scheduled is a Beech 1900, the airport would fall into Category, 3, and you 'd only need one vehicle carD'ing 670 gallons (2,536 liters) of water to produce foam. On the other hand, a major international airport with regularly scheduled MD-1 ls, Boeing 747s, and Airbus A-340s would fall in Category 9, which requires four vehi-

minutes and begin applying agent (Q1) for initial control. Another vehicle would arrive in 3 minutes and apply foam solution (Q2) to sta- bilize conditions or extinguish the external spill fire. At 4 minutes, hose lines would be deployed, and an interna] attack (Q3) would begin. Obviously, if there 's only one vehi-

NFPA 4 0 3 addresses s taff ing i s sues for ARFF services at a irports

Conference and Exposition TM will also provide min imum staffing levels for airport fire departments.

The standard addresses what extinguishing agents? Since a major aircraft accident t3-pi- cally involves a fuel-spill fire, the main extinguishing agent is foam. Foam is normally 94 to 97 percent water, so ARFF vehicles are designed to carry huge amounts of water to the scene of an accident. New vehicles are often designed to hold 1,500 or 3,000 gallons (5,678 or 11,356 liters) of water to mix with a propor- tionate amount of foam concentrate to produce the foam solution. They also car D, either dry chemicals or a halogenated agent to handle such things as engine fires or a flowing fuel fire.

How does NFPA 403 address vehicle and agent requirements for small, general aviation airports, as opposed to the big ones, such as Chicago O'Hare? Airports are broken down into l0 categories, depending on the largest aircraft scheduled into the airport. IL for example, the largest aircraft

cles and a combined water quantity of 9,570 gallons (36,222 liters) to produce foam. The four vehicles also allow firefighters to discharge foam from more than one position.

What's new with staffing for the 2003 edition, proposed for adoption at the 2003 World Safety Conference and ExpositionTM? Everything in the standard is broken down by airport categon,. Using the example above, the ARFF Technical Commit tee de te rmined that at least two firefighters are needed in the vehicle responding to the Beech 1900. For the initial response to the Airbus A-340, however, you can ' t have fewer than 15 ARFF personnel. The commit tee also manda ted that a task analysis be pe r fo rmed to determine additional staffing requirements and provided an extensive write-up of one me thod of doing such an analysis in the standard's annex.

What's new in agent quantities? For the 2003 edition, the quantities of agent are b roken down to relate to the response. The initial responding vehicles would arrive within 2

cle, there 's only a Q1, and airports with v, vo vehicles would have only Q1 and Q2. Instead of just showing the total quantity of agent, the tables in NFPA 403 show Q1, Q2, and Q3, and the times associated with these quantities.

What about the Airbus A-380? The double-decker A-380, which is still on the drawing board, will fall into Category 10, the largest airport categot3,. The only other aircraft in this categol T is the Russian-made Antonov AN-225 cargo plane.

The ARFF commit tee chair appointed a task group, which visited Airbus in France and reviewed the new aircraft's features. Although there are still significant issues to be resolved, including slide evacuation f rom the upper deck, the new edition of NFPA 403 will add water for hose lines for the second passenger level, which extends the complete length of the aircraft. The committee plans to discuss other life safe R ' issues to help airports planning to accept this aircraft, as well.

MARK CONROY is a senior engineer and the principal contact at NFPA for aviation safety issues.


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INCOMPLIANCE TO FIRE INSPECTORS, the topic of transportation often brings to mind the question, "What happens when a truck is unloaded and its cargo is taken into tim building?" Will it cause fire o r lift" safety problems?

Actually, such problems can begin even heft)re off-h)adi,lg, during the design of the loading area. Trucks are large, and h)ading docks are usually small, so drivers must often be creative when positioning their vehicles to make the offh)ading process easy. Sometimes, this involves blocking fire lanes, fire depa r tmen t connections, hydrants, egress paths to public wavs, and exit stairs or doors.

Designers and plan reviewers should consider these issues during the pro jec t ' s development , jus t as drivers shotdd consider them when they maneuver their trucks into position at the loading dock. Those nnh)ading the vehicles should also consider where they place the cargo,

through storerooms in all Class B and (;lass C mercantile occupancies, as long as no more than 50 percent of exit access is through the storerooln; the S t O l e r o o n ] isn't locked; the main aisle is at least 44 inches (112 cen-

timeters) wide; d and the path of travel, 4 , defined with ~- fixed barri- 31 I. ers, is direct and flee of obstructions. ~ " -ll,

Problems ,~, with storage ~ in the aisles are more likely when a ship- merit is received, particularly around holi- days. Those in charge of

Transportation life-safe j issues--a view from the loading dock

making sure it doesn ' t block access to the exits or fire depar tment connecti(ms, either.

When the arriving materials are brought into the buikling, thought must be given to where they'll be st()red, even if only telnporarily.

Because Section 37.2.5.10 of NFPA 101 ~, L/fl" Safi'{y Cod: a , permits egress th, 'ough storage rooms in (;lass A mercantile occupancies that are protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7, the aisles should always be clear.

The code also allows egress

tim storage room should be aware of this and ready to deal with any obstruction that arises.

Another problem of which the s toreroom manager should be aware is boxes piled tip to and past the spxinklers. NFPA 13, Imtallalion o/'Sprin- kler S),slema, reqnires an 18-incia (457-millimeter) clearance below the sprinkler deflector.

Stored materials mnstn ' t intrnde into this space, or the sprinkler won't be able to develop an effective discharge pattern.

All these issties and lnore that revolve around tim transport of

goods require that those involved in every step of the operation, from design to delivery, he aware of the fire and life safety issues and understand the consequences of ignoring protection featttres and processes.

That 's where we come in. As part of the fire safety conlmunily ' , we must he part of the education process, not j t ts t code enforcers.

All these issties involving the results of t ransport ing goods require that someone be taught about these fire and life-safety issues and that they understand the consequences of ignoring rite process.

32 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 Wl;VW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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W E H E L P Y O U M A K E S U R E T H E B U I L D I N G H A S

STEPHEN BARLAS

INSIDETHEBELTWAY IT ISN'T ROME that's burning, but the nation's shipyards, which are the scene o f numerous fires each ,,,ear. And the Occupational Safety and Heahh Administration (OSHA) has been fiddling with the problem for nearly two decades. Lately; however, the delay in addressing fire safety in ports and on ships has become more pressing, not because workers are wielding cutting torches more care-

OSHA's new maritime fire standard has been a long time in coming. Back in the mid-1980s, the agency concluded that, while sections of its general indusu~' standard for fire protection included hot work and fire watches, those sections didn' t address the

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NFPA-based fire-safety standard for shipyards nears end of long voyage

lessl), but because the threat o f terrorism looms ever larger.

Better late than never for OSHA's proposed, first-time, marit ime fire- safety standard, which consolidates and u p d a t e s i m o s t l y based on NFPA standards--exis t ing OSHA pro- nouncements on such things as hot work, fire brigades, and fire watches,

B e t t e r d e f i n i t i o n

A benefit o f the new standard, according to Guy Colonna, NFPA assistant vice-president for hazardous chenficals/lnaterials, who was a member of the OSHA commit tee that wrote the standard, will be more effective use o f shipyard fire watches.

"An ill-trained fire watch can turn a nickel fire into a hundred-dol lar fire," explains Colonna.

The new OSHA standard better defines fire watch skills and explains requirements, such as when a watch should be posted and how many hot- work sites it ought to moni tor at one time. The standard uses the most recent iterations o f o ther NFPA standards, including the 1999 edition of NFPA 51 B, Fire Prevenlirm During Weld- b~g, Cutth~g, and Other Hot Vl4~rk.

problems ships and shipyards face. But it wasn't until 1991 that OSHA chartered a fire protection subcomnfittee of the Shipyard Employment Stan- dards Advisory Committee to address the standard's shortcomings.

The d o c u m e n t put together d idn ' t quite meet expectations, so OSHA established the Negotiated Rulemak- ing Commit tee in 1996. This committee, which included Colonna, Richard Duffy of the Internat ional Association of Fire fighters, o ther union and state government officials, and a n u m b e r of U.S. shipbuilding company executives, developed a s tandard that deals with shipyard fire prevention and response.

The new standard's first set of requirements is intended to defllse hazards from hot work, whether it's done in a yard or aboard a ship. Areas where hot work isn't done regularly will have to be inspected before the cutting torches are deployed, and fire watches inav have to be in place. Metal shops and other tacili- ties that handle grinding and cutting regularly will qualify as "designated" hot work areas and will be governed by existing fire safety standards, which will be tightened up. Fire watches aren't neces-

sarv in designated areas. Hot work is often done in confined

spaces, occasioning other requirements. For example, the standard requires an employer to make sure that no unat tended tirol gas or oxygen hose lines or torches are left in confined spaces. The language of the OSHA requirement comes right out o f NFPA 312, Fire Protection ~ Vessels Dur- big Construction, Repab; and Lay-up.

Anothe r section outlines how to control ignition sotn'ces for work processes that generate slag, weld splatter, or sparks that might pass th rough an open ing and start a fire. The language in that requirement comes f rom NFPA 51B.

The Negotiated Rulenmking Con> mittee, on which OSHA relied, had to pick one NFPA standard over another. The commit tee chose to rely more heavily on NFPA IN)0, Fire Departme~zl Ocaq)ational 8aJi' O, and Healtf~ Pn)gram, to make sure that response fi'om outside the yard would be con> patible with response fi 'om inside.

The new OSHA standard could be finalized as soon as this sunnner, which is none too soon, consider ing the constant threat of terrorism.


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WHEN I rEACH an NFPA National ~ ~ , ~ i ~ / / } ~ j ~

I I k ~ = ~ ~ - , ' , - . - - ~ - : ~ " - - " ' ~ , - ~ ' will often tell me that their fire alarm system doesn ' t meet their expectations. They wonder why the system didn ' t work dur ing a fire in their building and ask whether it was because they used the wrong detector, installer, designer, or system. Ohviously, one can ' t answer the questions without knowing the type of building and alarm system, the extent of protection, when and where the fire occurred, and what the fire protect ion goal was when the system was designed.

Nonetheless, it's apparen t dur ing these discussions that the systern designers didn ' t advise their clients that a fire alarm system has limita- tions and that a system's design itself can inherently limit its performance. If the alarm system is designed to provide partial detection, for example, partial coverage is all you'll get, even if the system complies with the code.Jus t because a

Understanding the l imitations of a fire alarm system

system is code-compliant doesn ' t mean it can detect a fire of any size an}~'here in a building. It can only detect the type of fire it was designed to detect in the area in which it is installed.

System designers may also fail to review an owner's fire protection goals. Unless an owner takes the initia- tive, it's unlikely the designer will do more than design a system that meets the minimum code reqnirements.

Other factors affecting the response of a fire alarm system include using a heat detector when

a smoke detector is the bet ter choice, failing to ensure audibility, and locating detectors improperly. A slow-growing fire may not be detected until it has reached an uncontrol lable state if ceiling height isn't considered.

Another mistake alarm system designers make is failing to tell the client about the problems that can develop when an unqualified installer is used. If the client doesn't hire a trained installer, there's a chance the system will be improperly installed, and poor installation may delay detec-

tion. And if an installer chooses to bu~; install, and program fire alarm equipment without the technical services of the supplier, the installer may damage the equipment or mispro- gram the devices. He or she might also install too many deYices or appliances on a circuit, which can also cause or result in a failure to detect a notification failure.

Unders tanding how a fire alarm system is designed and installed, and what it can and can ' t do is important in ensur ing that the system per forms as expected.


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IENNA PADUIJ

INSANDOUTS IN MAY, NFPA is hosting the World Organization of Building Officials' (WOBO) triannual congress at its World Safety Conference and Exhibi- tion ,,, (WSCE) in Dallas, Texas.

The WOBO, which has several thousand members, was incorporated in June 1984 as a not-for-profit organization and is in special consnl- tative status with the economic and social conncil of the United Nations and United Nations Industrial Devel- opmen t Organization.

potential hazards anti to rec- o m m e n d solutions for preventing fire risks in existing buildings and buildings under construction.

• To p, 'omote the concept of standardizing construction materials, equipment , and appliances.

• To collaborate with international organizations, governments, and educational institutes to p romote the d'ii

NFPR hosts i n t e r n a t i o n a l building officials organization at this year's WSCE

Since 1984, it has held World Con- gresses ever T tln'ee years in London, Sydne}; New Orleans, Hong Kong, and Dubai, in addition to regional conferences in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where it was originally incorporated.

In i~act, NFPA is a founding member of WOBO and its first conference featnred blartin Grimes, then NFPA vice-president of Policy and External Affairs, as a speaker.

NFPA officials met with WOBO officials in 2002 and extended the offer to host the organization at the 2003 WSCE.

According to its mission statement, WOBO is "dedicated to i m p r m i n g the qualiB' of life and resource opti- mization internationally through the development, exchange, and application of knowledge and experience, affecting the health safety, welfare, and usefulness of the btfih environ- nlent."

In addition, WOBO strives toward the following goals:

• To promote safeguards from

development of training programs for building officials.

• To encourage and p romote ill all countries the establishment of a national building officials organization and national advisory committees.

• To promote conferences, selni- nars, and congresses of a national and international character in fl~r- thering the objectives of the organization.

What it means to host Hosting WOBO will give NFPA members an opportuni ty to get to know the organization while introducing WOBO members to NFPA's code- development process. The arrangement also provides an excellent networking opportuni ty for NFPA members and building officials fi'om around the world.

This year, WOBO will add to NFPA's educational program nine speakers whose presentations are closely allied to those sponsored by the Architects, Engineers, and Build-

ing Officials Section. Their theme is "'Protection of fcon Buildings-- Keeping Them Sate, Useable, and Open to tim Public."

NFPA sessions covering this theme will be marked with WOBO's logo in the WSCE prograln, and WOBO's logo will appeal- on other WSCE materials, as well.

WOBO's Board of Governors will also meet dur ing the WSCE. WOBO's board is composed of individuals from several countries, including NFPA's past-president George Millm:

WOBO President Ahmed Sail Bel- hasa welcomes the joint effort.

"One of tim founding members of the ~ b r l d Organization of Building Officials, NFPA has jo ined with us to advance information on the buih environment.

"'We look fbrward to finding solutions to common problems and to learn fi'om each othel," he says.

For information on this year's WSCE and pre-conference seminars, visit u~av.nfpa.org. #


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~IERI-K APP~ ,UTREACH i,; nl°n s °ldest i'¢1 1 lrg(~ classr°°] i llls ~le sller '~ihell lie ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 l e a m up f o r t i r e are y uqaef

periodical, to help them "Team Up smel,ed smoke. The 7 - y e a r - o ~ S ~ O A ~ 1"or Fire Safety" with NFPA. diate]y awakened his mother, who

Our 2002 national funding partners, the Home Safety Council, the United States Fire Administration (USFA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and First Alert, contributed nearly $800,000 to underwrite this ambitious effort. Through their generosity, the program reached more than 26 million kids and members of their fantilies, and teacher surveys conducted by Weekly Reader and Lifetime Learning Systems showed that 8.56 million children planned and prac- ticed a home fire drill with their families as part of this NFPA program.

Resuhs like this help NFPA maintain long-term relationships with outside fimding partners. For example, the USFA has been a major supporter of NFPA's annual Weekly Reader program since 1999.

"Ct~rrently in the United States, the fire death and injury rates for children trader age 14 are unacceptably high," says USFA Administrator R. David Paulison. "With its millions of readers, we believe Weekly, Reader can help prevent and reduce injuries and the tragic loss of children from fire."

Tiffs belief is justified. NFPA's Pub- lic Edncation Division has already begun to document stories of families who survived fires in their homes at least in part because of lessons learned from the 2002 Fire Preven- tion Week campaign.

told him to wake up his older brother and sister. The family of five left their home and went outside to their cho- sen meeting place to wait for the fire department .Just a week earlier, Fire- fighter Bruce Young of Palm Beach, Florida, County Fire and Rescue had visited Thomas ' class to reinforce the importance of home escape planning and practice.

In a letter to Young, Thomas wrote, "Without your presentation, I would- n ' t be here at this moment .... You taught me to have an escape plan and meeting place, and to tell a grown-up when you smell smoke. And that's what I did."

In another incident, a Weekly Reader kindergarten teacher front Sidney, Ohio, reported that, "After a fire in one of my student's homes, he told the fire- man that he and his room crawled out of the home. His teacher had told him that the good air was at the bottom and the smoke was up high. The home was colnpletely destroyed."

David Oliver, past president of the Home Safety Cotmcil, another muhi-year supporter of the Fire Prevention Week program with Weekly Reader; acknowledges the benefit of their investment.

"The Home Safety Council is thrilled about the robust resuhs of FPW 2002," he says. "This stellar campaign truly demonstrates how the safety commu- laity can join together in supporting

education outreach that translates into action toward safer living."

Barbara Guthrie, director of Con- sumer Affairs at Underwriters Laboratories, echoes the value of col- laboration among like-minded organizations.

"UL is committed to raising the safety-consciousness of our youth, empowering kids to make 'safety- smart ' decisions," says Guthrie. "FPW not only teaches life safety lessons bnt also has a proven record of accom- plishment of saving lives. UL was honored to ' team up' with NFPA in this essential safety program."

Year after year, four critical factors combine to make NFPA's partnership with Weekly, Reader a measurable success. Credible, technically accurate fire safety content from NFPA, the first factor, is transformed by Weekly Reader education experts into engag- ing classroom lessons, the second factor. These lessons are reinforced by dedicated fire and life safety officers from local fire departments, the third factol, who inspire students and their families to take action at home, where the risk of fire is greatest. This is the fourth factor. A tried-and-trne approach recognizes teachers as a vital conduit for passing along to children the importance of understanding and practicing basic


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THE CENTRAL ARTERY/TUNNEL PROJECT NFPA 502 drives safety of world's biggest tunnel system

WHEN THE I'~ ('~ O T ~ I ~ I I ~ U O I U I ' g , Massachusetts, Central Artery/Tunnel pro-

ject--more commonly known as the Big Dig--is finally finished in late 2005, it should prove a godsend to the thousands of commuters using it every day. And the fire protection systems installed in its tunnels, as well as the preparation of the city's emergency services, will make their journey not only faster, but also safer.

The Big Dig, with its 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) of roadway, loop ramps, connectors, and three tunnels, is the largest civil engineering project the United States has undertaken since the building of the Panama Canal in 1914, and providing fire protection for such a formidable project involves a great deal of engineering proficiency and practical knowledge.

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"The Big Dig should stand as a model for life safety, or even renovations of major urban tmmels. What we have here is quite extraordinary," says ~Villiam Connell, the project's manager of mechanical and electrical systems design for Parsons Brinckerhoff.

When the elevated Central Artery (Interstate 93), half of which still passes through the heart of Boston, was built in 1959, it carried about 75,000 vehicles a day. Until March 2003, this same six-lane roadway carried 200,000 vehicles a day, an increase that regularly resulted in massive traffic jams, and an accident rate estimated to be four times the national average.

The project, overseen by the Massa- chusetts Turnpike Authority, replaces this traffic travesty with two major components. The first replaces the elevated Central Artery with an 8- to 10-lane underground expressway, known as the Liberty Tunnel. This tunnel connects to the 10-lane, cable- stayed Leonard R Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge over the Charles River and to Interstate 93 north of Boston. The northbound connection opened in March. The southbound cozmection is expected to open in November.

The underground Central Artery will carry about 245,000 vehicles a day by 2010, with the Ted Williams Tunnel carrying about 98,000 vehicles a day. There will be normal urban rush hours of a couple of hours in the morning and evening on the under- ~ound expressway, with traffic

l ing at about 30 mph.


THE BIG DIG I

The lowest point of the Liberty Tunnel is 120 feet (36 meters) below Dewey Square at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in downtown Boston, where four northbound lanes of the highway cross below the Red Line subway tunnel.

The second phase of the project, which was completed in January 2003. involved extending Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), from south of downtown Boston through the new Fort Point Channel crossing, a nine- lane tunnel beneath the channel and South Boston to the 1.6-mile (2.5-kilo- meter) Ted Williams Tunnel. The Ted Williams Tunnel leads under Boston Harbor for 0.75-miles (1.2 kilometers) to Logan International Airport in East Boston. It opened to limited traffic in 1995 and to all traffic in January 2003.

Construction fire safety Anv tunnel project presents tile local fire department with a challenge, while it's being built and once it's in operation.

During construction of the CA/T, safety has been a priority, and injuries have been well below the national average for tunnel projects. Nor have there been any significant fires.

Guiding much of the life safety and fire protection is NFPA 502, Road Tunnels, Bmlges, and Other LiMted Access Highways.

"The standard addresses two particular areas" says Art Bendelius, senior vice president with Parsons Brincker- hoff, which is one of the two project managers, and chair of the NFPA 502 tech~fical committee. "The first is an obvious tunnel (that's dug underground) and the second is an air rights structure that is built over a roadway that creates a tumael. The standard deals with the fire protection issues relating to these structures and some criteria on when the standard applies in relation to detection, suppression, and ventilation"

The preliminary design of the Big Dig began in July 1986, and the final design began in January 1989. Con- struction on the project began in February 1991.

Big Dig construction work goes on at night near Boston's Atlantic Avenue and the city's Custom House Building.

"When it first started, NFPA 502 was a recommended practice, but now it's a standard. We tried to incorporate it into the design as much as we could," says Deputy Chief John Ken- ney of the Boston Fire Department. (BFD), who is also a member of the NFPA 502 committee. There are a number of components that meet the requirements outlined in NFPA 502. These include items such as standpipes and their fill points, egress, ventilation, emergency response, and water supply.

"NFPA 502 is internationally recognized" says James Lake, the NFPA

staff liaison for the document, "and it covers the entire spectrum of what you would see in terms of fire safety in a road tunnel."

NFPA is working with staff from the United Nations to familiarize them with the provisions of the document to help gain greater acceptance around the world. "There are some countries that have federal guidelines on tunnels, but there really aren't any other standards out there,' Lake says.

For a tunnel to fall under the requirements of NFPA 502, it must be 300 feet (90 meters) or greater in length. Between 300 feet and 801) feet

WWW, NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 45

(240 meters), some portions of the standard will apply. If a tmmel exceeds 1.000 feet (300 meters), all provisions in the standard would apply to the runnel desig-n and operation.

BFD requires that there be a standpipe and fue alarm system in the unfinished southbound Liberty Tun- nel. as outlined in NFPA ,502, says Connell, who's also a member of the NFPA 502 committee.

"The contractors are required to provide an interim or tempora W standpipe system within the area where they are working," he says.

"'They also maintain a fire alarm system within the tunnel. This hardwired system provides for a general alarm in the tunnel. The evacuation paths are clearly mm-ked and the workers are trained in them. There are multiple muster points throughout the area of the project."

Fmowing who is working in the tunnel could be critically important if an incident should occur so that everyone can be accounted for. When they enter the tunnel, evewone must pass through an electronic accountability system.

History of tunnel fires There have been a series of tunnel fires around the world in the past seven years that include the English Channe] Tunnel railway in 1996, the Mont Blanc Tunnel. connecting France and haly, in 1999 that killed

The project is excavating a total of 16 million cubic yards of dirt, enough to fill Foxboro Stadium (where the New England Patriots football team and Revolution soccer team play) to the rim 15 times.

About two-thirds of the dirt is being trucked to landfills and other sites. Mov- ing all that dirt will take more than 541,000 truckloads. If all those trucks were lined up end to end, they'd back up 4,612 miles. That's all the wayto Brasilia, capital of Brazil, as the crow flies, or to

~,the Panama Canal strictly over land.

Emergency response to a t u n n e l f i re

FIGHTING A FIRE IN A TUNNEL can be an extremely challenging operation. Comparisons have been drawn between a tunnel and a high-rise building turned on its side. This comparison isn't accurate, and can be deadly.

"Tunnel fires aren't at all like fighting a fire in a building. In a high-rise building you can compartmentalize the fire, but not in a tunnel," explains Art Bendeiius, chair of the NFPA 502, Road Tunnels, Bridges, and Other Limited Access Highways, technical committee.

Other factors are dramatically different in fighting tunnel fires as opposed to other structural fires.

'~he French drove two apparatus into the Mont Blanc Tunnel to reach the fire," which obviously you cannot do in a building, says Bendelius. Several things happened when they did this in 1999.

"The engine on the apparatus died because of the shortage of oxygen," he says. "Also, they normally carry only four SCBA units on the engines, which are staffed by six people." At a regular structure fire, only four-fighter teams enter the building, so there is no need for additional SCBAs. This proved deadly at Mont Blanc where French firefighters were killed.

NFPA 502 outlines the requirements for emergency response to a tunnel fire. One of the factors cited in the Mont Blanc Tunnel fire was there were two different fire departments from France and Italy that hadn't trained together. Their equipment was different, and the language differences created a barrier to smooth operations. NFPA 502 calls for all operating agencies to be trained to work together so that they can function smoothly during an incident. To help facilitate these operations, it calls for the development of a comprehensive emergency response plan outlining the procedures that all agencies have to take during an emergency.

39 people (see sidebar) and Switzer- land's Gotthard Tunnel in 2001 that claimed the lives of 11 people.

The desig'n of the Mont Blanc and Gotthard tunnels differs from that of the Big Dig in that they are "'single- bore" tunnels, and traffic travels in both directions in one tube. In the Lib- erty Tunnel, the traffic flows are separated into two different, but adjacent, tubes. There were other differences in these tumaels, too, where they didn't meet the requirements outlined hi NFPA 5O2.

For example, "some didn't have emergency egress, only safety niches," says Lake. When the Mont Blanc tunnel was rebuilt following the fire, the safety niches were commcted to galleries through which the tunnel occupants can move if there's an emergency.

Detection in tunnels The technology' exists to put ditl'erent types of fire detection into a tunnel.

Howevm; one of the best methods of detecting a tire is one that does not reh' on smoke or heat detectors.

"A fire generally starts in the vehicle, and the amount of heat released into the tunnel is limited," says Ben- delius. "You don't see any flames and only fight smoke until the fire department is on the scene, and when they break out the window you suddenly see flames."

For this reason, fixed detection may not always work in a timely manner. A fire occurred in the four-lane Ted Williams Tunnel hi May 2002. when bus carryhlg members of the Seattle Mariners baseball team ignited and stopped. The first alarm to the Opera- tions Control Center (OCC) came fi'om the carbon monoxide detectors in the ceiling. The linear heat detectors didn't activate until after the fire department was on the scene.

As a result, tmmels are starting to rely on both video monitors and traf-

46 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2303 WWWNFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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This ventilation system was constructed inside a cofferdam. The ventilation system is part of the system that services the Ted Williams Tunnel, which links the city to Logan International Airport.

tic sensors to indicate when there's a problem. If a fire should occur, the traffic is going to generally slow or stop downstream of tile incident. Tiffs alerts the people staffing the control room who can then observe what is occurrhlg on video cmneras and react appropriately.

"The C A / T is equipped with manual fire alarm pull stations within the tunnel, but there are no automatic

The project's seven-building ventilation system will be one of the largest highway tunnel ventilation systems in the world.

detectors," says Connell. "Instead, we have 24/7 monitor ing of the tunnel by tile operators in the control center by" various means, such as closed circuit television, traffic sensors, mid carbon monoxide detectors. The C O detectors are there primarily for an- quality measurements , but they also double as an indicator that there is a fire."

Suppression in tunnels There have been many del)ates ahout the merits of installing an automat ic suppression system in the tunnels. Australia and Japan manda te the installation o t sprinklers in tUnlmls. The re is l imited suppor t tbr the idea of installing sprinklers in roadway tunnels in the United States.

Spri1~lers may actually be counter- productive when it comes to tuimel fires. Since the heat and smoke are going to move horizontally until the ventilation fans can be reconfi~lred, it is best to allow the heat and smoke to rise to the ceiling, creating a coolel, clearer area at roadway level where the people are escaping.

"If you dump water oll a fire, you are going to cool the fire and the smoke and destroy any stratification that helps people get out." says Ben- delius.

There are very few tunnels in the United States with suppression systems installed in them. One is in Boston, but the system has never been commissioned, according to officials.

48 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNALORG

THE BIG DIG j

Two others are located in Seattle, Washington. According to fare officials, the reason for requiring the systems was so that hazardous Cargoes could use the tunnels without restriction. The systems have never been used to suppress a fire.

Big Dig Fact: Z A K I H BRIDGE

Fire department operations BFD is ,esponsible for responding to incidents in the Interstate 93 runnel, ahmg with tim fire departments from neighboring Cambridge, Somerville, and Logan Airport. Because of the size of the tunnel and the limited access, it's important to coordinate the operations with a nmnl)er of different agencies and departnmnts.

Whenever there's a fire department response for a fire in the tunnel, units will respond to four locations.

The first is to have units respond with the flow of traffic. These companies attempt to reach the scene of the incident by following the normal flow of traffic.

However, this may be a problem because the fire in the tunnel will probably stop the traffic. Furthermore. "the first companies (responding with the flow) rnay have to come from some distance and there is a chance they may not actually make it to the fire scene," says Deputy Chief Ken- hey. For this reason additional companies respond and stage outside of the tunnel where the traffic is coming out. "'Once we know that traffic is stopped m~d we get the confirmation from the tunnel control center, then we send companies into the tunnel against the flow."

A third company is sent to the standpipe fill station. "Everything is covered by a standpipe," says Kenney, even if it isn't inside the tunnel itself. "Any place we can't get ready access, there is a standpipe system. For exanlple, when you come out of the tunnel, it is 40 feet (12 meters) down from grade and you cannot access it easily, so the standpipe is continued in that area."

All of the standpipes are dry systems with two remote fill points, as

called for in NFPA 502. The tunnel has been broken into smaller response zones, with each standpipe having two fill points.

"We tried to group as many of the fill points in one location as possible," says Kemley. "The standard on the fdl times from NFPA ,502 is 10 minutes, but for most of them they are less than 5 minutes."

A fourth company is sent to the opposite fill point for the standpipe which is usually at an emergency exit stairs as outlined in NFPA 502.

"We surround the incident," says Kenney. q t is a heavy response, but we have to commit a lot of resources because of the life safety and limited egress points. Also, it takes a few minutes for the ventilation system to take over if there is a fire." By placing the second fill point in an emergency egress stair tower and having a compa W respond to that location, the company can serve double duty.

To help coordinate all of the responding units, as well as with other agencies, the tumael is equipped with radio repeaters that allow for communications within the tunnel.

"We have all four (fire) channels down in the tunnel along with Boston police, EMS, and Massachusetts State Police" among others, says Kmmey.

Ventilation system Ventilation is an essential thctor in any tunnel fire, and the CA/T is no exception. When the project is completed, vehicles will travel much of the route underground, since roughly half of the 7.5 miles is in a tunnel. The vehicle exhaust will then be collected and dispersed high into the atmosphere away from pedestri- ans, residents, and motorists througll seven new ventilation structures.

Carbon monoxide emissions are diluted to meet ambient air quality standards and are then released through the stacks in the vent buildings. This ventilation system, along with Ftre detection, life-safety, and traf- tic-control systems (known as the Integrated Project Control System or

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge is the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world and the first hybrid and asymmetrical design in the United States, using both steel (in the main span) and concrete (in the back spans).

IPCS), are run from the O CC in South Boston.

The IPCS is fully redundant, with a backup system rumfing in another building less than one-quarter mile away. One late addition to the IPCS following the September 11, 2001, attacks was the installation of motion detectors outside the vent buildings and at other high-security locations.

To provide the necessary empirical data needed to desigaa the ventilation system properly, the Massachusetts Highway Department, along with its project manager, a partnership of the Bechtel Corporation mid Parsons Brinckerhoff, entered into an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration in 1994 to conduct tunnel fire tests in an abandoned West Virginia mountain tmmel.

Called the Memorial Tunnel Fire Ventilation Test Program it became the largest on-site research project focused on tunnel ventilation in the world and provided important data on smoke and heat handling for various types of ventilation systems.

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Nearly 100 fires were set in the tunnel. Engineers installed instruments to

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL,ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 ~9

The Big Dig project has 161 lane miles of highway in a 7.5 mile corridor, about 50 percent of the project is in tunnels, including four major highway interchanges. The roadways will carry 245,000 vehicles a day by 2010.

The cofferdam, at right, which is a watertight structure from which water is pumped so that construction can take place, is the widest and deepest ever used in North America.

monitor and record air temperature and velocity, and gas concentrations. Not only did the fire testing allow Bechtel Parsons to design and build a ventilation system suitable for a project of this magnitude, but it provided the Federal Highway Admhaistration with significant data on jet fan ventilation systems.

"Those tests accomplished a lot in developing useful life safety data about large ventilation systems in tunnels," says Comlell.

The project's ventilation is a two- way full transverse system in which fresh air is blown through ducts under the road or ha a tunnel wall and circu- lated through the tunnels by fans in

the vent buildings. Simultaneously, vehicle exhaust is extracted through openings in the ceiling to rooftop exhaust stacks in the vent buildings mad then dispersed into the atmosphere. The highway tunnels' three fan/shaft ventilation systems use about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) of duct work, 139 double-width centrifugal fans that are 10 feet (3 meters) in diameter, 35 jet fans, and 8 axial fans. Eleven of the project's ramp tunnels will use a jet-fan-based longitudinal/ semi-transverse ventilation system.

The entirely computerized system's also equipped with carbon monoxide sensors tied to the O C C and is programmed to automatically adjust to

higher levels of carbon monoxide by pumping more air into the tunnel. At night, when traffic levels are minimal, the ventilation system operates at a lower capacity. As traffic levels increase, the operating levels of the air intake and exhaust fans increase. Full

B i g D i g F a c t : R / U d P S

The old Central Artery had 27 on- and off-ramps; the new one will have just 14. With an improved surface street ~, system, local traffic will get off the main highway and distribute itself on § the surface, with through traffic moving more easily through the city.


THE BIG DIG I

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WVCW.NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 51

Reinforcing steel used in the project would make a one-inch steel bar long enough to wrap around the earth at the equator.

capacity is only needed during an emergency, such as a fire. In that situation. the system's capable of controlling heat and smoke and dilution of carbon monoxide levels.

The West Virginia Memorial Tun- nel testing also provided project operators with enough data to con- clude that the proper use of the ventilation system during a fare can be of substantial value in controlling smoke mad can play a significant role in slowing the growth of a fire until fire fighters arrive.

Although O C G operators do have flexibility in the way they use the system, the standard practice is for the air intake pumps to slow down the fire and for the exhaust pumps to speed up to remove smoke from the tmmel.

"In an emergency" says Kenney. "the idea is to place everything on full supply upstream of the fire to supply as much air into the area as possible and push the smoke down the tunnel. Everything downstream of the fire will go into full exhaust, drawing out the smokeY

If a fire should occur, the traffic beyond the location of the fare would normally exit the tunnel. The objec- tive is to provide those people that would be caught ha their cars by the stopped traffic with fresh air while the smoke is pushed away from them and exhausted out of the tunnel.

In the event that people need to evacuate the tunnel in an emergency, there are a series of emergency doors located approximately every 1,000 feet (305 meters). These doors lead people either to stairs that they can take to the surface or into an adjacent tunnel through a cross-passage door.

"It's impressive to watch the C C T V monitor to see how well this ventilation system handles a large

amount of smoke," says BFD Deputy Chief Joseph Fleming. "During one fare a chief told me he could walk to within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of the source and there was no smoke. He was amazed that he could get that close. The ventilation system is truly state of the art for the biggest tumlel system in the world."

Gommll says because the project is so big it needs a ventilation system that has lots of flexibility.

"At one major underground inter- change, we're six lanes wide in just one side of the tunnel," Connell says. "It's a situation like that that makes this project different fi'om anywhere else." Gonnell also cited the ventilation in the Ted Williams Tunnel. He says it has seven zones of transverse ventilation, each with dedicated exhaust and supply fans. "They can all be independently controlled, giving the OGG operator great flexibility in the way the exhaust from a fire is controlled," he says.

Fire department training BFD has an extensive training program to prepare its personnel for the staged openings of the tunnels.

",4, lot of the areas are ready enough that we have a lieutenant and a captain bringing companies down every day, two or three in the morning and then another two or three in the afternoon. They cover the areas that they would normally respond to, the location of the stair towers and we cover the features of the tunnel" says Kem~ey.

The command staff has also been undergoing familiarization training as well. They have been to a series of seminars that explain how the ventilation systems and fire alarm systems work and then taken them down into the tunnels for more familiarization.

In addition to the familiarization, BFD has been conducting acceptance tests on the systems to ensure that they are operational. This included a live fire using diesel fuel inside of the tunnels so that they can observe where the smoke travels and how the ventilation system copes with the smoke.

Lessons learned During tile project, NFPA 502 went through a renaissance, Connell says.

"When we started this project," he notes, "NFPA 502 was a recommended practice, it wasn't much more than a dozen or so pages, llO real specitic gvides. My im'olvement in this prqject and NFPA 502 helped to advance both.

"NFPA 502 grew to what it is today, now a standard...its much more sub- stantive than it was in 1990 or 1991 when we first picked it up.. . the project, because of its length of design stage and construction, has had the opportunity to borrow the best features fi'om other projects.

"I can't say there were lessons learned, it was more of an evolution. NFPA 502 played aa~ important role. When we sat down in the late '80s to set down the concepts [for the CA/T], it was apparent that there was no guidance...several other tunnels had been commissioned in the US, but not many, yet they all had different features and requirements."

Traffic using the Metropolitan Highway System (including the underground Central Artery, the Ted williams Tun- nel, and the Mass Turnpike out to Route 128) is monitored by the most advanced traffic management and incident response system in the world, including more than 400 video cameras, 130 electronic message signs, 30 infrared height detectors, and six emergency response stations in operation 24 hours a day. Radio and cellular phone signals are re-broadcast into the tunnels.


THE BIG DIG 1

CONTROLLING FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY $20 million nerve center is world's most complex

A L A R G E R O O M resembling a space-shuttle launch facility is the nerve center of the most complex and sophisticated highway-tunnel operations- control system of its kind in the world. Manned 24/7, it manages more than 35,000 data collection points that control traffic, detect fires, monitor air quality, and sense intruders for the Big Dig, Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel Project.

Officially opened in March, when the northbound tube of the Liberty Tunnel under the city opened, the $20 million Operations Control Center (OCC) is managing the completed portions of the project, taking over from the Interim Operations Center (IOC) as they're finished. The IOC, which will continue to control the portions of the Big Dig still under construction until the entire project wraps up, facilitates the collection, organization, mad dissemination of information on current and future construction activity. It also handles public complaints and emergencies or events that may affect project workers, the public, or construction on the project. These functions will be handed over to the OCC when construction is Fmaliy completed.

Together, the IOC and OCC, located in South Boston, are the project's eyes and ears, allowing Big Dig personnel to communicate with project management and the cities of Boston and Cambridge on issues ranging from traffic disruptions to worker safety.

From them, Big Dig personnel can contact and advise field persoimel, videotape and count key locations, provide an automated traffic count, and use a database to track information, complaints, mad emergency calls. Personnel also identify trends and generate reports summarizing activity, maintain a contact database, and notify the public of major changes during construction by group fax. Information on planned events and project area

activity are provided by more than 430 closed-circuit video cameras spaced 492 feet (150 meters) apart in tunnels and 1,312 feet (400 meters) apart in surface sections of the project.

When an incident occurs, the appropriate camera views are displayed at an operator's workstation in the IOC and OCC, cued by traffic loop detectors or other instruments. Programmed response plans geared toward the type of incident unfolding are also displayed for the operator to follow, subject to change by the supervisor.

Each of the 10 operator work stations in the OCC has two computer screens flanked by three monitors that provide multiple camera views during incidents. At least three operators are on duty at all times, and more are assigned during rush hour.

"We believe it's the best incident detection and response system for any highway project in the world," says George R. Gram, director of Intelligent Transportation Systems for Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc, the contractor hh-ed to build the project's fire and life safety systems, as well as the electronic traffic control system.

The response system Dominating the nerve center of the OCC is a wall on which a 13- bv 45-

Using a wide array of Intelligent Transportation Systems devices, the OCC will monitor traffic in the 1-90/1-93 system of tunnels, ramps, and surface highways in downtown Boston, as well as in the Sumner, Callahan, Prudential, and City Square tunnels and on 1-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) out to Route 128.

WWW.NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 53

foot (4- by 14-meter) rear-projection screen displa.vs in real-time the activ- it}' throughout the unclerground highway system. When an incident occurs, one of the 1,400 loop detectors embedded in the roadway pavement senses a change in traffic density, speed, or patterns, electroni- calh' alerts an OCC operatol; and points the (;CTV cameras at the incident. Depending on where tim event is, up to four cameras can fOCUS OI1 it.

The progranmmd response plan automatically displays the steps the operator must take to control the situation. If it's a fire, the powerful ventilation system is used to slow the intake of fresh air at the bottom of the tmmel and increase the exhaust rate through the transverse system in the tumml ceiling. But tile operator, with the approval of a supervisor, can over- ride the programmed emergency response if the situation requires it.

The operator can also provide traffic advisories using some of the 130 elec-

tronic variable message signs that are part of the Integrated Project Control System. In addition, the operator is in direct commmfication with the nearest frre station and E M T service.

Honeywell engineers say the system was designed with enough redundancy to ensure that every incident can be detected within two minutes.

The O C C also controls the dispatch of six emergency response stations staffed 24 hours a day with police and a large tow truck. Each team can remove disabled vehicles as big as a bus or a semi-trailer truck and fight small fires until firefighters arrive. During rush hour, four additional emergency response teams are added, as are four more large tow trucks.

"All personnel have gone through extensive training and are well-equipped to either keep roadways clear or, in the case of a vehicular crash or fire, deal with the situation until fire personnel arrive," says Sean O'Neill, director of public affairs for the project.

John Kemley, a deputy chief for special projects for the Boston Fire Department, says the department management believes the response system will work.

"This is a large tunnel system, but having that many early responders on hand significantly reduces the chance that a small fire will grow into the large fire," he says.

Kenney, a member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Motor Vehi- cle and Highway Fire Protection, also believes the 300 lane-control signals will allow fire apparatus to maneuver into the tunnel to the site of an incident more quickly.

"When the tunnel needs to be closed for a car fire, those message boards will direct people to alternate routes," he says. "But it still depends on people obeying the law. Two years from now, when they turn on the big red "X" on a lane-control display, shutting down a lane, we'll see if people still respond properly." ~

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FIRE SERVICE A re-evaiuati0n of lessons learned from vehicular tunnels

THE BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT (BFD) has responded to tunnel fires for years. However, the size and scope of the Cen- tral Artery/Tunnel Project caused us to re-evaluate our previous approaches. I hope that some of the lessons that we have learned, or in some cases re- learned, help other jurisdictions who have the challenging responsibility of dealing with tunnel incidents.

Fire tests PIARC (the World Road Association) recommends that full-scale fire tests be carried out before opening a tunnel, as well as at regular intervals after opening, to yetiS' the emergency procedures. NFPA 502, Road 7)umeL~, Bridges and Other Limited

Access Highways, requires exercises and drills at least twice a year. Tile BFD believed that it was also the only viable method to test the ventilation system. PIARC suggests that with proper precautions that a test fire of a few MWs should be safe. For the Central Artery, the BFD used a fire of

approximately 2 megawatts (MW). Enough fuel should be added so that the fire burns fbr at least 10 minutes.

Sand or some other material should surround both pans, in order to collect any spillover. This will also help stabi- lize the pans and prevent tipping ovel: The ceiling should be protected by the installation of a metal shield approximately 9 to10 feet (2.7 to 3 meters) off the ground and that extends far enough to protect the tumml from flame impingement. The fire should be as remote from sensitive equipment as possible.


THE BIG DIG I

Crossing the Fort Point Channel includes the most extensive use of concrete immersed tube tunnels in the United States, the first installation of jacked vehicle tunnels in North America (and one of the largest in the world), and the second use of soil mix construction on the East Coast (the first came on the TWT).

To simulate real conditions, there should be about a 2- to 4-minute delay in turning on the ventilation system. This test should provide a good visual estimate of the typical conditions in the tunnel before emergency operation of the ventilation system.

Hand-held video cameras should be set up in both directions inside the tunnel to record the conditions. If your fire department has thermal imaging cameras, then members wear- ing SCBA should be located downwind to see if thermal imaging cameras can locate a fire in the tunnel despite the smoke.

Realistic design fires NFPA 502 requires that the fire size used to design the ventilation system consider the types of vehicle that are expected to use the tunnel.

The Central Artery/Tunnel project, which was designed in the early to mid 1990s used a design fire, which reached 20 M W in 3 minutes. The 20 M W was the estimated fire size of a bus or truck fire according to the edition of NFPA 502 in place at the time. The 3-minute growth period appears to be a conservative choice, in order to provide a margin of safety in the design of the ventilation system. Given the recent experiences in Europe, a more conservative choice for maximum heat release rate may be a 30 M W design fire. If hazardous materials are allowed in the tunnel, then special preventative measures should be employed since it would be difficult for any ventilation system to handle a 100 to120 MW fire. (Hazardous mate-

rials aren't allowed to be transported through the Central Artery Tunnel.)

Apparatus recommendations NFPA 502 recommends stationing apparatus at tim tunnel portals,allowing them to respond before the fire becomes too large to deal with effectively. Due to the many on and off ramps im'olved with the Central Arte~,, it would be impractical to have this arrangement. Fortunately, due to the number and location of firehouses near the Central Artm~; the average response time to any tunnel entrance is typically less than 4 minutes. Tiffs quick response time, one-officer and three-firefighter minimum manning, a first-alarm response of four engines, two ladders, and one rescue compan); along with the state- of-the-art ventilation system, which is designed to handle up to a 20 MW fire, provide a high degree of confi- dence that all reasonably anticipated fires can be dealt ~dth safely.

NFPA 502's Appendix I also recommends that apparatus should be equipped to deal with flammable liquid and hazardous material fires. The need to be able to provide foam is reinforced by the Department of Transportation report, "Prevention and Control of Highway Tunnel Fires" which states:

"While not mentioned in NFPA 502, if the first response by tunnel vehicles is to have any chance at all of controlling fires as large as Holland and Caldecott, dry powder and/or provisions to obtain water from a standpipe will by al indications not suffice. AFFF (foam) would have a chance of knocking down such a fire."

To insure that the responding units will have the flexibility to fight all reasonably anticipated fires, the BFD has arranged that foam-equipped apparatus always respond on the first alarm to incidents in the Central Artery tunnels.

Coordinated response with ventilation mode To facilitate fire depar tment access to the seat of the fire, he pre-pro-

grannned emergency ventilation mode is designed to p rmide a virtu- all}, smoke- and heat-free e m i r o n m e n t on the upwind side of the fire. In fhct, this has been the experience of the BFD in the fires that we have already experienced in the Ted Williams Tunnel portion of the Central Artery Project. To insure proper coordinat ion of the ventilation system with firefighting efforts, the BFD has provided for a chief to respond to the Operations Control Center (OCC), which is where ventilation controls are located. It also allows for a chief to relay information to the incident commandm, particularly information from the closed circuit television system. In fact, so much information can be obtained at the OCC, that the incident commander may respond to that location and direct operations from there.

Many tunnels have systems that operate differendy from the Central Artery's. Responding fire departments should become familiar with the capability and operation of the ventilation systems in the tunnels to which they respond.

Emergency communications In Boston, the Central Artery/Tunnel Project has provided all emergency responders (fire, police, and EMS) with the capabilities of using their regular radio fi-equencies in the tunnels. Obviously, this capabiliB, is critical for both proper coordination of firefighting activities as well as firefighter safev. In tunnels that don ' t have this capabili~, responding fire departments should insist that either that the tunnel should be upgraded to provide this capability, or those fire departments should investigate the possibility of using portable radio repeaters, which wonld prm~ide some level of communication on the fire department 's normal fiequency.

--by yo eioa M. F i,,g

JOSEPH M. FLEMING is a Deputy Chief with the Boston Fire Department.

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 55

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OVER I ' r,

Many bridge and tu~mel standpipe systems are also installed outdoors, like pipelines, and must thus be protected from the effects of temperature. This, too. brings these systems into the realm of pipeline protection.

NFPA standards involved Two separate NFPA standards cover tunnels and bridges: NFPA 130, Fixed Guideway ~a,uit and Paasenger Rail Sys- tems, and NFPA 502, Road 7~mnels, Bridges a~ut Other Limited Access Highways. As its nmne implies, NFPA 130, last issued in 2000, addresses only passenger and transit systems, not fi'eight rail systems. NFPA 502, last issued in 2001, covers highway facilities for cars, trucks, and other highway vehicles.

The primary function of both NFPA 130 and NFPA 502 is to define when a fire pipeline is needed and what criteria it must meet. Both standards stipulate the installation of Class I systems, per NFPA 14, Installation of Standpipe, t3~vate Hydrant and Hose Sys- te~m, though each requires such systems for tunnels of different len~m.hs. The pipelines may be wet or dry, and appropriate location identification must be used.

In addition. NFPA 130 permits the installation of Class III systems and requires a minimum 4-inch (100-millimeter) pipe comlection between multiple platform levels. Identification must conform to the location of the trainway.

NFPA 502 requires a design flow rate of 500 gallons per minute (32 liters per second), thermal protection for wet systems, and segmental isolation. NFPA 502 also requires that drain and air/vacuum valves be provided. Any water supply tank requirements are provided by referencing NFPA 22, Water Tanks for Private Fire Proteaion, and fire pump requirements are provided by referencing NFPA 20, hutallation of Stationary Pumps Jor Fh'e t3otection.

Many of the differences between the two standards can be attributed to the fact that transit tmmels are generally ha municipal areas with good water

sources and readily available fire departments. Roadway tunnels and bridges, on the other hand, may be in remote locations, which makes the water supply requirements crucial.

Although NFPA 502 references some standards for tmaks and pumps that NFPA 130 doesn't, both standards ref-

cept is important because it allows the vehicle system to remain in operation while the fire protection system is repaired without jeopardizing a crfical life-safety system.

Fire department response The requirements of all these stan-

MANY OF THE DIFFERENCES between the two standards can be attributed to the fact that transit tunnels are generally in municipal areas with good water sources and readily available fire departments.

erence NFPA 14, which, in turn, references NFPA 24, Imtallalion of Private Fire &trice Maim and Their Appurtenances, the definition of which many bridge and tumml standpipe systems more accurately fit than that of a standpipe system. NFPA 24 includes features useful in designing long pipelines, such as requirements for sectionalization.

Sectionalization, or segment isolation, which allows a portion of the fire protection system to be taken out of service without shutting down the entire system, is another consideration for long pipelines. Usually, the affected zone is still protected by the piping in an adjacent segment for the system. NFPA 502 requires segment isolation and NFPA 24 mandates it, but NFPA 130 is silent on the issue, hi practice, however, segment isolation is generally provided. The con-

dards must be addressed dnring the design of a long pipeline system, which is shaped by a munber of issnes. The single most important such issue is probably fire department response. Tim most obvious implication is that of system class. In general, Class I standpipe systems are preferred. Class III systems are available for rail systems, but maintaining hose systems for Class III use may resuh in the expenditure of money better used elsewhere.

Fire department response also has a more subtle implication ha piping system design. If fire department response is to be considered standard operating procedure, firefighters can be expected to comply with the provisions of NFPA 13E, Recommended Practice for Fire Deparlmevll Operati(,u in 13"(~;erties Pro-


OVER UNDER l

tect~a by S~,#,#, ~,d su, n@ip~ sy~t,~m. One of the provisions of NFPA 13E is that fire departments comaect their pumper units to the fire department commction and pressurize the system, which implies that the water supply systems need only furnish a pressure that satisfies pump suction pressure requirements. The NFPA 14 hose valve residual pressure requirement of 100 pounds per square inch (6.9 bar) can be met with the fire department pumper, since NFPA 1901, Automotive Fire Apparatus, rates fire pump units at 150 psi (10.4 bar) pressure boost at

System type A n o t h e r f a c t o r t o t a k e i n t o a c c ( ) t m t

during the design process is the type of system that will be used. NFPA 14 covers five types of systems: automatic thT, atttomatic wet, semiautomatic thT, manual dD', and manual wet.

If ambient temperatures are always above freezing, wet systems are the type of choice. If ambient temperatures drop below freezing, however, a dry system may be advantageous. The economic trade-off usually has to do with the cost of insulation and heating, both of wtfich can be considerable for

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IF THE TUNNEL OR BRIDGE is operated from a continuously manned control center, fire line fill valves can be activated immediately upon fire notification, saving significant time between system availability and fire department use.

their design flow rate At this pressure, flow rates can vary from a minimum of 250 gpm (950 L/min) to 3,000 gpm (11,350 L/rain).

Like all pumps, however, actual flow can be less than, or greater than, the rated flow, depending on the system pressure. In remote areas, this can be important if the local fire department doesn't have the pressure boost capability of a pumper unit. When this is the case, a permanent facility must provide the needed pressure.

a long piping system. Another option is a dry system

that's filled with water when needed. When using a dry system, the system designer must estimate how long it will take to fill the piping system. Unlike most hydraulic-analysis problems, which involve fixed systems and steady flow, filling a pipeline involves a changing system mad varying or unsteady flow. References in NFPA 502 and its Reference 1 provide guidance for this.The length of piping that

can be filled in 10 minutes is surpris- ingly long. For example, a level pipeline with a 60-psi (4-bar) system pressure, can fill 5.1(10 feet (1,550 meters) of piping in 10 minutes.

If the tunnel or bridge is operated from a continuously manned control center, fire line fill valves can be activated immediately upon fire notification, saving significant time between system availability and fire department use. This procedure is consistent with those used for emergency ventilation.

System engineering When engineering a piping system, the designer should also address duty performance, cold-weather prolection, structural analysis, and protecting the system from physical damage.

A fu'e suppression system's primary function is to provide tile adequate water flow and pressure for the expected fire-that is, to perlbrm its duty. One of the most useful tools for measuring this performance is a detailed network flow model. My practice is to develop the model to as detailed a level as the plans and check it with the same rigor as any plan or other calculation.

The detailed network flow model stands as a separate document that can be used to test different operating scenarios. Changes to the model can be handled in a documented change control process, thus allowing the model to retain design integrity.

The duty performance model should address several different possible scenarios. No flow should be used to establish static pressure conditions at all locations. Design flow should be used at selected locations, preferably those with the greatest hydraulic demand, with all the supply and delivery systems operating. If there are multiple water supply sources, several locations may be selected.

A third scenario involves introducing some incapacity to the piping system and measurialg flow at selected locations. It's important to know what the flow conditions will be if portions


of the system are isolated for repair or because of damage. Finally, the delivery system should be impaired and the water flow determined. For a system with multiple sources, one source should be removed or disabled. If the loss of a critical component prevents adequate suppression activities, that condition should be identified and formally evaluated.

With network piping systems, flow paths can often be rearranged to address different conditions. With extensive crossovers, many pipe seg- ments may flow at considerably less than design flow, which causes less pressure loss than might be obvious. The model may have to be changed after these conditions are assessed. All selected scenarios should be run on the final model.

Cold-weather protection for wet systems If a wet system is installed in a cold cli- mate, freeze-protection must be formally addressed. Wet pipe systems can be protected either by insulating and heating them or by placing them in an environment that doesn't freeze. If yon choose the latter option, you must take particular care with items, such as valves and switches, that have to be readily accessible.

Structural analysis Approximately 20 percent of the cost of a structural piping system can be in supports and hangers. However, the support spans often found in tables reflect a combination of loading conditions that may not exist in a long pipeline system for bridges and tunnels.

For example, the table may limit deflection to 0.1 inch (3 millimeters) to minimize ponding that would occur during draining. But, ponding is no longer an issue if the pipeline is installed on a slope greater than this deflection limita- tion. Using allowable stress as a limiting factor may significantly reduce the number of supports required.

A 1,000-foot (300-meter) steel pipeline that goes through a 50-degree temperature cycle will undergo a ther-

mal cycle of 3 inches (75 millimeters). Methods of handling the thermal expansion range include groove-cou- pled joints, expansion loops for welded piping, sleeve couplings, and bellows expansion joints.

In addition to thermal expansion range, seismic movement must be considered. The design movement rmlge of the structure is usually the limitiJlg case, and close coordination with the facility structural and geotechnical engineers is a necessity. Space in tunnels is often very limited, and the standard design shown in NFPA 13 may not fit.

a minor incident into a major incident in that time.

NFPA 130 stipulates an identification system for roadway tunnels mad bridges consistent with the trainway identification system. This ensures that only one set of location information is available, preventing confusion among responders. NFPA 502 also stipulates that the name and limits of the roadway be identified and that each hose valve be identified.

NFPA 130 and NFPA 502 recognize the uniqueness of fire protection systems for tumaels and bridges. While both NFPA 130 and NFPA 502 start

NFPA 130 STIPULATES an identification system for roadway tunnels and bridges consistent with the trainway identification system. This ensures that only one set of location information is available, thus preventing confusion.

Finally, you must consider ways of protecting the piping system from physical damage. In roadways, a primary concern is vehicle damage, so pipelines should be located away from traffic paths. In some cases, it may be appropriate to install the piping underground along the shoulder. However, underground piping may require special treatment to minimize corrosion. NFPA 24 provides useful guidelines in [-his a r e a .

Because of the nature of lateral vehicular restraint, fixed guideway systems generally suffer less physical damage than roadway systems.

Identification NFPA 130 and NFPA 502 recognize the difficult 3, in determining where a fire is located so that response can be directed to that location. This is particularly true in long tunnels with restricted access speed and visibility. It may take a fire department responding to the wrong side of a tunnel 3 miles (5 kilometers) long an extra 45 minutes to get to the scene, and a fire can all too easily grow fi'om

with the basic standpipe classes described in the building-oriented NFPA 14, each also describes requirements for these environments that are significandy different from those in NFPA 14. In many ways, NFPA 24 can be a more appropriate guide for designing long pipelines. The proper design of an effective bridge and tunnel fire protection system involves the proper mix of all four standards and the appropriate fire department response procedure.

KENNETH HARRIS is a senior principal engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Inc., Sacramento, CA.

References Harris, Kenneth, "Fill Times for

Long Fire Lines on Bridges and Tun- nels," Fire Suppression and Detection Research Application Symposium, Feb- ruary 7-9, 2001, Orlando, Horida.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 345 East 47th St., New York, NY 10017.

Power Piping ASME Code for Pres- sure Piping, B31 ASME B31.1-2001.


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L" IT WAS A' FRIGHTENING SCENARIO: r i two firefighters enter a burning duplex to rescue

an infant Ul~stairs in a front bedroom. After they work t their way through the fire and smoke to the second floor, the stair- t: way crumples behind them. As if things couldn't get any worse, i port of the ceiling collapses onto the two men, pinning them to the

floor. They're trapped. ~ Fortunately, this was only to be a simulated entrapment, part of a ~*,

training exercise conducted in Lairdsville, New York, for fire crews in the Westmoreland fire district. >.

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Firefighters Benjamin Morris and Bradley Golden played the roles of the trapped firefighters. This would be 19- year-old Golden's first formal, hands-on training, and it promised to be a thrilling experience since it would be a live burn. Golden had been a volunteer firefighter for just two weeks.

Just before 7 p.m., the two men assumed their positions, lyhlg on the floor of the front bedroom. To add more realism to the scene, debris was scattered around the floor, an old Ping-Pong table was placed on top of them to simulate entrapment, and the door to the stairs was blocked to simulate the collapsed stairway.

enter the building found Morris, badly burned but alive, on the floor of the front bedroom. They dragged him down the stairs by his turnout gear and out onto the lawn. A second crew found Golden, unconscious and unre- sponsive. He, too, was dragged outside. Advance life support measures were begun immediately, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite the best efforts of the para- medics and doctors, Golden died. Cause of death: asphyxia due to smoke inhalation.

The Lairdsville incident, which occurred on September 25, 2001, isn't the only live fire training exercise to

however, fire service training experts still agree that if done properly, live burns are an invaluable part of every firefighter's education. If done correctly, live burns offer farefighters a chance to put their skills to the test, using textbook and dassroom training under real fare conditions to hone their skills under close supervision in a controlled environment. Ask just about any firefighter in the business, and he or she will tell you how important they are.

Kenneth Richards, chief of the Old Mystic Fire Department in Connecti- cut and a member of NFPA's Technical Committee on Fire Service

The training exercise called for the rescue crews to enter the other half of the duplex and smash through the wall separa~lg the side-by-side housing units to reach their fellow firefighters.

When the training fare was finally lit in a barrel in a bedroom across the hall from Morris and Golden, the results were less than dramatic. Not enough smoke. Downstairs, Lairdsville First Assistant Chief Alan G. Baird III decided to make things a little more realistic by striking a flare and igniting a foam mattress from a sleeper sofa that he found lying on the floor.

Within seconds, flames began rolling across the ceiling, up the stairs, and out the front windows of the duplex. Thick, "steamy" smoke poured from the structure as the fire raged.

A firefighter inside the building rushed to help Morris and Golden, badly bunting his hands in the process. He jumped from a second- floor window to escape.

Members of the first rescue crew to

take a terrible and tragic turn. It happened before, and it's happened since. A volunteer fire chief was killed while working at the scene of a controlled burn in Greenwood, Delaware, in 2000. And three firefighter recruits were burned, one critically, when a training fire roared out of control inside a specially converted school bus in Parsippany, New Jersey, in 1992.

Two Osceola County, Horida, firefighters were killed in a flashover during live fire training in a former Bible college building in Kissimmee last July.

In an effort to avoid a similar tragedy in the future, the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office issued recommendations in April for new statewide trahfing standards.

Among the recommendations is that the current edition of NFPA 1403, Live Fire Training Evolutions, be adopted as state law. Osceola County Fire Rescue adopted it in December 2002.

Even with the dangers that exist,

Training, has been involved in live fire training throughout his entire firefighting career.

"Live burn exercises are really the only time you're going to be able to experience the fire and smoke, minus the pressure of having a real emergency on your hands" Chief Richards says.

Entering a burning building is always stressful.

"You're on the floor of a smoked- Idled room" Chief Richards says. "You can't see a foot hi front of you. but you can feel heat coming at you from down the hallway. Ybu never really get use to it. But by training in an environment like that, it helps take the edge off a little and, when the next real call comes, lets you concentrate on the job that's ahead of you"

"If your firefighters don't practice the skills they need in a training exercise, they'll have to learn them during the real thing;' agrees Plano, Texas, Fire Chief William Peterson. "I would- n't call a real emergency a very good


LIVE BURN I

learning environment. There are way too many things beyond our control during a real incident."

Both men concede that, when it comes to using real fire for a training exercise, there will always be risks. But Chief Peterson, who's been a member of NFPA's Technical Commit- tee on Fire Service Training since 1977 and currendy chairs the group, said a review of past live fire accidents turned up some striking similarities between most of the tragedies.

"'ha almost every case, basic safety procedures and precautions were either ignored or overlooked," he says. "We're seeing the same mistakes being made over and over again. The reality of it is this: we haven't found new ways to kill firefighters during live fire training- we're doing it the same old way."

Chief Peterson said this is precisely why his committee wrote NFPA 1403, which was first issued in 1986.

"The standard actually grew out of a 1982 incident in Boulder, Colorado, where three firefighters died du~ lg a training exercise. We knew live fire training was being done and in some cases, people were getting hurt" Chief Peterson says. "But there was no written document available that provided departments with guidance about how to avoid the risks. There was nothing out there that we could use to share the body of knowledge gained from these tragedies. NFPA 1403 was written to change that. The standard is all about limiting the risks associated with this type of training."

The most recent edition of NFPA 1403 was unveiled in the spring of 2002, says David Trebisacci, staff liaison to the Technical Committee on Fire Service Training.

"'We consider the document a milti- mum standard for safety when it comes to live fire training." he says. "h has nine chapters that cover all the

o bases, from the types of materials that should and shouldn't be used to fuel a

-~ training fire all the way to the number of instructors that ought to be on hand for the exercise. It's a very com-

o

prehensive document."

Stockton Fire Academy recruits, foreground, watch as an old condemned house near downtown Stockton, Calif., is used to train probationary firefighters, who are already assigned to a fire station, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002. The recruits were there to observe the progress of the fire and procedures the firefighters used to battle the blaze.

NFPA 1403 has separate sections dealing with training fires in acquired structures, such as the duplex in Lairdsville; in specially designed, gas- fired training centers; and outdoors.

"'But I'd say the main thrust of the document is in Chapter Four. That's the chapter that deals specifically with acquired structures," Trebisacci says.

Old Mystic's Chief Richards says that, given a choice, he'd rather conduct live fire training in an acquired structure than a cement training building.

"It provides you with a far greater degree of realism" he says.

While Chief Peterson agrees that acquired structures offer firefighters a chance to experience fire conditions in an environment they'll be ultimately working in, he's quick to point out that such structures also present a great many more risks than are found in specially designed training buildings.

"To my knowledge, of all the deaths that have occurred during the past 20 years, all or at least the vast, vast

majority of them have happened in acquired structures" he says. "Every single acquired structure is different, and there are certain things that departments have to do to these buildings to make them safe for live burns:'

To this end, Chapter Four of NFPA 1403 begins with a sweeping list of the work that must be done to may acquired structure to make it safe for training, Trebisacci says. This includes removing all hazardous materials and hazardous storage containers, covering all floor openings, replacing all missing stair treads aud patching holes in walls and ceilings. Any extraordinary weight above the training area must be removed, the utilities must be discon- nected, all exits must be identified, and all participants in the training must know exactly where these exits are and that they're being closely monitored.

"This chapter calls for extensive pre- fire planning work, including a detailed training and evacuation plan," Trebisacci says. "It also states that a walkthrough


of the structure prior to any ignition must be done with all participants:

"This walkthrough is one of the most important parts of the standard" Chief Richards says. "It's at this point that you're showing your ftrefighters what's going to occur: 'Here's the room we'll be using- here's where the fire will be-here's where you'll exit-here are two other escape routes if something goes wrong.' This is important stuff:'

Chapter Four sets a minimum level of fire and safety training required of any participant in live fire exercises,

the safety instructor to be placed strategically throughout the building to react to unplanned or threatening situations or conditions.

"Chapter Four really sets the pace for the rest of the document. It's the backbone. What's stated in this chapter is carried throughout the rest of the document with only slight variation;' Trebisacci says.

"The standard was a very contro- versial document when we first published in 1986;' Chief Peterson recalls. "Critics were saying that we

"Consider for a moment how high the turnover of volunteer firefighters is" Carlson says. "It's easily 25 percent in a year. With that kind of turnover, valuable information such as NFPA 1403 can easily be put on a shelf and just forgotten."

"That's probably my greatest fear," Trebisacci says. "This document was created to save lives. It sends shudders through me to think that some departments just don't know it exists:'

NFPA statistics showed that firefighter injuries during all kinds of

establishes a set number of charged hoselines for each aspect of the training episode, and forbids firefighters to play the role of victim. It also states that all fuels used must have known burning characteristics.

"Again, this document is all about risk avoidance" Chief Peterson says. "Having an adequate number of fire hoses and providing guidance that will help steer departments clear of lighting foam mattresses will help them keep control of the situation at all times:'

This chapter also states that the student-to-instructor ratio must be no more than five to one and calls for an instructor-in-charge to make sure the exercise complies with NFPA 1403. In addition, the chapter calls for the appointment of a safety officer with the authority to intervene and control any aspect of the exercise when a danger arises as well as additional instructors, including one assigned to each training crew and one to each backup hoseline. The chapter also requires any other safety personnel deemed necessary by

were putting so many constraints on live fare exercises that we were impact- hag departments' abilities to train their fire fighters. They said training would decrease and deaths on the job would rise because of it. We heard a lot of doom and destruction. You know what? They were wrong. What we saw were departments adopting safer training practices and a decrease in the number of injuries and deaths during live fire exercises."

This is true, says Gene E Carlson, director of Emergency Community Relations at VFIS-Glatfelter Insurance Group in York, Pennsylvania. Carlson, who spent 10 years as a firefighter, is another member of the Fire Service Training Technical Committee.

"For several years, we saw a marked drop in the numbers of injuries and deaths. But lately, we've experienced a rash of live frre training accidents" he says. "My concern is that as time has passed, some departments-especially some of the smaller, volunteer departments-have forgotten this standard exists."

training were higher in 1999-2000 than in any previous year of the two decades with statistics available. Fire- fighter fatalities during all types of training averaged 10 a year during 1997 through 2001, compared to 6 a year in the preceding 5 years. There were 7 deaths at live fire training exercises over the last five years.

Carlson says the duty falls to fare officials in departments and training agencies that do use NFPA 1403 to help spread the word about the standard. He agrees that articles such as this one are helpful but concedes that they won't reach everyone.

"There are roughly 30,000 fare departments throughout the United States" he says. "Some of them are very small. The only way we can realistically reach them is through their state fire marshal or through local, state, or regional organizations. It's through them, through their newsletters, possibly, that we can reach out to these people about NFPA 1403 and help save fives by preventing need- less tragedies." #


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TOWER WHEN A MINOR electrical problem sent smoke into

the air traffic control tower at Orlando's airport six

years ago, firefighters laden with heavy gear had to

hike up 219 feet (66 meters) to get to the scene.

Today, they'll have to climb 126 feet (38 meters)

higher to reach the cab of the Florida airport's new

tower. Despite the extra steps that means for airport

fire and rescue personnel, the controllers who work

at the top are now safer than ever, thanks to the

extra efforts taken to incorporate new safety fea-

tures into the state-of-the-art tower. ~>

by PAM WEIGER I illustration by ROB DUNLAVEY

NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003

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Commissioned last September, the Greater Orlando International Air- port's air traffic control tower is the tallest in North America, reaching a full 345 feet (104 meters) into the sky.

"It's a signature building;' says Dave Clark, P.E., senior consulting engineer with RolfJensen and Associates (RJA) Group, which provided design consul- tation and support, and reviewed fire protection and life safety issues for the Orlando tower. "It was the first one of this new structural design, which is now being used for other air traffic control towers."

Air traffic control towers present a unique occupancy situation. While they can be several hundred feet tall, only the top four or five floors are generally occupied. Between these floors, which typically house offices, a

modifications of dozens of existing towers as an FAA contract employee. Currently, Burgess is RJA's program manager for FAA projects. The FAA builds and owns air traffic control towers, although the cost of the tower is sometimes borne by the airport, as in the case of Orlando.

"Ten years ago, most of these towers had no sprinklers, and a few had minimal smoke/heat detection coverage" he says.

In May 1998, however, the FAA signed off on 7"he Alternate Stamtard for Fire Sq)~ in Airp~rrt 7kaffc Comrd %wets, known in the industry as 29 CFR 1960.20 for the section of the Code of Federal Regulations in which it was published.

According to FAA spokesman Fraser Jones, the FAA, its bargaining

THIS DESIGN MAKES CODE COMPLIANCE A BIT TRICKY, SINCE THERE'S LITTLE IN THE CODES THAT PERTAIN TO THESE ONE-OF-A-KIND OCCUPANCIES BEYOND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TOWERS IN GENERAL IN NFPA 101% LIFE SAFETY CODP, AND NFPA 5000 ~, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY CODE'".

computer room, a break room, and the cab where the controllers operate, and the ground, there's nothing but shaft into which all the mission-essential equipment and cabling must be packed. This design makes code compliance a bit tricky, since there's little in the codes that pertain to these one- of-a-kind occupancies beyond the requirements for towers in general in NFPA 10IS, Life Safl~ Code ~, and NFPA 5000 TM, Building Comtmction and Safity Code".

"It was apparent early in the design process that neither the model building codes nor the Lift Safity Code provided specific directions for FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) air traffic control towers. There was no way to match this type of occupancy and construction to existing codes. 'Business occupancy' was the closest we could get" says Randy Burgess, who participated in the design of several new towers and the life safety

units, and the Occupational Safety mad Health Administration agreed to the Alternate Standard specifically because many of the codes don't apply direcdy to air traffic control towers.

"We understand that much of the work we're doing to improve fire and life safety in air traffic control towers, based on this agreement, is becoming the basis for future code development;' Jones says.

The Alternate Standard draws from a number of exisdng U.S. codes to address fire mad life safety issues in air traffic control towers. For example, it mandates that interior finishes comply with Secdon 6-5 of the 1997 edition of NFPA 101; that shaft openings be constructed in accordance with Section 6-2.4; and that fire walls, partitions, and fire stops meet the requirements of Section 6-2.

"The FAA requires the use of all appropriate codes, including NFPA. UBC, and

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others;' says Jones. "'Where there's con- flict between the codes, we require that the A-and-E firms and vendors use the most stringent interpretation."

The need to focus on employee safety in air traffic control towers has been highlighted over the last few years by a small number of fires, such as the one at the tower at the Tri-Cifies Regional Air- port in Blountville, Tennessee, in the fall of 1997. According to Burgess, a torch being used to repair the roof started the smoldering fire, and the weather caused tarry smoke to roll down into the HVAC vent on the side of the tower. Though controllers evacuated safely, an


CONTROLLED TOWER j

The Orlando International Airport, seen in the aerial view, is operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. The aviation authority is also responsible for the new air traffic control tower, which is shown on the left. The tower is the tallest in North America, reaching a full 345 feet (104 meters) into the sky.

investigation revealed a substandard fire alarm installation that failed to operate.

Weeding out nuisance alarms caused by such things as dirt, water leaks, oil smoke off a new heater, and burnt toast, the FAA reports 39 fires from actual combustible material in the 266 FAA towers and 219 contract towers staffed by contract employees since 1999.

"The Fare record isn't as bad as you might think, considering many towers were built before there were any fire regulations," says Randy Tucker, RJA senior vice-president. "They have a reasonable record, considering that some towers still in use at small, regional airports date back to the 1940s."

Fully sprinklered As one might expect, air traffic control

_~ towers are similar in many ways to high- rise buildings, so the way they are

o protected from Ere is also similar in many ways. For example, the new 16-story Orlando tower is fully sprinldered ha accordance with NFPA 13, Iratallati~m of Sprinkler

7~ Systems. Although "packaged" special sprinlder systems exist (example would be Viking Firecycle III), a wet sprinkler sys-

tem doesn't have a manufacturer per say. They consist of a "field" manufactured pipe system with factory-manufactm-ed valves (and other fittings) which can come from several different manufacturers.

It also has a complex fare alarm system built to FAA specifications and to the requirements of NFPA 72 ~, NaLio~ Fire Alarm Code ~, which, Burgess says, "truly would compare in many ways to a major high-rise alarm system."

A typical high-rise system has partial coverage, an air traffic control tower has total coverage. A high-rise typically evacuates the floor above and the floor below the floor of incident. The FAA evacuates all nonessential personnel with general evacuation. All personnel considered critical to air traffic operations remain. Those people are typically in TRACON (terminal radar approach control) in the base building, or at the top of the tower; both areas are a minimum two-hour fire barrier and are evacuated via one of the stairways, which are pressurized enclosures to point of exit to ensure a smoke-free environment for egress.

Despite these obvious similarities, however, air traffic control towers also

have unique fire protection problems that call for unique solutions.

Foremost among them is the critical nature of the work done in the tower. Only eight of tower's floors-the farst floor and the top seven-are occupied. When an alarm sounds, the controllers, who are responsible for all aircraft within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the airport, must "band off" all inconfing planes to another control center before they can abandon their stations. This delay in evacuation hlcreases the need for a survivable atmosphere, which means that protecting the tower's means of egress becomes paramount.

One hundred and five air traffic controllers work at the facility, but only about 10 are on duty at a given time, though that number fluctuates as high as 20 during peak traffic times and shift changes. Most of them work on the top seven floors of the Orlando tower. To buy them some time to wrap up operations and descend the tower, the designers incorporated two separate and distinct exit stairways, which the FAA now requires in all towers designed for 25 or more occupants on which construction began after January 2001.

Both stairways ascend to the junction level, just below the cab, where the controUers work. Below the ninth floor, the two sets of stairs are connected by outside balconies on every other floor so occupants can move from one staircase to the other if it becomes necessary during an evacuation. While NFPA 5000 allows the use of an elevator as a second means of egress under certain conditions in such towers, most newly designed towers, including Orlando's, don't designate elevators as emergency egress.

Late in the design process, the Orlando tower designers decided to pressurize the portion of the stairwell that passes through the occupied floors. The upper and lower stairwells are separated by a door between the ninth and tenth floors, and the lower portions, which discharge to the exterior, are unpressurized.

The new stairways also are about 20 inches wider (500 millimeters) than

VVWW.NFPAJOURNAL,ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 71

those in the old tower, a bonus for the Greater Orlando International Airport Fire Department, particularly when responding to EMS calls. Because the old stairways were too narrow to accommodate a patient on a stretcher, special systems were needed to rappel patients in baskets down the side the old tower.

Now that the wider staircases have made rappelling obsolete, Fire Chief Steve Chancey says his department will use typical high-rise tactics to respond to fires in the new tower- although, as Chancy notes, air traffic control towers have at least one advantage over most high-rise buildings.

"The advantage with this type of tower over a typical high-rise is that we know how many people are in there and where

they are" Chancey says. "It's a very controlled environment:'

The fire department has also fur- nished the tower with an automatic external defibrillator and a portable radio so occupants can contact fire dispatch direcdy. Firefighters conduct fire training and CPR classes for the controllers, as well.

In addition, Chancey says, new access agreements are in place to handle the access issues and possible lag in response caused by security enhancements, which the FAA will not discuss, introduced in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy.

Another aspect to the critical work air traffic controllers perform is the use of an incandescent strobe light with a red lens cover, rather than the

A HIGH-RISE TYPICALLY EVACUATES THE FLOOR ABOVE AND THE FLOOR BELOW THE FLOOR OF INCIDENT. THE FAA EVACUATES ALL NONESSENTIAL PERSONNEL WITH GENERAL EVACUATION. ALL PER- SONNEL CONSIDERED CRITICAL TO AIR TRAFFIC OPERATIONS REMAIN.

clear- or white-lensed Xenon strobes commonly used to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The less- brilliant light alerts controllers to a nroblem without distracting them from

leir radar screens or visual observa- tions. Air traffic control towers are also equipped with alpha/numeric annunciators, rather than audible

notification appliances, to give them direct knowledge of any fire or trou-

ble condition that occurs. The structure has more smoke detectors than would be found in a business occupancy, as well as stringent, FAA- mandated back-up generator operations, so their life safety systems are connected to "second primary" emergency generator systems at all times. Additional detection, typically total coverage systems as defmed by NFPA 72, and alarm notification in the form of remote annunciators were also built into Orlando's tower, according to Clark.

Another way to ensure that the systems and the egress are highly reliable is to keep products of combustion from spreading into the stairway, says Greg Ghosh, EE., associate manager for the Raleigh, North Carolina, office of RJA.

"Fire-stopping is a primary goal-to not allow products to spread into the stairway from the plumbing or electrical shaft-to give the controllers additional time to get out," he says.

Ghosh points out that the tremendous amount of electrical and communication wiring going to the top of the tower is always a concern. vW3aile the electrical shaft may termi- nate in the electrical room, it's often impossible to firestop between the electrical room and the cab.

"The towers generally all have Class A alarms with redundant feeds that provide full functionality if there's a break in wiring" Ghosh says.

To handle the complexity height presents, the Orlando tower also has a two-stage fire pump. One stage handles the needs of the lower half of the tower, and the second comes on to provide water if the demand is in the upper half.

Working environment So, how do the men and women who work in the continent's tallest air traffic control tower feel about their heightened work environment? The Orlando controllers, who handled 302,863 take-offs and landings in 2002, haven't spent a great deal of time focusing on the enhanced levels of safety built into their new $28.7 million workspace.

"They feel good because the tower is taller, and they can see more and do their jobs better," says Christopher White, a public affairs officer with the FAA Southern Region. "Of course, the safety enhancements are reassuring."

However, the Orlando employees may not be able to hold onto their bragging rights for long. Preliminary design work is underway for a new air traffic control tower in Atlanta that may surpass Orlando's height by more than 100 feet (30.5 meters), no doubt reaching new heights in life safety, as well. #


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C 0 N STANT VIGILANCE

"IT WON'T BE A FIRE that indtes the panic" says Steven Sapp about the next nightclub or concert disaster. "It will be something else, like in Chicago."

Sapp, a battalion chief with the Columbia, Mis- souri, Fire Department Fire Marshal's office, was referring to the crowd crush at the E2 club in Chicago last February, which began when a security guard doused party-goers with pepper spray to break up a fight. Fleeing occupants rushed the main exit, crushing 21 people to death. ,>

! by ED COMEAU

74 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003

WEST WARWICK FIRE DEPARTMENT INSPECTION REPORT

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Crowd crush also played a key role ha the deaths of 99 people at The Sta- tion in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a few days later. However, overcrowding wasn't the only factor contributing to the fire deaths. A highly flammable interior finish and the improper use of pyrotechnics also played a pivotal role.

Unfortunately, the combination of such factors is hardly unique to The Station. At one Columbia establishment, Sapp says, the department's inspector counted 500 people in a building certified for 244-and found that the buildhag's second exit was blocked. According to Division Chief Richard Barr with Lawrence-Douglas County, Kansas, Fire and Medical, other typical violations are inoperative emergency lighting and exit signs.

The fact that violations of adopted building and fire codes occur in every community in the United States, not just West Warwick and Chicago where the E2 dub didn't provide enough exits, underscores the importance of fire department inspections, which have taken on a new urgency in North America.

Following the fire ha Rhode Island, for example, the Lawrence Fire department began to focus more closely on evaluating acoustic-dampening material in assembly occupancies. Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas and, like many college communities, has many bars and clubs that cater to the students.

"We found one that had egg-crate foam." says Barr. "It was fire-retardant when die owner purchased it. However, when we did the flame test, it failed, so they're pulling it out. It was in a sprinklered occupancy, fortunately."

Fraternity and sorority houses in Lawrence must be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems, as must assembly occupancies over 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) built since 1993. The city has been successful ha getting other occupancies, such as senior citizen housing, to sprinkler their buildings voluntarily, Not all venues are so accommodating, however.

"Some design their buildings at 4.996 square feet (464 square meters)

so they don't have to be sprinldered" says Barr.

What's being inspected? The Columbia fire department has always focused on inspections ha assembly occupancies. says Sapp. Like Lawrence, Columbia is a college town, home of the University of Mis- souri, so it, too, has a number of bars and restaurants.

"We team with the Columbia Police Depart- ment's Community Action Team, which typically handles what are seen as community issues" says Sapp. "We use their security to assist our fire marshals to make sure the inspector is safe. When the decision has to be made that they are over occupancy limits and have to remove people, we rely upon police to maintain security and orderliness."

Working with the police department's action team has additional benefits.

"The Community Action Team knows where a lot of die problem areas are, and this allows them to concentrate in particular areas;' says Sapp. The fire department has trained the police officers as to what constitutes a danger that must be addressed quickly.

"This way they aren't wasting time on non-issues," Sapp says.

"Annually, we do 2,000 inspections," he adds. "We do everything except single-family homes or duplexes." This constitutes 4,600 buildings that must be inspected.

The Columbia fire department's assembly occupancy inspections aren't the result of the tragedy in Rhode Island.

"This hasn't been a knee-jerk reac- tion," says Sapp. "We've been doing this for a while, working with the community policing team to put on seminars for building owners." During these seminars, the fire department

Attleboro, Massachusetts, firefighter Bob Cook inspects the emergency exits at Jarrod's Live Rock Venue. Fire inspectors have stepped up their inspections of nightclubs since The Station nightclub fire February 20 in West War- wick, Rhode Island, killed 99.

addresses fn'e code issues and the police department covers security, and policing issues.

In Austin, Texas. an inspector visits public assembly venues between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. at least four times a year. In addition, the fire department visits each facility up to six times in 12 months.

"We've developed a culture in Austin," says Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Baum. "The bartenders know what are "show-stoppers.' Gross overcrowd- hag, blocked, or locked exits. Fifty people over occupancy is an instant violation. If they're grossly over, it's a shut-down. We have to only do a few of these to send the message. They know we're going to be out there and uncompromising."

Training and certification Certification and training of inspectors are essential when it comes to a strong inspections department. For example, all five of the Columbia Fire Depart- "~ ment's haspectors are certified by the state fire marshal's office. T

"Currently, there's a 40-hour certifica- g tion class that all fire marshal inspectors


CONSTANT VIGILANCE I

THE FACT THAT VIOLATIONS of adopted building and fire codes occur in every community underscores the importance of fire department inspections, which have taken on a new urgency.

must complete," says Sapp. "It's a three- year certification, and you must maintain your proficiency by obtaining 32 hours of continuing education credits over three years and conducting a certain number of inspections."

To help the inspectors maintain their skills, the department holds monthly classes devoted to the fire codes.

According to Rick Fraser, who's with the Cape Breton Regional Fire Service, Nova Scotia, Canada, his department has recently embarked on a new and ambitious training and certification program, too.

"The inspectors will be certified NFPA inspectors," says Fraser. "We're in a training agreement with the provincial office of the fare marshal and the Fire Inspectors Association of Nova Scotia for training and certification."

The program, which began in Feb- ruary 2003, includes a home-study component and four classroom sessions, which are scheduled to start in May. The first session covers the code requirements of the National Building Code of Canada and a legislature review. The second addresses large buildings, and fire and life safety requirements, while the third focuses on several NFPA codes and standards, including NFPA 10, Portable Fire Extin- guishers; NFPA 13, Installalion of Sprinklers; NFPA 72 ~:, ~dz'or~/Fire Aklrrn Code-"; and NFPA 96, Ventilation Control and Fire Protection for Commercial Cooking Operations. The fourth class covers the National Fire Code of Canada.

"At each class, you take an exam, as well as the seven home-study modules" says Fraser. "You must do a practicum and a minimum of seven inspections, one of them in the pres- ence of a mentor."

There was a strong incentive to create and implement this training program.

"A new fire service act took effect that requires all municipalities to have a full-time inspector and staff in place by September 2003" says Fraser. This will increase the number of inspectors in the province from 30 to 80 or 90.

"Our jurisdiction is regional," Fraser notes. "We inspect all types of properties over four-unit residential, regardless of the occupancy dass." This means that about 4,000 properties must be inspected.

Full-time inspectors in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, must also go through state-mandated training, and operations personnel have to undergo training quar- terly, as well. According to Deputy Fire Chief Caprice Mellon, "before I allow a person, such as a newly promoted captain, to do inspections, he or she has to complete 40 hours of training with fire prevention personnel before doing it on his or her own."

Inspection methodology and frequency To help set inspection priorities, the Columbia fire department is developing a system using a risk-management system.

"We're in the process of gathering the data to populate the database with information such as a building's use group, age, and fire suppression and detection systems" says Sapp.

Once this information has been gathered, the system can be used to assign a risk level to the structure.

"The data will then allow us to pri- oritize what occupancies we need to be in and how often" says Sapp. "We may be able to drop some occupancies, or we may have to accelerate the pace of inspections on others."

In addition to helping streamline the department's inspection process, implementing this new inspection evaluation system will support the department's accreditation process.

The frequency of inspections in Nova Scotia is determined by legislative priorities.

"All assembly-licensed establish- ments with ftre alarm systems are first," says Fraser.

Such a license is issued by the pro~f_n- cial Alcohol and Gaming Commission. The second priority is licensed assemblies without alarm systems and day care facilities. The third priority is unli- censed assembly buildings, followed by all other occupancies.

The inspections take place on a five- year cycle, and the occupancies inspected in the first year are those with the highest priority. In year two, those with the next-highest priority will be inspected, and so on.

"Over five years we hope to have them all inspected once," says Fraser.

In Lawrence, Kansas, three inspectors are responsible for 3,500 properties. Like the inspectors in Columbia, they go over everything but single-family homes and duplexes, says Bart. Rather than drawing support from the police department, however, Lawrence inspectors rely on engine and medic companies to assist in the inspection program.

"The business and multi-family apartments are done by the engine companies and the medic companies," says Ban'. "The entire city is divided up into portions and assigned to a crew. The prevention staff does the licensing inspections, complaint inspections, plan reviews, and site plan reviews for developments.

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA ,,JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 77

"We've been inspecting bars since the early 1980s," says Barr. "We have two inspectors check the bars from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Thurs- day, Friday, and Saturday nights."

In Chapel Hill, about 1,500 occupancies have to be inspected.

"We do about 50 percent of them each ),ear," says Deputy Chief Mellon. "Overcrowding is an issue at particular times, especially during sports events."

The department is particularly active during major events and during periods when people tend to celebrate.

"We're in the bars a lot during Hal- loween;' says Mellon. "We're probably in each bar four or five times a year"

Given the frequency of its inspections, the violations the Chapel Hill Fire Department typically fmds in most assembly occupancies are similar to those found in business occupancies.

"Exit lights, ftre extinguishers, emergency lights. I haven't seen anything that makes my eyebrows jump," says Mellon. "Nothing related to egress:'

As a mecca for start-up bands, Austin has a "huge entertainment corridor," says Baum, with approximately 300 places of assembly that must be inspected regularly, along with every other type of property except single- family homes.

With such a large number of properties to inspect, how does the department allocate its resources?

"We determine our inspection priorities and frequencies by risk," says Baum, which is, in turn, determined by such factors as the frequency of fires and their consequences (see "Do Fire Inspections Work;' NFP..4 Journat~; November/December 2002).

"The consequences factor has dual elements of life loss and costs," he notes. "What we discovered is that the greatest risk is in single-family homes, but we have no authority to inspect these. The next-greatest risk is muld- family homes, which we do have the authority to inspect:'

The department does this using a combination of inspectors and engine companies.

"Each company officer is assigned 70 to 80 inspections a year," says Baum.

Since each inspection requires a follow- up, each officer is conducting close to 150 inspections annually.

"The whole crew conducts the inspection, which is really important" says Baum.

"We learned by bitter experience that the draft stops can have a dramatic impact on fire spread" says Baum. Over the life of the inspection program, the fire department has identified more than 300 buildings that had no draft stops. Every one of them has been fLxed.

What's the effect of this aggressive inspection program?

"Literally, before a fire is out, the fire prevention bureau's office does a post- incident inspection and determines what impact the factors had on the spread of the fire. Then he or she researches what a company may have found during an earlier inspection. If it found a violation and it was f'Lxed, mid the correction had an impact on the fire, we let the company know that what they did made a difference" says Baum.

Technology In Cape Breton, inspectors are using hand-held computers to assist them.

"We had a software program developed for our use," says Fraser. "The program conducts a risk evaluation on the property, collecting the physical data on the building, such as occupancy type and construction."

Inspectors follow a checklist to collect the data and download it to a computer when they get back to the station. The program identifies deft- ciencies and calculates the water flow that would be needed to extinguish a fire in the property. Inspectors can also add digital photographs and floor plans to the database.

"We've had it ha place for six months and are still working with it and expanding it."

Inspectors at the New York State Fire Prevention Bureau are also taking advantage of new technology.

"We're using the new pen tablet computers," says Paul Martin, deputy fire chief with the Fire Prevention Bureau. "It's

doing tremendous things for us. It makes the work of the inspectors so much easier in the field. They're creating their inspection reports as they go through the building. The inspectors all have a battery- operated printer in their vehicles so they can print out a preliminary report in the field and give it to the bui]ding manager on the spot."

This isn't a legal inspection report, just a field inspection report. When the inspector returns to the office, he or she uploads the report to the network, so a supervisor miles away from the field office can review the report, make any changes that might be needed, and print out the final report to be sent out. This system eliminates the need to re-enter the data from the field, reducing the amount of clerical time it takes to produce a final report. The information is also entered automatically into a database, which means it can be used for statistical analysis.

"Digital photographs can be attached to the report and maintained in the computer, as well as other related documents," says Martin. "If the inspector has to have a long narra- tive, he or she can create it in a word-processing package and attach it to the inspection report."

In Austin, with 29,000 inspections each year, an effective database system is crucial.

"The system is accessible organization-wide, and the prevention bureau can review the information," says Baum. It also means that battalion chiefs at the scene of a building fire can now pull up an accurate plan of the structure.

Has the inspection program been successful? Baum thinks so.

"We've been focusing for so many years on critical components, and we wanted to know if we were making a difference" he says. "No prevention effort can prevent ignition, but it can affect the extent (of the fire). What we learned is that the number of fires, but also the extent of the fire loss, went down."

The bottom line: fire inspections promote fire prevention. And prevention works.

78 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 W~AN,NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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Graghlc t~y Greg Harmel and Ryan Healy ,' The Hartford Courant

Death Spreads Quickly After a patient reportedly set fire to bedding, nine residents of I/]e Greenwood Health Center in Hartford diecl before ~hey could be rescued. Most succumbed to smoke inhalation; a IOth resident died later in the day in the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital.

• Firefighters arrive at 2:44 a,m.

PARKING LOT

To Park Street

t • r Smoke spreads ough wing, quickly FiRE

killing nine patients, . p - - ~ , ~ Another dies later. ,, ~ DO01- j , -

• FIRE ~',,,,~'~'::" ,,~¢ • Fire starts in this DOOR---.-1 ,,, ¢ " , ~ area. Report of bedding

.,t~" set on fire called in to fire ~ ,,~.. department at 2:40 a.m.

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PARKING LOT Exi • Staff evacuate residents • ,/~ through several exits, gather

! NURSE'S A patients in parking lot. STATION

The blaze, which killed 16 patents, was the deadliest nursing hc~e fire in the United States since 1989T, leaving fire safety experts wondering how it could have happened in a highly regulated industry whose facilities are considered to be among the safest types of occupancies in the country. Investigators are particularly interested in determining why the fire moved so quickly through the unsprinklered building, which apparently met the requirements of NFPA 101", Life Safety Code".

"I would have expected less fire damage" says Hartford Fire Marshal William Abbott, who found it worri- some. The fare damaged two sections of the unsprinklered, single-story structure, which was built of concrete block and had a steel deck roof.

The Greenwood was the second fatal fire in February 2003 that challenged Life Safety Code writers and enforcers on several fronts. The first was The Sta-

I i • Residents brought i

back into intact part of buitding at 2:55 a.m.

£xi

7 Greenwood Health Center 5 Greenwood St. Hartford

Built: 1969 Operated By: Lexington Highgreen Holding Co., a subsidiary of Lexington Healthcare Group of Farmington Rooms: 74 Licensed Capacffy: 150 peopte Size: 53,000 square feet Fire Status: No sprinklers, but fire officials say the building met all codes.

/

• ~e;::!;ii f tion nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, which killed 99 people. NFPA responded to that tragedy by calling an emergency meeting of its Technical Committee for Assembly Occupancies, which proposed a number of changes to Life Safety Code requirements for such occupancies.

Now, says Robert Solomon, NFPA assistant vice-president of Building and Life Safety, NFPA's Technical Com- mittee on Health-Care Occupancies will examine the Life Safe{), Code requirements that apply to nursing homes, particularly those covering sprinkler retrofits, self-closing doors, and staff response, when it meets in January 2004. NFPA Senior Fire Investigator Robert Duval, who's involved in the Greenwood investigation, says preliminary reports indicate

that the building met the provisions of the 1997 edition of the code.

"We've not had a multiple fatality fire in a nursing home since 1989, when 12 died in Virginia," Solomon says, "so we'll be looking at code provisions that have been in place to see whether they've been properly enforced and are working."

== o

<

Closed doors saved lives Connecticut's Deputy State Fire Mar- shalJohn Blaschik says that investigators aren't sure at this point whether the fire was set intentionally or was accidental. According to the Hart- 5 ford Courant, the woman who reportedly started the fire has a history of drug

8 '~ NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL,ORG

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: CT NURSING HOME FIRE j

abuse and mental illness, and might have ignited other materials in the room. Investigators have sent a hamper from the hallway of the nursing home out for testing and are looking into other possible causes for the swift fire spread, including the makeup of the corridor's suspended ceiling.

Despite the speed of the fire, closed doors made a life-saving difference.

"The closed doors protected rooms from heat and fire," Abbott says.

According to Duval, smoke inhalation is especially deadly in a population with declining health. At least one patient in a room separated from the area of the fire by smoke doors was treated for smoke inhalation and later died. However, most of those who died as a result of the fire were in rooms with open doors, says Abbott.

Blaschik attests to the efficacy of closed doors in preventing smoke and fire from entering rooms. The door to the room across the hall from the room of fire origin was, and, he says, had "very little soot damage. The door was amazing in what it held back as far as smoke and heat."

Of the 16 victims, 7 died after the fire, though it's unclear whether all the later deaths can be attributed directly to the blaze or to other health issues.

Defending in place The victims' deaths raise concerns about protecting one of the most vul- nerable populations in society: nursing home patients who may be unable to respond on their own to a fire. Because most, if not all, nursing home residents have impairments that may render them unable to evacuate thernselves during an emergency, the L~f SaJ~tv Code prescribes a "defend-in-place" strategy for nursing homes and hospitals. This strategy affects not only the way staff is trained to respond to a fire, but also the way these structures are built and protected.

Since 1967, federal law has required nursing homes and hospitals nationwide to conform to the Life Safety Code in order to qualify for Medicare and Med- icaid reimbursement. Though the 2000

edition of the Life Safe& Code requires quick-response sprinklers in all new construction, regardless of construction, previous editions of the code exempted new, one-story, noncombustible buildings, such as the Greenwood Health Center, which was built in 1969, as long as other requirements were met. Multi- story, fire-rated noncombustible buildings were also exempt.

Nationally, approximately 75 percent of nursing homes are fully sprinklered and 25 percent aren't, says Tom Jaeger, president of Gage Bab- cock and Associates. According to

Jaeger, Connecticut, which has just

itation-based organizations. I kaaow of no other industry that has existing buildings so uniformly regulated by the Li~ Safety Code as it impacts fire safety. And the fire safety record demonstrates it."

Jaeger says that a look at fire safety statistics NFPA's collected for nursing homes over the last 20 years show an average of 1 death per year in the roughly 17,000 nursing homes in the United States. Over the last 10 years,

Jaeger adds, the fire death rate averaged 0.3 deaths per year.

However, the Greenwood Ere has re-opened the debate on whether even

DESPITE THE SPEED OF THE FIRE, CLOSED DOORS MADE A LIFE-SAVING DIFFERENCE

under 250 licensed nursing homes, is right on that 75/25 percent split. This translates to about 70 nursing homes that are either unsprinldered or partially sprinklered.

"There are 20 that aren't sprinklered at this point, and they don't have to be, according to the code," Blaschik says. Another 50 are partially sprinklered, in compliance with Lt~ Safety Code provisions that require sprinklers in renovated portions of existing buildings. Federal law will require both nursing homes and hospitals to comply with the 2000 edition of the code on September 11, 2003.

The strict new sprinkler requirement is in keeping with other stringent regulations that characterize health- care occupancies.

"Health-care facilities were the first to mandate quick-response sprinklers," says Jaeger. "For all practical purposes, it's probably the safest occupancy from a fire safety standpoint of any occupancy in the United States. And it should be. Health care is the second most regulated industry, after the nuclear industry. It's the only occupancy type I know of in which the L ~ Safety Code is retroactively enforced either through Medicare, Medicaid, state health-care regulations, or accred-

tougher sprinkler requirements are needed to protect against large losses of life in nursing homes. A bill requiring sprinkler retrofits for nursing homes-over and above what the Lffb Safety Code calls for-is making its way through the Connecticut legislature, which is ~so considering an ordinance addressing self-closing doors, which the Li~ S~ty Code doesn't require.

Blasch~' isn't surprised that the legislation is moving so quickly despite the cost and the number of facilities affected by dae pending bill, which requires sprinkler retrofits of all existing nursing homes by October 2005.

"Unfortunately, we're in an industry that designs by disaster," Blaschik says.

To help with the cost of sprinkler retrofits, Connecticut pushed back the bill's initial deadline of January 1, 2004, to allow facilities more time to raise the money and get the work done. There's also talk, Blaschik says, of making economic development grants available to help defray costs.

If a state such as Co~mecticut is will- ing to pay for sprinkler retrofits that exceed existing Life Safety Cock requirements, should the Li~ S t ~ Code follow suit and require such retrofits?

"'This issue has been debated and discussed by the technical committee


for mm W years;' says Jaeger, who has been a consultant to the American Health Care Association, the trade association for nursing homes, since 1972, and is a long-time member of the Technical Committee for Health- Care Occupancies. "Because of the excellent fire record of health-care facilities, the technical committee has felt it was unnecessary to retroactively mandate sprinklers when, between hospitals mad nursing homes, there's less than one death per year."

That may sound cold after the loss of life at the Greenwood Health Cen- ter. But Jaeger puts the committee's rationale into perspective by citing the high cost of sprinkler retrofits nationally in light of other pressing health-care concerns.

"To retroactively install sprinklers in all non-sprinklered nursing homes would cost approximately $1 billion,"

Jaeger says. "Someone has to ask, 'Is that worth it for less than one life a year?' Or can that billion be spent on some other area that might save a lot more lives, like cancer research or infection control? Those billion dollars are medical dollars. Would we end up saving a lot more fives spending it somewhere else? I can say that there hasn't been an edition of the Lif Safity Code in last 15 or 20 years in which that wasn't discussed and debated by a committee of experts who concluded that it was unnecessary to mandate sprinklers in all nursing homes."

Other code considerations The Lif SaJbty Code doesn't leave patients ill unsprinklered nursing homes unprotected. It requires that unsprinklered nursing homes provide more compartmentation and fire-rated compartmentation than other occupancy types to contain fire spread.

The code also requires a shorter travel distance to exits, better control of interior combustibles such as uphol- stered furniture and mattresses than is required ha sprinklered buildings, and less open space in exit corridors. For the most part, the fire record shows that these measures work.

The Life Safety Code also requires staff training, whether the facility has sprinklers or not.

"Part of the operational response in a fire would be that aides and nurses go down the hallway and close doors" Blaschik says.

Though investigators have yet to draw any conclusions about staff response in the Greenwood Health Care fire, the fact that so many deaths occurred in rooms with open doors indicates that staff may not have closed doors.

"It's a case," says Solomon, "where the process or procedure either wasn't followed or couldn't be followed for whatever reasons-bad conditions in the corridor," or, he adds, staff trying to rescue trapped patients in the room of ftre origin.

Blaschik questions whether the Lif S@ty Code should even require staff to close doors during a fire.

"Operationally, it doesn't work," he says. Solomon acknowledges that it's a

tough rule to follow because it means sac- rificing the people in the room of origin.

"It's counterintuitive," he notes. "It's one of those difficult decisions nobody ever wants to make. In that situation, most people try to do what they can to rescue those in room of origin, but every second of delay potentially increases the threat to people outside the room of fire origin?'

Some argue that self-dosing or automatic patient room doors that shut when a fire alarm activates would address the problem.

~'If we had self-closing doors, what effect would it have had on the Green- wood fire?" asks Blaschik. "We do have to take a look at that. If we'd had them, aides and nursing staff wouldn't have had to worry about dosing doors?'

Jaeger says that the Lift S@ty Code has never required self-closing doors, either for new or existing health-care occupancies, and no model building code has required them since the mid-1980s.

"The reason," Jaeger says, "is that we were injuring and killing more people with self-closing doors than with fires, especially in nursing homes."

Doors closing and knocking people over have caused broken hips and crushed hands. In an elderly, already frail population, such injuries can lead to complications and, in some cases, death. Self-closing doors can also prevent health-care staff from monitoring patients by sound and by sight, and patients confined to a room may feel isolated if the door is always closed. Even automatic doors, which only close when fire alarms activate, can pose a threat during drills, tests, and false alarms.

"The self-closing door issue has been kicked around for 30 years or better," says Solomon. "They sound good on the surface, but the issues they introduce create more harm than good, in most people's views."

As with the sprinkler issue, the health-care technical committee had to weigh the pros and cons, and decide which scenario posed the most risk and the biggest benefits.

"Putting in door closures might reduce one patient death a year from fire,"

Jaeger says, "but it may increase the number of deaths due to door closures."

In the wake of the deaths at the Greenwood Health Center, however, the number that makes the most sense to Connecticut residents, lawmakers, and officials is the number of actual, not potential, fire victims. In that state, sprinkler retrofits in nursing homes are on their way to becoming mandatory, and legislation requiring self-closing doors is being considered.

Will the Lif S@ty Code be changed, too?

Blaschik thinks it's a possibility. But, he notes, "I don't think we've explored all the aspects of the fire yet to be able to turn to code-writers and say, 'Here's what happened in that room. Was it normal or not? And if not, why did the code fail?' "

Other questions the technical code committee will no doubt ask is whether the Greenwood fire is an anomaly in a statistically safe occupancy type, and whether we can ever bring the fire risk, in any occupancy, to zero.

84 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW,NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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BUILDINGS THAT COM- PRISE THE U.S. CAPITOL

COMPLEX IN WASHING-

TON, D.C., ARE IN NEED

OF REVAMPING AND

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE

AREAS OF FIRE SAFETY,

EVACUATION PLANS, AND

PRO-TECTION FROM TER-

RORIST ATTACKS. SO

WHY AREN'T BUDGET

MAKERS GIVING THEM A

HIGHER PRIORITY?

A prlorlty.

exl3ense II by STEPHEN BARLAS

v ~ r i ~ ~ v

"THE BRITS BURNED THE CAPITOL in 1814, and we don't want that to happen again," says Tom Seymour, P.E., a fire protection engineer and University of Maryland professor who is a consultant to the U.S. Congress' Office of Compliance (OC).

Well, it isn't the "Brits" who are the threat today, but terrorists, making Sey- mour's comment considerably less hyperbolic now than it would have been before September 11, 2001. A terrorist attack on the Capitol complex in Washington, D.C., filled with more than 30,000 employees and visitors on a peak day, isn't out of the question.

Any attack, of course, could spark major fires amidst the six House and Senate office buildings, the Capitol itself, auxiliary buildings, the three Library of Confess (LOC) buildings, the Supreme Court. and the other facilities accounting for 2(1 million square feet (1,858.006 square meters).

That's why a report from the OC last November on fire hazards should have provoked concern on Capitol Hill. Instead, legislators brushed it off.

In fairness, the detailed, 68-page report said that fire hazards have declined considerably over the past decade, as the Architect of the Capitol

(AOC), responsible for construction, maintenance, and safety in the Capitol and the LOC, has worked diligently to address them.

As Bill Thompson, executive director of the OC. notes, "'In the seven years since Capitol Hill first came under the requirements of the OSHA Act of 1970, tremendous strides have been made in fire safety on the campus. In the wake of 9/11, completing the process of overall OSHA compliance has assumed ever-gxeater urgency. The AOC and those responsible for physical plant on Capitol Hill are working hard to increase forward movement in fire safety improvement, but a substantial effort remains necessary to achieve

8 6 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW,NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

the goal of overall compliance with all federal fire safety requirements"

In fact, some serious ftre hazards remain. Among these are numerous violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) life safety code, which cites NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code@. The congressional buildings are legally obligated to comply with OSHA regulations. And the LOC's emergency response plan doesn't come close to meeting the requirements of OSHA's hazardous waste operations and emergency response rule, much less the more up- to-date NFPA standards such as NFPA 472, Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials

Incidents; NFPA 473, CompetendesJbr EMS Personnd Responding to Hazardous Materials hzddents; NFPA 471, Rewm- mended Practice for Resporuh}zg to Hazardous Materials Inddozts; and NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational S@ly and Health Program. Appendix C in the OC's report listed no fewer than 37 OSHA rules that are being violated by "hazards observed during inspections of legislative branch facilities."

Although congressional buildings aren't required to meet NFPA standards that aren't referenced in OSHA rules, because the relevant NFPA standards are often much more modern and complete, AOC officials have made it clear that they're striving to comply with

them. In some instances, Congress has even tried to go beyond OSHA and NFPA standards by installing sprinklers in existing House and Senate office buildings. However, the sprinkler efforts have gone astray, in some cases for causes having nothing to do with the AOC. In other instances, money short- ages and bureaucratic roadblocks have delayed installations.

Despite the fact that some serious fire hazards remain, some legislators think the only thing substantial about the OC report is its overstatements. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), chair of the House Administration Committee responsible for the safety of House employees, called the report "inaccu-

WWW, NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 87

rate and misleading" in a November press release. Ney didn't detail what was misleading and inaccurate.

"The bottom line is that tremendous progress has been made to improve s,'ffety and security on Capitol Hill, and it is far and away our top priority," Ney said. "It would be patently irresponsible to telegraph to those who might threaten the Congress. every security procedure, every emergency response plan, and every safety upgrade that have been put in place. Certainly, there is still work to be done, but Capitol Hill is a much safer place than it was 14 months ago."

Earlier reports The 2002 report follows several earlier OC reports. At least one of them, issued in December 2000, focused on fire safety, largely as a result of problems with fire protection systems and emergency procedures brought to light by a series of fires ha the Capitol complex in 1998 and 1999.

"Now, an even more forceful response to these critical needs is required," the 2002 report stated.

The 2000 report, which addressed fire safety in House and Senate office buildings in particular, described the non-existence or malfunction of some of the buildings' sprinkler systems. Approximately 14,000 of the 30,000 sprinklers in Capitol buildings were Omega sprinklers, which have a failure rate of 20 to 30 percent as a result of manufacturing problems.

"The Omega sprinkler heads identified as troublesome during congressional hearings in 1999 have been replaced;' Eva Malecki, AOC communications officer, said in February.

According to Malecki, areas highlighted in the 2002 OC report that the AOC has already addressed include correcting improper exit signs and lighting; removing obstructions near sprinklers and egress routes and doors; and inspecting and improving access to fire extinguishers. In addition, improper use of electrical extension cords has been stopped, malfunctioning fn'e alarm system com-

ponents have been repaired, flammable and pressurized materials have been properly stored, and missing covers for electrical junction and switch boxes have been replaced. The implementation of emergency evacuation plans for the House and Senate office buildings has also been successful, and the AOC has eliminated revolving doors, repaired wiring, and tested the buildings' fire alarm systems. The long-running effort to install automatic sprinklers in the Rayburn House office building is near completion, and the AOC will soon conduct system-acceptance testing. The OC report praises Alan Hantman, head of the AOC, for the AOC's remediation of these fire safety problems.

Focus on Library of Congress The 2002 OC report, based on inspections Seymour and Terry Lane, an occupational safety consultant, conducted between April and July 2002, focuses on emergency preparedness in the LOC complex. Among the deficien- cies the two safety experts found were inadequate emergency evacuation plans. On October 5, 2001, 43 Capitol Hill police officers even complained to the OC that no such plan existed.

"We discovered during our inspection that the vast majority of LOC offices still had outdated and incom- plete emergency evacuation plans;' Seymour and Lane noted in their report to the OC.

Responsibility for the LOG's emergency evacuation plans lies with LOC management.Jill Brett, LOC spokes- woman, says that new and untrained members of building evacuation teams started training in current procedures last February, but she didn't indicate whether LOG police officers would be included.

Tyrone Bryant, chair of the labor committee for Fraternal Order of Police union members working at the LOC, says there has been no training.

"They don't have the money for the training," he explains.

As for fire hazards at the LOC buildings, some are unique to the Jefferson Building, built in 1897; the Adams

Building, built in 1939; and the Madi- son Building, completed in 1980. But others are reminiscent of the fire dangers in the House and Senate buildings noted in the OC's 2000 report.

Among the problems mfique to the LOG are the two open-conveyor systems connecting the Madison book stacks, which constitute the largest library holdings in the world, with some of the other LOC buildings. These conveyor systems function as chimneys that, according to the report, would quickly spew toxic fumes from a fire in Madison to other LOC buildings. Neither conveyor system is sprinklered, although a newer system running from Jefferson to Madison does have smoke detectors in certain locations, and fire dampers activated by fusible links have been installed in some areas.

Among the problems similar to those the earlier investigation found in the congressional office buildings is the openness of the exit stairwells in the Jefferson and Adams buildings. The OC's 2000 report noted that neither the Capitol, finished in 1856; the Can- non House Building, built in 1906; the Russell Senate Building, completed in 1909; nor the Longworth House Build- ing, built in 1933, had "a single exit stairweU that would be effectively protected against smoke or toxic gases in the event of fire." Based on criteria the General Services Administration uses to assess the level of risk typical fire safety hazards pose, the OC estimated that these four buildings would rank in the worst 10 percent of historic buildings ha the United States in terms of fire mad life safety.

It's not just the Capitol and LOG buildings that sometimes take an antique approach to fire suppression. For example, the fire pump in the basement of the Supreme Court had- n't been flow-tested since it was installed in 1932 until Ken Lauziere, fire marshal for the AOC, tested the pump last year by rigging up hose lines to get the desired flow volume and pressure. But the pump falls considerably short of meeting the requirements of NFPA 20, Imtallation of Statioml O, t~lmps for Fire Protection, and


A PRIORITY CAPITOL EXPENSE j

NFPA 25, Inspection, 7isling, and Mainte- nance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. According to the OC, the pump will be replaced in 2007.

"All the fire systems-including fire pumps and alarms-are tested on a regular schedule and in accordance with code" AOC's Malecki says. "Fire extinguishers in the Library of Con- gress are now maintained by the AOC instead of multiple jurisdictions and are inspected regularly. In addition, over the past few years the AOC has established a much stronger fire protection capability by hiring more fire protection engineers and inspectors."

total budget to $373.5 million, where it stands today. The 580,000-square-foot (53,882-square-meter) CVC is scheduled to be completed in 2005.

The cost of the CVC concerns Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.), the top Democrat on the House Appropria- tions Committee. In a letter sent April 9 to AOC's Hantman. Obey said he was "deeply disturbed at the prospect of pouring more money into this project when expenses are already running well above budget and there is no solid assurance as to what the project will ultimately cost."

To compound the funding issue,

The AOC was the only one of seven agencies in the "legislative branch" section of the omnibus appropriations bill passed in February whose budget was cut.

Some, like Mike DeCarlo, a Capitol Police officer and chair of the safety committee for the Fraternal Order of Police, whose members work around the congressional office buildings, argue that shortfalls in the AOC budget are pulling attention away from fire protection problems. He also thinks funds going for construction of the new, underground, three-story Capitol Visitors' Center (CVC) are crowding out important safety projects elsewhere in the Capitol.

"The turnstile doors remaining in some of the House buildings are just now being replaced with emergency doors with push bars" DeCarlo said in January.

The original budget for the CVC, established in 1999, was $265 million. Most of it was to have been raised from private sources, but Congress had to intercede to a great extent when the fundraising effort failed to take off. Moreover, new security requirements were added to the project after September 11, according to Malecki, who explains that Congress appropriated an additional $38.5 million to meet those requirements. Then Congress added another $70 million to expand the project, pushing the

Congress cut the AOC's budget in fiscal 2003 by $43 million to $341 milfion. The AOC was the only one of seven agencies in the "legislative branch" section of the omnibus appropriations bill passed in February whose budget was cut. Even the Gov- ernment Printing Office received $5 million more in fiscal 2003 than it did in 2002, and the Capitol Police saw a budget increase of $62 million to $219 million. That 39 percent increase con- trasted with the 11 percent decrease for the AOC.

The AOC's Malecki argues that her office's failure to remedy the remaining hazards has nothing to do with funding shortfalls.

"Congress has been very supportive in providing the necessary funds to assure the safety mad well-being of everyone who works in and visits the Capitol complex" she says. However, the 2002 OC report noted that "final completion of necessary improvements is expected to take several years and additional funding from Congress. We are compelled to express grave concern over these delays"

The AOC's dollar deficit has wor- ried Capitol Hill safety partisans for

years. As early as 1999.John Lain- hart, the House inspector general (IG), told representatives at House hearings that he believed the AOC's plan for rectifying fire problems in the Capitol was "going to need some help to get the actions completed"

"Because the buildings under the Architect's jurisdiction are historical, landmark structures, applying modern day fire and safety codes is not an easy task and solutions are not straightforward" Malecki says. "Care- fu• and thorough studies must be completed to assure that fire protection solutions are developed that provide high standards of fire protection while ensuring that mfique architectural features and priceless art- work in these buildings are not compromised or destroyed."

According to the OC, complying with building and fire codes, such as NFPA 914, Fire Protection in Historic Structures. and NFPA 101, shouldn't be a problem because following them needn't compromise the historical integrity of the buildings.

"'In other historic buildings where stairwells are completely open, a variety of methods have been used to remedy the danger posed by lack of fire barriers without detracting from the architectural integrity or esthetic value of the building" the OC report said.

Still ahead What remains to be done to beef up fire protection at the Capitol complex?

House Inspector General Lainhart noted in 1999 that his office had a contract with Klinker and Associates, which he'd hired to conduct a fire safety audit, to continue "to support our monitoring effort."

However, Richard Klinker, principal of Klinker and Associates, says he has- n't monitored anything for the IG in six months, when he inspected a power plant. He hasn't looked into Rre safety in the congressional office buildings for about a year, he says.

"If they're depending on me to be their eyes and ears, they're in trouble," Klinker states.


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Advances in fire science, fire protection engineering, and risk assessment have driven improvements in fire protection at nuclear power plants, and a Cana- dian company applies those advances and NFPA 805 to increase safety and lower costs

II by JOHN NICHOLSON

KEVIN AUSTIN, senior technical officer with the Fire Safety Programs Section at Bruce Power in Ontario, Canada, first met American fire protection experts Ron Rispoli and Frank Garrett, two members of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Protection for Nuclear Facili- ties, at the November 2000 NFPA Fall Education Confer- ence in Orlando, Florida. That chance encounter has turned into a valuable partnership that has saved one of the world's largest nuclear facilities time and money.

At the time, Bruce Power was con- templating upgrading the fire protection systems at its nuclear power plant, which generates enough electricity to supply approximately 15 percent of Ontario's power needs. The facility, located on 2,300 acres (931 hectares) on the shore of Lake Huron midway between Port Elgin and Kincar- dine, houses two power stations (four nuclear reactors per station), as well as supporting infrastructure, which includes its own training center, a maintenance facility, emergency power facilities, and a visitors' center. >>

N F P A J O U R N A L MAY/JUNE 2003 9].

Aerial view of Bruce Power's facility in Ontario, Canada.

When they met Austin, Rispoli was working at Entergy's Arkansas Nuclear One Station, and Garrett was at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. In its infancy, Palo Verde had successfully managed several fire protection challenges, mad Garrett thought Bruce Power might benefit from the lessons they had learned. He invited Austin and other Bruce Power fire protection officials to spend a week touring the Palo Verde plant and talking to the experts.

"'If you want to learn how to bake a cake, talk to someone who's done it-and then borrow their recipe," says Austin.

And learn they did. During their week in Arizona, Bruce Power's fire protection experts became familiar with NFPA 805, Pelfi~rmance-B~ed Standard for Fire t3"olection

for Light Water Reactor Electdc Gem'ratillg Plants, which promised to make retrofitting an existing nuclear facility less difficult by providing equivalencies to the requirements of the prescriptive codes they originally intended to follow.

Upgrades complied Bruce Power convinced Canadian regulators that its upgrades complied with Canadian Standards Association N-293, Fire Protection for CAWD U Nuclear Plants, which references NFPA 803, Fire Protec- tion for Light g4tter ~tclear Power Plants, and NFPA 805 as its equivalent.

Convinced that the type of upgrades their plant needed could only be cost- effectively implemented using performance-based standards, Bruce Power's Fu'e protection experts hired En~neering Planning and Manage- ment, Inc. (EPM) of Framingham, Massachusetts, to do a technical analysis of their facility, applying the concepts of NFPA 805.

EPM's performance-based assessment focused on the types of fires that could occur at Bruce Power. They then addressed their size and the damage they could do to the equipment needed to safely shut down each station's four nuclear reactors. Although the fire protection shutdown equip-

ment may consist of a small portion of all the shutdown equipment in an area, the prescriptive approach doesn't deal with it individually. Rather, it focuses on the location of all the safe- shutdown-related equipment, regardless of its relation to fire hazards. The performance-based assessment is not as conservative as the prescriptive assessment in this aspect, but it allows for a far more realistic analysis of a nuclear plant's safe-shutdown capability.

Recognizing that taking the next step and implementing the changes would be huge, Bruce Power looked to the experts, namely members of the NFPA 805 technical committee, for help.

"These guys helped set the standard for all the U.S. plants, and the U.S. style of light water reactors "' says Austin, who approached Wayne Holmes, the chair of the NFPA 805 technical committee. "We had the designs and, to a large degree, the programs identified. Now we needed to access some application insight."

92 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE ,?.003 WWW.NFPAJOU~NAL.ORG

LOOKING UP: NFPA 805 I

One of Bruce Power's turbines is housed in this building.

The technical committee The NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Protection for Nuclear Facilities, formerly the Committee on Atomic Enerb~ , has been involved with cutting-edge technology since 1953. Its

compliance with the prescriptive requirements of Appendix R.

Prompted by the NRC's desire for a performance-based consensus fire protection standard for nuclear power reactors, the committee began work on NFPA 805 in the late 1990s. It was the first NFPA technical committee to work on a standard that incorporates performance-based options.

NFPA has since withdrawn NFPA 803 and replaced it with NFPA 804, Fire Protection for Advanced Light Water Reactor Electn'c Generating Plants, mad NFPA 805, which address both nuclear safety and fare protection. The NFPA membership adopted NFPA 805 in 2001.

don at nuclear power production facilities. Appendix R was added to 10 CFR 50, Part 50.48, which provides requirements for fire protection plans and programs, in 1981 to codify other fire protection documents the Nuclear

Outside assistance Why didn't Bruce Power look within its own borders for the appropriate standards? Primarily because the Canadian Standards Association's first standard regulating nuclear power plants, issued in 1995, focuses on new,

RECOGNIZING THAT TAKING THE NEXT STEP AND IMPLEMENTING THE CHANGES WOULD BE HUGE, BRUCE POWER LOOKED TO THE EXPERTS, NAMELY MEMBERS OF THE NFPA 805 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, FOR HELP

first standard, NFPA 801, Radioactive Materials, Fadlities Handling Fire Protection

for Nudear Fadlities, was adopted by the NFPA membership at the 1955 Annual Meeting.

As reactors evolved, the committee developed NFPA 802, Fire Protection Practice for Nuclear Reactors, which was adopted in 1960. Following a serious fire at the Brown's Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in 1975, the committee developed NFPA 803, which was adopted in 1978.

Many of NFPA 803's prescriptive requirements were similar to those found in Appendix R of 10 CFR 50, a portion of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations that addresses fire protec-

Regulatory Commission (NRC) had produced over the years to help the U.S. nuclear power industry implement the federal regulations. Though many of Appendix R's prescriptive requirements for fare protection programs, fire hazard analysis, fire protection features and systems, and safe-shutdown capabilities were similar to those found in NFPA 803, the appendix didn't reference NFPA 803.

In 1986, the NRC issued Generic Letter 86-10 to assist in the implementation of fire protection regulations. Among other things, Generic Letter 86-10 states that engineering evaluations by a fare protection engineer can be used to demonstrate ahernative

rather than existing, construction. Appendix D of this standard contained references to existing plant upgrades and the use of analysis to improve protection. This was an excellent opportunity to apply performance-based concepts of NFPA 805. The Bruce Power plant was built during the '70s and early '80s.

"Performance-based fire protection standards provide a balanced approach to optimized fire protection," says Austin.

The first of the two Bruce Power stations, Bruce A, was taken off-line in the late 1990s. Bruce A generates around 3,140 MW of power using four CANDU reactors. A CANDU reactor-CANDU stands for "Canada

WWW, NFPMOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 93

Deuterium Uraafium"-uses natural uranium as fuel and "heaw" water (D90) as a neutron moderator and coolant. Heavy water is similar to regular, or light, water in many ways, except the hydrogen atoms in each water molecule are replaced by deuterium, a rare but stable hydrogen isotope. Canada, Argentina, South Korea, Romania, China, hldia, and Pakistan all operate CANDU reactors: there are none in the United States.

Despite the differences in reactor technology, the fundamental fire safety objectives for CANDU and light-water reactors are the same: To shut down the reactor in the event of a fire, allow the plant's occupants to evacuate safely, mad prevent a breach that could lead to radioactive contamination in the surrounding area

To achieve those objectives, Bruce Power spent approximately C $15 million (US $10.19 million) to install in Bruce B, which was still on-line, a state-of-the-art Vesda Air Aspiration System, which can detect extremely low levels of combustion products in the air during the very early stages of a fire.

The company also improved the station's turbine generator fire suppression system.

"Analysis showed us that turbine generators are at risk of bearing fires" says Austin. "Take the oil away, it's metal on metal. Things get real hot in a hunT-a few seconds, and you've got a fire."

New system features One of the features of the new system is the ability to isolate portions of the sprinlder system rather than having to isolate the entire system for sectional maintenance or during turbine outages when only certain zones need to be isolated for turbine work. This allows miltimization of impairment. For example, during a turbine outage, two unique sprinlder zones added to the bearing locations can be isolated dur- hag maintenance with little impact on the overall protection features. Two 0.5-inch (1.27-centimeter) orifice direc-

A massive turbine at Bruce Power's plant in Ontario, Canada.

tional nozzles above the turbine skirt and two below protect each of the 10 turbine generator bearings. The nozzles are rated for 250°F (121°C) and provide a 65- to 80-degree water-spray pattern on each side of the turbine for maximum coverage. The nozzles have baffle plates to keep them from cold- soldering adjacent sprinklers.

Two of the four units at Bruce A are scheduled to return to service in 2003. The cost of Bruce A's upgrades is expected to be slightly lower than that of Bruce B's due to use of previously approved designs and tim fact that the work is done when the units are off-line.

U.S. experts Rispoli and Garrett toured Bruce B in August 2001 to see the new fire detection system and other upgrades to the station. Bruce Power then approached Holmes, sug- gesting that Bruce Power host his technical committee's September 2002 meeting, which they did. The meeting, the first the committee held outside the United States, allowed Bruce Power to showcase some of the performance-based fire protection upgrades being implemented at Bruce A and B and helped stimulate interest in applying NFPA standards globally.

As a result of the meeting, Canadian power plant operators and regulators,

and the CANDU Owners Group (COG) have expressed interest in using the NFPA standards and participating in NFPA's consensus standards- development process.

How is NFPA 805 faring in the United States?

The Nuclear Regulatory Commis- sion has proposed a rulemaking that will endorse NFPA 805 as a referenced consensus standard (see the March 4, 2003, online "Inside the Beltway" at www.nfpajournal.org). At the same time, the nuclear industry is performing pilot implementation programs and developing implementation guidelines. Although due process results in a delay in implementing NFPA 805 in the United States, implementation of the standard at U.S, nuclear power plants is ongoing.

"During my two decades working with this committee, I've observed continuing adaptation to advancing technology. While the U.S. nuclear power industry is now a mature industry, it's continuing to grow in the application of fire safety principles," says Holmes. "During the same period, advances in fire science, fire protection engineering, and risk assessment have driven changes ha how fire protection is applied at nuclear power plants."

94 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW,NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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E u r o p e . A u s t r a l i a and A s i a •

SECTIONNEWS In This Issue

Architects, Engineers, and Building Officials WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/aebo SECTION CHAIR: John Kampmeyer, Triad Protection Engineering Corp., Springfield, Pennsylvania

HOT ISSUES Annual Election of Directors The section Nominating Committee presents the following candidates for election to the AEBO Executive Board:

For three years (Spring 2003 to Spring 2006) David Collins, Architect. John Kampmeyer, Engineer Mike Ashley, Building Official

Section members may nominate individuals from the floor during the World Safety Conference and Exposition ® (WSCE ~) in Dallas.

Section conference programs The section will present four programs at the WSCE. The first will take place on Sunday, May 18, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., when Carl Baldesarra of Schirmer Engineering will discuss how to apply Chapter 34, "High Hazard Contents," of NFPA 5000 TM, Building Construction and Safety Code Tu. From 8 to 11 a.m. on Monday, May 19, John Kampmeyer of Triad Fire Protection Co., Raj Sharma from the city of Dallas, Carlo Gegen of RJA Associates, and NFPA's Allan Fraser will address the "Past, Present, and Future of NFPA 5000." An international perspective on protecting icon buildings will be the subject of another Monday seminar, from 8 a.m. to noon. And Joe McEIvaney from the city of

Phoenix will discuss Phoenix's experience in adopting a building code from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday. For locations, please consult the on-site program, which you'll receive when you register at the WSCE.

HOW TO REACH US: Allan Fraser, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7411, [email protected]

Aviation WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/aviation SECTION CHAIR: Dennis Kennedy, P.E., Ansul, Inc., Marinette, Wisconsin

WSCE Aviation Section Speakers The Aviation Section Executive Board has put together an interesting program for the WSCE in Dallas.

On Sunday, May 18, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Joseph Wright of Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Technical Services, Inc., will discuss "Large Aircraft Firefighting," addressing what airports will need in terms of training facilities and technology to help ARFF crews deal with very large transport aircraft. From 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., Bernard Valois of Transport Canada Civil Aviation will talk about "Regulatory Aspects and Standards Comparisons of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting." And from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., John O'Sullivan of British Airways will discuss "Aviation Fire Protection: ffs Effect on the Environment."

On Monday, May 19, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Gunnar Kuepper of Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc. will present "Major Aviation Disasters: Strategies and Tactics to Save Lives and Control the Incident." Many plane

crashes are initially survivable, and the final life-or-death decision for the occupants is made by fast, skilled response. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Thomas Phillips of the Air Line Pilots Association will talk about his experiences as a firefighter, pilot, and ARFF safety advocate in "Backstep to the Cockpit: A Look at ARFF from Both Sides." And from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Tom Cortina of the Fire Fighting Foam Coalition will update attendees on AFFF and the environment, reviewing EPA activities and an industry telomer testing program.

Finally, Randolph Tucker of The RJA Group, Inc. will present "Fire Safety for Air Traffic Control Towers," on Wednesday, May 21, discussing the safety issues they present and offering a performance-based process for evaluating the design of new and existing towers.

HOW TO REACH US: Mark Conroy, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7410, [email protected]~

Building Fire Safety Systems WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/bfss SECTION CHAIR: Neal Krantz, Siemens Fire Safety, Livonia, Michigan

HOT ISSUES HOW NOT TO GO CRAZY WHEN HANDLING A RECALL! In the last few years, we've had very large sprinkler recalls affecting an array of occupancies. If you work for a large building owner/manager, a large hotel chain, a multi-location hospital operator, or a housing complex operator, you understand the headaches this can cause.

Here are some ways to handle a recall: • Hire a fire protection engineering firm

or sprinkler maintenance company to survey the properties and manage the claim and change-out process.

• Have your locations survey their own sites and manage the claim and change-out process.


96 ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND BUILDING OFFICIALS

96 AVIATION 96 BUILDING FIRE SAFETY SYSTEMS 97 EDUCATION 98 ELECTRICAL

98 FIRE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATORS 99 FIRE SERVICE 99 HEALTH CARE 101 INDUSTRIAL FIRE PROTECTION 102 INTERNATIONAL FIRE MARSHALS

ASSOCIATION

102 LATIN AMERICAN 102 LODGING INDUSTRY 102 METROPOLITAN FIRE CHIEFS 102 RAIL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 102 RESEARCH 103 WlLDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT

• Have someone from company headquarters survey each property and manage the claim and change-out process.

• Have each location conduct its own survey and report to headquarters with the information, then manage the claim and change-out process from headquarters.

The first option costs money up front but saves the corporate manager aggravation. The firms survey all locations, compile a list of the types and numbers of sprinklers recalled, and does the paperwork required to submit the claim. The corporate manager monitors the process but doesn't have to deal with the daily details. The manager receives a report stating what was found and when it was fixed. This is the "Rolls Royce" option.

Option two is initially easy on corporate management, but the process can break down if the location engineer isn't familiar with sprinkler systems or is less than dedicated to preparing an acceptable claim package. Keeping track of what each property is doing is difficult and complicates the process. This is the "Ford Escort" option.

The third option assumes you can dedicate one person or more to the task who would handle it the same way an outside firm would. This is the "Lincoln Town Car" option.

The last option is the most difficult because it puts the corporate manager at the mercy of the in-house engineer who conducts the survey. Collecting the appropriate information and materials is time-consuming and error-prone, and once the claims have been submitted, the manager will have to deal with more errors, such as missing photos and improperly typed heads. Assuming the manager deals with all these issues, he or she still has to schedule the change-outs. This is the "do-it-yourself kit car" option!

Meanwhile, the local AHJs and your property insurance carrier will be pestering you to get the work done. No matter how quickly you submit your claim, most

scheduling is based on a priority list, and schools, hospitals, retirement homes, and similar occupancies have precedence over private homes, hotels, offices, and such.

With this in mind, let's hope we don't have a large sprinkler recall in the near future!

Premises Security Project By RAY GRILL, P.E.

The premises security project is advancing, as the technical committee prepares two draft documents for public comment. The Building Fire Safety Systems Section is sponsoring a session in Dallas to updates attendess on the committee's progress. Please join us.

The proposed NFPA 730, Premises Security Code, will provide guidance in developing security features for occupancies based on risk analysis methodologies, while the proposed NFPA 731, Installation of Premises Security Equipment, will provide requirements for the installation, testing, and maintenance of electronic security systems. These documents are scheduled to go before the membership at the 2005 World Safety Conference and Exposition. Draft documents will be available for public review late this summer and the proposal closing date is January 5, 2004.

WSCE Education Session Line-Up At the WSCE in Dallas, the section will present two education sessions on Tuesday, May 20. The first, a panel discussion of "Sprinkler Reliability: Truths, Myths and, Recalls," begins at 1 p.m. The second, given by Dorothy Bruck of Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, will address waking to smoke alarms. Professor Bruck, an authority on the waking effectiveness of smoke alarms, will describe the results of her research and the implications for smoke alarms as a component in home fire safety. This session will run from 4 to 5 p.m. Check the show program for locations.

HOW TO REACH US: David Hague, Execulive Secretary,+1-617-984-7452,[email protected]

Education WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/edsection SECTION CHAIR: Peg Carson, Carson Associates, Inc., Warrenton, Virginia

HOT ISSUES Reaching Teens and Young Adults By PEG CARSON

The recent nightclub tragedies in Rhode Island and Chicago lead us to consider how such a devastating loss of life might have been prevented. While looking at the buildings and the regulations governing fire and life safety in them, we mustn't forget that public awareness, or lack of it, may have contributed to both tragedies.

Public education campaigns rarely target teens and young adults since they're not statistically identified as high-risk groups. They've heard, or had an opportunity to hear, basic messages about personal safety at home, at school, and through the media, and, compared to those in other age groups, they respond quickly and independently to emergencies. They are also harder to reach than other groups. Their schedules make it difficult to find a convenient place or time to offer instruction, and other concerns, such as drugs, take priority over fire safety.

Now, more than ever, we must consider what's missing from our efforts to reach teens and young adults. Compare the behavior of elementary school children responding to a fire drill to that of adults responding to an alarm. Children dutifully walk outside and form neat rows, while adults often ignore the situation. As children mature, their attitudes and behavior change, and teens and young adults either forget, or don't believe in the need, to follow recommendations for personal safety.

I believe the recent tragedies will lead to improvements in fixed protection and building construction, but I hope new, creative, and effective education methods also emerge to reinforce basic life-saving messages. And I hope there will be opportunities


to give teens and young adults a better understanding of safety procedures. Learning that's not reinforced is lost.

Among the venues for instructing teens and young adults is the workplace, where safety drills that can be brought home are conducted. Parenting classes are appropriate, too. Educational materials have also been developed to meet the demand for training students on college campuses in the basics of fire and life safety. And many organizations sponsor community safety initiatives to train their members.

I know you have ideas about what works or what we should try. I invite you to share them with the Education Section. You can email them to me at [email protected] or fax me at at (540) 349-9147.

HOW TO REACH US: Judy Comoleffi, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7287, [email protected]

Electrical WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/electrical SECTION CHAIR: Richard Loyd, R&N Associates, Perryville, Arkansas

HOT ISSUES Research Foundation Considers New Electrical Arcing Fault Project The Research Foundation is convening a planning meeting for a new project to measure the explosive, thermal, and electromagnetic hazards associated with arcing electrical faults. The project's objectives are to develop independent data to characterize the hazards; document potential test proto- cols to measure thermal, baroacoustic, and electromagnetic effects; and help identify effective personal protective equipment.

Members of the NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces, Technical Committee requested the project. The information will help communizes understand the hazard and NFPA 70E Technical Committee members identify ways to protect workers. The project will also provide AHJs, electrical equipment manufacturers, utility companies, general industry, protective equipment manufacturers, regulators, insurers, and independent testing laboratories with valuable independent documentation.

Contact Research Project Manager Steve Hanly at [email protected] for information.

New Residential Electrical System Aging Research Project The Fire Protection Research Foundation is starting a project to evaluate the relationship of aging electrical components and the residential electrical fire problem. The electrical community, concerned that aging electrical systems in residential occupancies may relate to electrical fires, would like to answer the question: "Why is there a residential electrical fire problem in the United States, even though we have such a comprehensive code?"

Among the reasons may be that electrical components, like any product, age and that residential electrical systems are seldom inspected after they are installed.

The project will follow two tracks: an enhanced electrical fire investigation program and a sampling/analysis of actual installed components. These data-gathering initiatives will give critical information to code writers, especially those working on NFPA 73, Electrical Inspection Code for Existing Dwellings, and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code®; AHJs; electrical manufacturers; installers; property owners; and insurers.

To participate, contact Research Project Manager Steve Hanly at (617) 984-7284.

HOW TO REACH US: Jeff Sargent, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7442, [email protected]

Fire Science and Technology Educators WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/firescience SECTION CHAIR: Ronald Hopkins, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky

HOT ISSUES Executive Board to meet at WSCE The section Executive Board will meet at the WSCE on Sunday, May 18, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. The section business meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 19, from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Check your program guide for locations and visit www.nfpa.org for information on section-sponnsored educational sessions.

Section WSCE Programs The section has put together a series of four educational presentations for the WSCE in Dallas. On Sunday, May 18, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Richard Bennett of the University of Akron will discuss "Education as Professional Development for Fire Officers: Why Bother?" The fire service is creating a professional development model similar to those of other professions to establish a career track for tirefighters, from entry level to chief. These efforts, which include educational requirements beyond the technical skills normally associated with the profession, have culminated in model curricula and professional development models, which Bennett will address in his presentation.

On Monday, May 20, from 8 to 11:00 a.m., Kathryn Kennedy and Patrick Kennedy of John A. Kennedy and Associates, Daniel Churchward of Kodiak Fire and Safety Consulting, and Ronald Hopkins of Eastern Kentucky University will discuss fire investigation management, using a S500 million Iowa warehouse fire and a $45.7 million Texas mansion fire as illustrations. Their presentation is "Management of Major Fire Investigations--Practical Illustrations."

During the same period, John Watts Jr., Ph.D, of the Fire Safety Institute; SFPE President Kathleen Almand; John Frank of GE Global Asset Protection Services; David Hooton of Click2Launch; Ed Kaplan of the National Fire Academy; David Lucht, of WorcesterPo~ytechnic Institute; and NFPA's Mark Schofield will address "Distance Learning for Fire Protection." This program will provide information on programs from NFPA, National Fire Academy, SFPE, WPI, and the University of Maryland.

Finally, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon, James Nasby of Master Control Systems will present "Electric Motor-Driven Fire Pump Starting--Full- and Reduced-Volt- age Motor Starting Characteristics and Application." Participants will gain useful knowledge on which starting type or types are best suited to which applications, from both a hydraulic and an electrical standpoint.

HOW TO REACH US: Frank Florence, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7480, [email protected]


SECTION NEWS j

Fire Service WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/fireservice SECTION CHAIR: Terry Allen, Chief, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

HOT ISSUES Safety and health book published Scheduled for publication in May, NFPA's book, Fire Department Occupationa/ Safety & Health, gives fire departments practical guidance on implementing an occupational safety and health program.

The book discusses firefighter fatalities and injuries in the United States; occupational safety, medical, and health issues; evaluation and planning of public fire protection; risk management planning; the role of the company officer and safety officer; and the investigation of significant injuries. It also contains case histories of firefighter fatalities and injuries, as well as checklists, forms, and other resource materials.

To order a copy, call (800) 344-3555 or visit www.nfpacatalog.org.

HOW TO REACH US: Stephen N. Foley, ExeculJve Secretary, +1-617-984-7468, [email protected]

461

Health Care WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org,~ealthcare SECTION CHAIR: Thomas Haynes, Woodpecker Hill Nursing Home, Greene, Rhode Island

HOT ISSUES News from the Codes and Standards Review Committee By MIKE DANIEL, CHAIR, CODES AND

STANDARDS REVIEW COMMITI'EE

As one of my first official duties as chair of the Codes and Standards Review Com- mittee, rd like to thank Tom Bulow for his contributions as Health Care Section (HCS) Committee chair for the past three years. Tom continued to enhance HCS's approach to the code-making process and transformed committee meetings into valuable educational forums. The good news is that, even though Tom has elected not to seek reappointment as committee chair, he has agreed to serve as committee secretary. Again, thank you, Tom, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Codes and Standards Review Committee Forum There have been a number of significant

schedule changes for the HCS and the overall program at this year's WSCE in Dallas. One involves the Codes and Standards Review Committee Forum, which is now scheduled for Sunday, May 18, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. The forum will be followed by other educational sessions, the Opening General Session, the grand opening of the Exposition, and a reception.

During the Codes and Standards Review Committee Forum, we'll review the following documents in detail:

NFPA 20, Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code NFPA 51B, Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces NFPA 115, Recommended Practice on Laser Fire Protection NFPA 267, Standard Method of Test for Fire Characteristics of Mattresses and Bedding Assemblies Exposed to Flaming Ignition Source

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The Codes and Standards Review Commit- tee will also discuss documents up for adoption at NFPA's 2003 Fall Education Conference, to be held from November 15 to 19 in Reno, Nevada. And the committee will hold a working session to review strategies for the Report on Proposals and the Report on Comments in preparation for future NFPA conferences.

The Health Care Codes and Standards Review Forum is the first of three excellent education programs HCS is offering at WSCE. The second, "Shelter in Place," addresses the protection of victims and other patients from biological, chemical, or nuclear attack. This presentation will help you consider factors necessary to institute a successful shelter-in-place plan. It will be offered Sunday, May 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The final program, "Effective Hospital Evacuation," addresses fundamental evacuation requirements in a hospital. Claude Baker, Jr. of The University of Chicago Hospitals will detail some unique evacuation methods that hospitals may require. This program will be offered Monday, May 19, from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m.

Finally, don't forget the Technical Commit- tee Report Session on Wednesday, where voting on the documents up for adoption will take place. Your support is needed. I look forward to seeing you there!

Chair's Corner By DICK STRUB

The section's Executive Board is committed to providing a meaningful exchange of information with our members. In "Section News" for the July/August issue of NFPA Journal, for example, we plan to focus on the hospital and nursing home perspectives on fire and life safety. We'll address other areas of interest as the need arises.

"Section News" contributions from the Board will alternate with contributions from the Codes and Standards Review Committee. Committee Chair Mike Daniel will provide a code review update to help prepare you for upcoming issues, proposals, comment timelines, and so on. We'll also incorporate a message from the section chair to ensure that each issue of NFPA Journal includes Health Care Section news.

The Executive Board feels this strategy will help guarantee quality submissions. This is in line with our overall focus on quality, rather than quantity, a focus we're also applying to educational sessions at future NFPA conferences.

In addition, we've invited John Nicholson, managing editor of NFPA Journal, to the section's Executive Board meeting in Dallas to discuss how we can expand the section's contributions to the magazine. I invite all of you who will be at the WSCE to join us at the meeting on Monday, May 19, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The Board's always looking for ways to increase communication between section and Board members, and we encourage you to offer suggestions. We need your input if we're to find new ways of making your NFPA and section memberships more valuable.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at future NFPA meetings.

HOW TO REACH US: Richard Bielen, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7279, [email protected]

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SECTION NEWS I

Industrial Fire Protection WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/industrial SECTION CHAIR: Mike Newman, Johnson & Johnson Company, New Brunswick, New Jersey

HOT ISSUES Chair's Corner By MIKE NEWMAN

As usual, we expect another busy conference and exposition in Dallas. Among the highlights will be the presentation of the 2002 Fire Prevention Week contest winner, which gives us a chance to recognize our members' efforts. Entrants include the Fire Safety Division of Duke University; Alticor, Inc.; Merck & Co.; and MeadWestvaco. If you'd like to enter the next contest, send us your entry by December 1. Visit www.nfpa.org/industrial for information.

The industrial section is sponsoring three speaker sessions at WSCE this year. One, on property insurance post-9/11, is a departure from the usual technically oriented presentations. Representatives of major property insurers, the brokerage community, and property insurance buyers will give their perspectives on issues they faced and may have to face again.

The section Board meets on Sunday, May 18. If you want more information about the Board and its meetings, or you wish to provide agenda items, please contact the Executive Secretary Guy Colonna.

IFPS is always looking for members interested in representing the section on NFPA technical committees. Many of you are now serving on committees, but there are still more committees on which the section would like to be represented. Among these are the Fine Aerosol Extinguishing Technol- ogy, Fire Doors and Windows, Fluidized Bed Boilers, Hazardous Chemicals, Liquid Fuel Burning Equipment, Mining Facilities, and Wastewater Treatment Technical Committees. If you're interested, let Guy Colonna know.

IFPS Report on Technical Committee for Premises Security The proposed NFPA 730, Premises Security Code, and NFPA 731, Installation of Premises Security Equipment, document how to analyze security risks, provide guidance on appropriate and consistent levels of security, and delineate security system insta/iation requirements. NFPA 730 will be a

risk-analysis-based occupancy standard, and NFPA 731 will be the installation standard.

The outline for NFPA 730 is similar to that of NFPA 101 ®, Life Safety Code ®. Occupancy chapters listing requirements for security for particular occupancies follow chapters on risk analysis and general requirements. The risk analysis is the basis for the levels of security required in the occupancy chapters.

The NFPA 731 task group is working on installation standards for intrusion detection, access control, hold-up, duress, and CCTV systems. The documents should enter the code cycle this year.

HOW TO REACH US: Guy Colonna, Executive Secretary, NFPA, +1-617-984-7435, [email protected]

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International Fire Marshals Association WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/ifma SECTION CHAIR: Ron Farr, Kalamazoo Township Fire Department, Kalamazoo Township, Michigan

HOT ISSUES Fire Prevention Research Project IFMA is developing a research project to obtain information fire marshals can use to support their cases for increased staffing and budgets. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org/ifma.

Professional Development The International Fire Marshals Association Fire Protection Institute currently offers two training programs, the "Management institute for Fire Marshals" and the "Principles of Fire Protection Engineering." The next "Principles of Fire Protection Engineering" course will be held from September 29 to October 2 in Baltimore, Maryland. Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring a program may contact Executive Secretary Steven E Sawyer at (617) 984-7423 or [email protected]. Check www.nfpa.org/ ifma for complete details.

IFMA Participates in Homeland Security Meetings IFMA helped plan the first meeting of a group helping the U.S. Fire Administration develop a program similar to the TRADE program for fire prevention folks. The meeting will be held in November.

IFMA was also invited to attend a seminar sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Homeland Safety Council designed to familiarize officials with the Homeland Security Advisory System and identify what needs to be done to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials implement the system. Also addressed were best practices at the state and local levels.

And Don't Forget... IFMA turns 100 in 2006. Give any ideas for celebrating the occasion to John Robison at [email protected].

HOW TO REACH US: Steven Sawyer, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7423, [email protected]

Latin American WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/ latinamerican SECTION CHAIR: Eduardo Abe, Tecin Rosenbauer S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina

HOT ISSUES Board of Directors Elections at AFE Save July 22, 23, and 24 for NFPA's third annual Americas' Fire Expo in Miami Beach, at which the section will hold its annual meeting. Four new Board members, including the section vice-president, will be elected. The nominees are Eduardo Alvarez of IFSC Cono Sur in Argentina, Juan Carlos Guilbe of Firetech in the Dominican Republic, Conrado Matin from Exanco in Chile, Brian Ringwelski of Hughes Associates in the United States, and Jaime Sotomayor of Ecuador.

New Web sites launched The NFPA Journal Latinoamencano has launched its new Web site, www.nfpajournal- latino.com, in conjunction with the publication of the March issue. The new site offers such features as chat rooms, networking forums, exclusive editorial content, and advertising opportunities. Journal Latinoamericano is the only magazine in the industry that reaches thousands of readers in the fire protection and security industries in Latin America. We need your support to continue serving industry and promoting fire safety throughout the Americas.

NFPA has also launched www.capitulosnfpa.org to support our new chapter system. Visit the site to read about active chapters and those being formed and to discover how to start a chapter in your country.

HOW TO REACH US: Olga Caledonia, Execu~ve Secretary, +1-617-984-7231, [email protected]

Lodging Industry WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/lodging SECTION CHAIR: Thomas Daly, Hilton Hotel Corporation, Beverly Hills, California

HOT ISSUES Executive Committee Nominations April Berkol, chair of the Nominating Committee, submitted the following indi-

viduals for consideration at the section business meeting at the WSCE in Dallas:

Director E. Sterling (Tod) Hanger, The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

Director Jim Ray, Marriott International, Inc. Washington, D.C.

Both are currently directors and are eligible to serve a second two-year term. For the complete Executive Committee roster, visit www.nfpa.org/Iodging.

If you're interested in serving on the Executive Committee, please contact Gregory Harrington at [email protected].

HOW TO REACH US: Gregery Harringten, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7404, [email protected]

Metropolitan Fire Chiefs WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/metro SECTION CHAIR: Mario Trevino, Chief, San Francisco, California HOW TO REACH US: Russ Sanders, Executive Secretary, +1-502-894-0411, [email protected]

Rail Transportation Systems WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/rail SECTION CHAIR: James Gourley, Fire Protection Engineer, Glenside, Pennsylvania HOW TO REACH US: Jim Lake, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7470, [email protected]

Research WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/researchsedJon SECTION CHAIR: Samuel Dannaway, Dannaway and Assoc., Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

HOT ISSUES Research Foundation Launching Rack Storage Protection Project Revisions in NFPA 13, Installation of Sprin- kler Systems, include significant changes in the requirements for sprinklers installed below solid shelving in rack storage arrangements. The new requirements call for sprinkler protection at the ceiling and

|02 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

SECTION NEWS I

beneath every level of solid-shelf storage in single-, double- and multiple-row racks, where the shelf is larger than 64 square feet (6 square meters) or where the levels of storage are higher than 6 feet (2 meters). They also call for sprinklers at the ceiling and beneath solid shelves at intermediate levels no more than 6 feet (2 meters) high when the shelving is larger than 20 square feet (2 square meters) but less than 64 square feet (6 square meters). These changes will increase the cost of sprinkler installations in new construction. Retroactive changes will compound the installation cost by the adding the cost of shifting product and business interruption.

The Research Foundation hopes to identify safe, efficient, cost-effective methods for protecting solid-shelf rack storage by reviewing fire experience, then developing and testing new protection and storage configurations. The project will provide standards- and code-writers, especially those responsible for NFPA 13; AHJs; property owners and managers; insurers; and sprinkler, piping, and fitting manufacturers, distributors, and installers with valuable documentation.

To participate in, or sponsor, the project, contact Research Project Manager Steve Hanly at (617) 984-7284.

HOW TO REACH US: John Hall, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7460, [email protected]

Wildland Fire Management WEB SITE: http://www.nfpa.org/wildland SECTION CHAIR: Bill Terry, USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C.

HOT ISSUES Wildland Section Plans WSCE Seminars Four programs for those involved in wildland firefighting will be offered at the WSCE in Dallas. From 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, James R. Thomason, a fire program specialist with FEMA Region VI; Billy Terry from the U.S. Forest Service Headquarters; and Gary Wood of the North Carolina Divi- sion of Forestry will discuss "Wildland Fire Management: Grant Funding." Wondering where to get money to support your local fire programs? This workshop on grant writing, funding sources, and matching funding sources with activities is for you.

From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the same day, Jerome Harvey from the City of Lead will discuss historic wildfires in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the site of a number of historic wildfires. Harvey will present a retrospective of major fires from the 1800s to 2002, complete with historic films and modern maps.

On Tuesday, May 20, Judith Leraas- Cook will discuss the Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. Attendees will learn how communities contribute to their own safety through cooperative activities. From 4 to 5 p.m., Mike Long of the Florida Division of Forestry and Rick Schell of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will explain how the National Fire Plan is changing wildfire operations in California and Florida. They'll also discuss what the lO-year strategy means.

We hope to see you in Dallas. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org.

HOW TO REACH US: Jim Smalley, Executive Secretary, +1-617-984-7483, [email protected]

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Visit us at AMERICA'S FIRE EXPO. July 22-24. 2003 in MIAMI. BOOTH 332. corner Doolh thru main entrance.


WVVW.NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 ] 0 3

SHOWCASE

3M Company Booth 1212 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid combines high-extinguishing efficiency with excellent environmental, health, and safety properties. Novec 1230 is UL- and ULC-listed and approved by the U.S. EPA under SNAP for total flooding and streaming applications. Circle Reader Card No. 101

I i - : i : ! . ' h : A-C Fire Pump Systems Booth 302 A-C Fire Pump offers package systems ranging from 35 to 5,000 gpm (132.5 to 18,927 Ipm) with pressure to 600 psi. Factory-tested systems and house units use a full range of end-suction horizontal split-case, vertical turbine, and in-line centrifugal pumps. Visit www.acfirepump.com. Circle Reader Card No. 102

Advanced Firefighting Technology Booth 1521 The new AFT system is based on technical fire-related experience and specialized scientific know-how in rocket technology. The AFT system can be used from the initial stages of combating the fire, to post-extinguishing measures. Circle Reader Card No. 103

AEI Cables, Inc.

Booth 445 AEI two-hour fire-resistive MI cable is used for fire protection of circuits in commercial buildings and is suitable for power feeds for fire pumps and emergency generators, fire alarm power risers, and in fire alarm and voice communication systems. Circle Reader Card No. 104

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Air Products and Controls Inc. Booth 534 Air Products and Controls manufactures air duct smoke detectors,

amps and fully regulated ADA/NAC power boosters to 6 amps for new and retrofit installations. Circle Reader Card No. 107

Allied Tube and Conduit Booth 1208 We feature a full line of products including our engineered line of flow pipe including DynaFIow, Dynathread, XL, BLT and standard Schedule 10 and 40. Circle Reader Card No. 108

accessories, and control relays. Duct ' . : ,: : detectors and accessories utilize the latest technology, blended with unique ease of installation and maintenance. Circle Reader Card No. 105

Akron Brass Company Booth 743 Akron Brass is a manufacturer of high-performance firefighting equipment. Products include nozzles, monitors, turrets, valves, foam equipment, and related firefighting products. Circle Reader Card No. 106

; ':.:.,, :!~ i-i,!c ;IFMEFJT Alarm Saf Booth 1416 Alarm Saf manufactures ADA/NAC power boosters and power-support equipment for fire systems applications. The product line includes UL-listed power supplies up to 16

Altronix Corporation Booth 1714 A manufacturer of power supply chargers with UL-listed models for fire alarm and access control applications, programmable annual, and one-shot timers and relay modules. Custom-designed products to your specifications available upon request. Circle Reader Card No. 109

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Amerex Corporation Booth 1421 Amerex offers hand-portable and wheeled fire extinguishers, including clean agent, water mist, and Halotron I, and restaurant, industrial, and vehicle fire suppression systems, along with methane gas detection. Getz Manufacturing "service technician's dream" equipment is also featured. Circle Reader Card No. 110

American Pacific Corporation, Halotron Division Booth 1420 Halotron l is a clean fire extinguishing agent replacement for halon 1211, made available worldwide for fire extinguishers and aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles. Halotron l is UL/ULC-listed for portables and wheeled units and U.S. EPA SNAP- listed for commercial/industrial and

,[04 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/tUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

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ADI can save you time and money. Let us show you how! Warehouse Costs Let ADI free up your warehouse space and your capital with the industry's largest inventory.

Shipping Costs Pick-up your order at any of our conveniently located branches located throughout North America.

Ordering Convenience Order by phone, fax or on-line at www.adilink.com

Ask about. . . • Pick-up AnyTime/The 24 hour branch , ADI's FREE systems support

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For more information, call 1.800.233.6261

For the ADI branch nearest you, call 1,800.233,6261. For Systems Sales and Support, call 1.800.ADI.SYSl.

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Circle 001 on Reader Service Card A Honeywell Company

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military use. Recent landmark FAA approval for use on board commercial aircraft. Circle Reader Card No. 111

SIGNALING DEVICES American Security Equipment Com- pany (AMSECO) Booth 1514 AMSECO manufactures audible and visual signaling devices, which include ceiling and wall mount Select-A- Strobe, Select-A-Horn, and Select-A-Horn/Strobe. Features include field selectable candela and selectable sound output and offers a complete line of outdoor strobes and horn/strobe rated at 24VDC and 120VAC with color lenses to choose from. Circle Reader Card No. 112

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FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Ansul Incorporated Booth 1002 Ansul offers special hazard fire protection products including fire extinguishers and hand-line units; pre- engineered restaurant, vehicle, and industrial systems; sophisticated fire detection/suppression systems; and a complete line of dry chemical, foam, and clean extinguishing agents. Circle Reader Card No. 113

PUMPS Armstrong Pumps Booth 1702 Armstrong is supplier of HVAC and fluid flow equipment for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. For additional information, Armstrong products, visit www.arm- strongpumps.com. Circle Reader Card No. 114

CONTROL PANELS Automation Displays Inc. Booth 1515 Manufacturer of UL-listed annunciators, graphic fire alarm panels, firefighters' smoke-control panels, door-control panels, door-monitoring systems, security-system control panels, and detention control panels. Custom and standard control panels for all projects, hardwired or with a serial interface. Circle Reader Card No. 115

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Badger Fire Protection Booth 506 Badger Fire Protection offers a complete line of industrial fire extinguishers for every type of fire, utilizing a variety of fire suppression agents, commercial kitchen hood systems, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Circle Reader Card No. 116

VALVES Bermad Control Valves Booth 837 Bermad offers a complete line of UL- listed and FM-approved pilot-operated pressure-reducing, pressure relief, pump suction, and deluge control valves. Circle Reader Card No. 117

VENTS Bilco Company Booth 301 Bilco has a line of UL-listed and FM- approved automatic fire vents and the

construction industry's only UL-listed fire-rated floor door. Circle Reader Card No. 118

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BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems Booth 1538 BlazeMaster CPVC Fire Sprinkler systems are listed for more types of applications than any other non-metallic system. For more information, visit www.blazemaster.com. Circle Reader Card No. 119

Sup [~r~.ARE Bluelight Software, LLC Booth 739 Bluelight Software provides software solutions for the fire and life safety industry. Our products include The Service Manager, a back office application that helps manage every aspect of your service business and Inspection Tracker, which allows management of inspections and creates professional inspection reports based on various requirements, including NFPA codes. Circle Reader Card No. 120

SOF [;,'VAF,'E CAD Zone, Inc. Booth 1131 The CAD Zone publishes easy-to-use drawing programs for creating loss control diagrams, pre-fire plans, post- incident critiques, and fire investigation drawings. Circle Reader Card No. 122

106 NFPA JOURNAL M A Y / J U N E 2 0 0 3 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

INTRODUCING THE LOW-COST, EASY-TO-INSTALL ALTERNMIVE TO

MINERAL INSULATED CABLE

LIFELINE TM RHH is the new, user- fr iendly alternative to Mineral Insulated cable and other labor- intensive barrier systems. Now you can protect critical fire pump and emergency circuits from attack by fire per NEC ® Articles 695 and 700 with a simple-to- install single conductor conduit cable. Say goodbye to MI, say hello to LIFELINE M RFIH.

Call your LIFELINE'" friend at:

800.333-4248 x2600 or visit www.d rakausa .co rn l f i f e l i ne

-Q, Draka USA

BIW Cable Systems, Inc. Helix/Hi Temp Cables, Inc. Chromatic Technologies, Inc. Tamaqua Cable Products Corp. Draka Elevator Products, Inc.


0 ,i::", S H 0 W C A S E EXTINGUGr-IANTS Chemetron Fire Systems Booth 416 Chemetron Fire Systems offer systems that use carbon dioxide (C02), high and low pressure, FM-200, argonite, water-mist and alarm and detection systems. Circle Reader Card No. 124

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Bosch Security Systems Booth 1646 Bosch is the single source for intrusion, fire, communications, access control and closed circuit television systems and components. Circle Reader Card No. 121

4~BUILDINGRelaI~'~.I:~I~ SOFTWARE BuildingReports.com Booth 631

BuildingReports.com integrates wire- less technology, mobile devices, and Web-based reporting technology for the property and real estate service industries. Circle Reader Card No. 125

ENGINES Clarke Fire Protection Products Booth 802 Clarke Fire Protection Products provides FM- and UL-certified diesel engines (41 to 1000 bhp) for assembly into fire protection systems. Circle Reader Card No. 127

SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS Chemguard Inc. Booth 523 Chemguard Inc. manufactures foam concentrates for a full line of Ub listed/FM-approved fire suppression equipment Circle Reader Card No. 126

TRAINING Combustion Safety, Inc. Booth 313 Combustion Safety specializes in the prevention of explosions and fires by promoting awareness and better implementation of operational procedures for fuel-fired equipment. Circle Reader Card No. 129

FIRE ALARMS Commercial Products Group Booth 1526

Commercial Products Group offers a complete line of fire alarm and life safety signals for use in commercial and industrial applications. Circle Reader Card No. 130

WATER STORAGE Columbian TecTank Booth 938 Long-lasting and least expensive solution for fire protection water storage. Circle Reader Card No. 128

VALVE S Conbraco Industries, Inc. Booth 540 Conbraco Industries manufactures ball valves and backflow prevention devices and accessories for the fire protection industry. Circle Reader Card No. 131

STORAGE TANKS ConVault Booth 1518 ConVault offers protected above- ground storage tanks for petroleum and chemical products that are UL2085-1isted (fire/vehicle impact resistant and bulletproof). Circle Reader Card No. 132

COVERS DecoShield Systems Inc Booth 1535 DecoShield systems provides lightweight, affordable modular


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of choice for the fire system specifier, installer and end user.

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SHOWCASE cover/support systems for sprinkler piping, hydronics, plumbing, cabling, and conduit. Circle Reader Card No. 135

Cornell Communications Inc. Booth 1802 Cornell provides communication systems for one or several integrated systems to improve the communications, security, or efficiency within their communities. Circle Reader Card No. 133

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Creative Signage Systems Booth 347 Creative provides low-level emergency evacuation systems including photoluminescent markings and evacuation plans on GSA Schedule. For more information, visit www.creativesig- nage.com. Circle Reader Card No. 134

S(~)FTWARE DesignQuik, L.L.C. Booth 443 DesignQuik software captures the user's floor plan design and automatically creates riser diagrams, voltage drop calculations, data sheets, and

connection details. Circle Reader Card No. 136

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t POWER SYSTEMS Cutler-Hammer Booth 1138 Eaton Corporation manufactures fluid power systems; electrical power quality; distribution and control products; and automotive engine and intelligent truck systems. For more information, visit www.chfire.com. Circle Reader Card No. 137

DETECTORS Detronics Booth 502 Detector Electronics is a leader in optical flame, combustible gas and toxic gas detection as well as safety system solutions. Circle Reader Card No. 138

NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS Digitize Inc. Booth 1232

Digitize systems accepts signals from virtually any alarm, issues visual and audible alerts, pinpoints sources, and suggests most effective response. Circle Reader Card No. 139

~:A~I E .-~ Draka USA Booth 944 The Lifeline family of cables by Draka USA is a practical approach to fire- rated electrical systems, uses ceramified silicone technology, and are reliable, flexible, easily installed with standard procedures and termi- nations. Circle Reader Card No. 140

EXTiNC~LIISHANTS DuPont Company Booth 1016 DuPont developed the FE family of clean-agent fire extinguishants to replace and eliminate the need for halon in the protection of people, assets, and the continuity of business. Circle Reader Card No. 141

TESTING Dyne Technologies Booth 543 Dyne Technologies offers independent foam systems testing, including on- site systems testing and inspection and laboratory testing of firefighting foam concentrate and solution. Circle Reader Card No. 142

1] .0 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNALORG

Introducing the Patterson Engine Package

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New Combination Saves Space, Time & Material

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As a combination diesel engine/ fire pump controller, the Patterson Engine Package (RE.R) greatly reduces the overall size and complexity of usual engine and pump controller setups.

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Its smaller mounting base allows it to be used in "tight" pump rooms, where space is limited. And, its cost is lower since redundant components have been eliminated.

The integrated package also requires significantly less time and material for a contractor to install•

With the engine/controller wiring harness pre-wired to a circular locking connector that plugs into the side of the controller, incorrect field engine connections that could delay or postpone startup are eliminated.

All field connections enter the top portion of the cabinet through pre-punched conduit holes to terminal blocks. Control boards have

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plug-in connectors for easy removal and replacement•

The RE.P. unit is designed specifically for use with National Diesel Corp. engines, and the engine/controller assembly is UL listed and FM approved. High intensity LED displays for 15 separate functions provide ease of viewing, long life and reliability. The built-in system pressure gauge/transducer includes a battery backup to keep the recorder functioning in the event of control power failure.

Look no further if you want to save space, time and material in your fire pump application. Call, fax or e-mail us today.

PATTERSON PUMP COMPANY A Subsidiary of The Gorman-Rupp Company

Post Office Box 790 • Toccoa, Georgia 30577 U.S.A. (706) 886-2101 • FAX: (706) 886-0023

E-mail: [email protected] www.pattersonpumps.com

© 2003 Patterson Pump Company


SHOWCASE

East Coast Lightning Equipment Booth 1149 East Coast Lightning Equipment is a full-service manufacturer of UL-listed lightning protection system components, including air terminals, connectors, fittings, fasteners, grounding equipment, and surge suppression. Circle Reader Card No. 143

Edwards Manufacturing Inc. Booth 726 Edwards manufactures UL/FM foam pumps for special and high-hazard products; water-mist pumps, and systems for critical areas and installations. Circle Reader Card No. 144

EGS Nelson Firestop Products Booth 1349 Nelson Firestop products prevent the propagation of flame, smoke, fumes, and toxic gases through breached fire barriers. In addition to through pene- tration seals, Nelson has a large selection of systems to seal construction joints and curtain wall assemblies. Circle Reader Card No. 145

Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Booth 922 Elkhart Brass designs, manufactures, and distributes firefighting equipment that includes firefighting nozzles and appliances specializing in fixed, selectable, and automatic handheld and master stream nozzles, appliances, and foam application. Circle Reader Card No. 146

Evax Systems Booth 1808 Evax conventional voice evacuation panels provide 25 to 200 watts, sin-

gle-cabinet, multi-zone capability for high-rise and campus-wide networked evacuation/relocation systems. Circle Reader Card No. 147

Fairbanks Morse Pump Company Booth 722 Fairbanks Morse offers horizontal split case, vertical in-line, and vertical turbine designs over a wide range of rated capacities and pressure pumps for every fire pump application. Circle Reader Card No. 149

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EST Booth 1120 EST manufactures audible visual devices, multiple-element detectors, control panels from one zone to the largest network systems. Circle Reader Card No. 148

Faraday LLC Booth 1432 Faraday manufactures and sells automatic and manual fire alarm detection products, as well as addressable fire alarm panels ranging from 1 to 4 SLC loops, and a wide range of notification appliances to fit almost any application. Circle Reader Card No. 150

Fenwal Explosion Protection Booth 410

Experts understand that explosions aren't limited to one specific industry and occur within all industries including food, pharmaceutical, and power generation. The average cost per explosion is $3,400,000, accounting for less than 4 percent of all incidents but nearly 40 percent of all losses. Fenwal Protection provides systems to address these hazards. Circle Reader Card No. 151

Fenwal Protection Systems Booth 510 Fenwal Protection Systems provides 24/7 fire detection, suppression and control for mission-critical facilities, telecommunications sites, data-processing facilities, process control complexes, automated manufacturing plants, and data storage and data storage retrieval systems. Integrated solutions involve SmartOne detection, AnaLASER II air sampling, Fenwal FM- 200 clean-agaent fire suppression and FenwalNET control systems. Visit us at www.fenwalfire.com. Circle Reader Card No. 152

Fike Corporation Booth 0914 Dedicated to protecting you from fire, Fike has a complete line of fire suppression systems, including clean-agaent HFC-227 ea, C02, water mist and our exciting drop-in halon replacement, Ecaro-25. More than just a suppression company, Fike has the industry's best line of fire detection/alarm systems, and explosion protection products. Circle Reader Card No. 153

Fire Lite Alarms, Inc. Booth 1509 Since 1952 Fire-Lite Alarms has been the leading manufacturer of quality fire alarm control panels sold through security equipment distributors. As

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...the leader in early warmng tire technology...

USA & C a n a d a d is t r ibu t ion : Safe Fire D e t e c t i o n Inc. 105 Corporate Bird , i n d i a n Trail, NC 2 8 0 7 9 , Tel: 001 7 0 4 8 2 1 7 9 2 0 Fax: 001 7 0 4 821 4 3 2 7

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SFIOWCASE we recognize over 50 years of innovation and excellence we celebrate being the leader in conventional control communicators and the first to introduce addressable fire alarm systems to this market. Today, we continue as the leader in the fire and security equipment marketplace and have added some masterful new ideas into our addressable family line of products including the Fire Warden MS-9600, Fire Warden MS-9200, and the MS-9200UD. For more information, please visit www.firelite.com. Circle Reader Card No. 154

Fire Control Instruments, Inc. Booth 1302 Fire Control Instruments, a part of Honeywell's Fire Solutions Group, is a performance and technology leader in the life safety systems industry for commercial, industrial, and educational applications worldwide. Utilizing high-speed networking and fiber optic communications, FCI combines intelligence with high reliability to produce an exceptional line of fire alarms. Circle Reader Card No. 155

Fire Protection Systems Corrosion Management Inc. Booth 325 fpsCMI provides a comprehensive engineered solution for corrosion management of fire protection systems. fpsCMI can offer engineering assessments for the discover of corrosion problems; full and partial cleaning/remediation services; treat-

ment and monitoring for corrosion and microbiological activity; as well as a variety of follow-up services for continual monitoring and treatment of corrosion activity. Circle Reader Card No. 156

[~E .rE(TUR~ Fire Sentry Corporation Booth 1539 Fire Sentry Corporation manufactures electro-optical fire detectors that use digital solid-state electronics and real- time signal processing, Fire Sentry products respond quickly to real fires and reject sources of false alarms. Products are available for a variety of applications including oil, gas, petrochemical, semiconductors, finishing, automotive, munitions, and aviation. Circle Reader Card No. 157

Firetrace International Booth 840 Firetrace International provides a proprietary system for automatically detecting and suppressing fires inside critical equipment and enclosures. This cost-effective technology activates where the most heat is detected and then discharges fire- suppressing agent in the same area. More than 25,000 installations are providing protection around the world. For more information, visit www.firetrace.com. Circle Reader Card No. 160

FIRESI-OP ::'?ODI !;i: ?~ Fire Trak Corporation Booth 551 Fire Trak is a versatile and high-performance deflection track and firestopping system for metal stud partitions and is the only head-of-wall joint UL-tested and -listed for movement in compression and extension. The system also meets OSHPD standards in California. Circle Reader Card No. 158

,"-,LA Rf,! SY ST~:LIS Firecom Inc. Booth 532 Analog addressable fire alarm systems. Circle Reader Card No. 159

CONTROLL F R'::, Firetrol Products Booth 818 Firetrol offers a complete line of Mark II fire pump controllers that monitor, display, and record fire pump system information. For complete information visit www.firetrol.com. Circle Reader Card No. 161

i-)ETE % flUi'-.J SYSTE[,! Flamex Inc. Booth 232 The Flamex spark detection and extinguishing system prevents dust collector fires and explosions. Flamex infrared spark detectors identify sparks and embers in pneumatic ductwork and trigger an automatic

].14 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

What good is your emergency exit if you can't find it?

(_~A F E - T - F I R ST. Featuring Johnsonlte PERMAliGhrTechnology

Normal lighting

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Blackout

Shedding new light on safety. Haveyou done everythingyou can to ensure the safety of your building

occupants and visitors? What about in a blackout? Sometimes just

meeting code isn't enough. In an emergency situation, Safe-T-Firsb~,

picks up where some emergency systems leave off. The Safe-T-First

System creates low-location, bright, luminous pathways on floors,

along the wall base and in stairwells, leading the way to safety. Because

the system works down low, it is less likely to be obscured by smoke

in an emergency. And since Safe-T-First requires neither electrical

nor battery power, it can act as a nearly fail-safe system without

requiring backup generators or constant maintenance.

The system's photolurninescence is the result of patented PermaLighV

technology that incorporates bright, long-lasting pigments into

Johnsonite's colorful floor and wall products. After absorbing light,

the system can provide up to I0 hours of light. Not designed to replace

backup lighting systems, Safe-T-First will instead act as a supplement

toyour building's safety systems, givingyou peace of mind that you've

done everythingyou can.

For the safest possible environment, get Safe-T-First.

Johnsonite For more information, o r to order online, visit wv~v.safe-t-fi rst.©om.


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extinguishing device to suppress sparks before entering baghouses or dust bins. Circle Reader Card No. 162

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS F/exHead/ndustries Inc. Booth 1634 FlexHead, pioneer of the flexible fire sprinkler connection, has been providing the highest quality FM-approved and UL-listed systems since 1986. FlexHead systems are engineered solutions for use in general commercial ceilings, clean-rooms, and exhaust ductwork. Fast-track construction and cost-effective code compliance at installed costs lower than hard pipe. Circle Reader Card No. 163

_mERTIFICATION FM Approvals Booth 1520 FM Approvals is an internationally recognized and accredited third-party certification service organization that tests and approves products and services to prevent property loss. Once a product has been FM approved, it receives the FM Approval Mark and is listed in the Approval Guide, a publication of FM Approvals, published annually and listing 50,000 approved products and services. Circle Reader Card No. 164

':~ @~: TWARE FPE Software Inc. Booth 1552 The Fire Pump Evaluation Program 2002 is designed for recording pump tests and developing performance histories for fire pumps. The Sprinkler Program 2001 is a user-friendly sprinkler hydraulics program, capable of supply/demand calculations, 600- pipe/node capacity data error checking, user modifiable pipe diameters and fitting equivalent lengths, supply/demand graph output, and more. Circle Reader Card No. 165

FIRE ALARMS Gamewell Booth 702 Gamewell Worldwide designs, engineers, and manufactures a complete line of life safety systems through an international network of authorized engineered systems distributors. SmartLink, latest peer-to-peer communications technology, offers an interface linking up to 250 FACPs. Along with power, SmartLink features a self-healing network architecture, redundant routers, and automatic self-programming options. Circle Reader Card No. 166

ANALYZERS Gemini Scientific Corporation Booth 1554 Since 1982, the Ubtisted Gemini 501 Smoke Detector Analyzers have been the accepted standard in universal field testing of smoke detector sensitivity. These analyzers are shoulder-strap portable, digital, battery-operated, and tests detectors in full compliance with NFPA requirements. Fastest 1- or 2-point test cycle and flexible wand lets you test detectors in any location. Circle Reader Card No. 167

J FIRE PROTE(: liON rRC)E~LIC i 5 Gentex Corporation Booth 926 Gentex Corporation offers a complete line of high-quality fire protection products, including photoelectric smoke detectors, visual and audible signals, speakers, and portable smoke detector/visual units. Each product meets or exceeds all code

and standards requirements including the Americans with Disabilities Act, state and local codes, and the performance and installation requirements of NFPA. Circle Reader Card No. 168

EXTINGUISHING AGENTS Great Lakes Chemical Booth 632 Great Lakes' FM-200 clean agent is the ideal fire extinguishing agent for high-value, irreplaceable assets. Excellent life safety, rapid extinguishing performance, minimal space requirement and minimal environmental impact make it the product of choice in more than 100,000 applications in more than 70 countries around the globe. Circle Reader Card No. 169

CLEAN AGENT H3R Booth I324 H3R is a full-service halon and clean- agent specialist that buys, sells, recycles, and recharges halon 1211, 1301, and FE-227 system cylinders and portables. In association with Dis- Cover Inc, we offer a complete line of automatic extinguishers. Dis-Cover Inc. can offer dealers profitable and cost-effective solutions. Circle Reader Card No. 171

] . ]6 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNALORG

The specifier's guide to qualitg time and life safetg sgstems.

f Vol.1: LU:e 5aJ:etu 5gstems

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900 Series Fire Alarm ~'~ t • Color graphics . Multi-channel aud~ command center • One/two wag ~ i

• Field programmable firefighters • Modem and printer communication interfaces • Programmable

• Non-volatile history/ switches and configuration memonj status LEgs

• Password protected . Fiber optic • Oisplag and/or point communications

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902 Series Fire Annunciator • 8o character backlit display

• Full sustem control

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National Time 5 Signal Corporation

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902 Series Fire Alarm • 252 DigiComm ~ addressable points

• S amps of notification appliance power

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SHOWCASE

D E l L

GreCon Inc. Booth 718 GreCon Spark Detection/Extinguish- ment System prevents baghouse and other dust collector fires. System detects process-produced sparks traveling through pneumatic convey- ing ducts and extinguishes them with an atomized water spray before they cause fires, explosions, property damage, or personnel injury. The FM- approved RBS-4 Fail-Safe Abort Gate diverts hazardous airflow on plant air return ducting. Circle Reader Card No. 170

ALARM PRODUCTS Harrington Signal Inc. Booth 1625 Harrington Signal, Inc., ISO 9001-cer- tiffed, offers fire alarm products and systems, including single/multi IDC conventional to single/multi SLC addressable control panels, explosion- proof notification appliances, ADA-compliant initiation devices, and a full line of accessories, including annuniciators, guards, and relays. Circle Reader Card No. 172

LIGHTNING PROTECTION Heary Brothers Lightning Protection Company Inc. Booth 1440 Heary Brothers lightning protection systems include Early Streamer Emis-

sion and Faraday systems. Heary Brothers also offers free engineering, designing, and budget services to its customers. Circle Reader Card No. 173

{::LFANING PRr~I-~! ICT HERC Products Inc. Booth 552 HERC Products Inc. supplies patented products and process that use UL and NSF Standard 60 Certified Chem- icals to chemically clean biological and mineral precipitant deposits from fire protection sprinkler systems. The products are certified Green Cross Biodegradable by Scientific Certifica- tion systems. Circle Reader Card No. 174

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TESTING PRODUCT Home Safeguard Industries, LLC Booth 1426 Home Safeguard Industries is a world leader in the manufacture and distribution of detector-testing products and accessories. Smoke Detector Tester is the most reliable, economical way to meet smoke-entry test compliance. Smoke Detector Tester is UL-listed and approved by many commercial alarm manufacturers. Circle Reader Card No. 176

FIRESTOP PRODUCTS Hilti Inc. Booth 832 With worldwide firestop expertise, Hilti provides a complete system of firestop products to meet specific project needs. Hilti also offers a support package unmatched in the passive firestop industry, including a highly trained direct sales force, and fire protection engineers. Circle Reader Card No. 175

TREATED LUMBER Hoover Treated Wood Products Booth 1246 Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc. offers Pyro-Guard@ interior fire-retardant treated lumber and plywood and Exterior Fire-X@ for weather-exposed applications. FR-I'W will slow the advance of flame and allow time for flrefighters to do their job. Building codes often allow FRTW to be used in lieu of non-combustible materials. Circle Reader Card No. 177

ELECTRICAL WIRE Houston Wire & Cable Company Booth 201 Founded in 1975, Houston Wire & Cable Company (HWC) is the nation's largest value-added supplier of electrical wire and cable. HWC has a $50 million inventory of over 12,000 products from the industry's leading manufacturers of electrical wire and cable. Using nine strategically located distribution centers, and standard same-day shipments, 95 percent of our customers are able to receive material either the same or next day. The HWC team is committed to providing great customer service and top quality products shipped correctly and on time. Circle Reader Card No. 178

TESTING SERVICE Huguenot Laboratories Booth 836 Huguenot Laboratories is the leader

1] .~ NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

in MIC and corrosion prevention in fire sprinkler systems. Our company offers chemical treatments, water and metal analysis, and a full range of services for MIC and corrosion in fire sprinkler systems. Visit www.huguenotlabs.com for more information. Circle Reader Card No. 180

S()FIWAF{E HRS Systems, Inc. Booth 1023 HRS Systems presents the HASS Family of Fire Protection Windows Software: HASS for hydraulic analysis of sprinkler systems, HASS-ESTIMA- TOR for cost estimating, HASS HOUSE for residential sprinkler system analysis, and COOSA for C02 system analysis. Each is available in English or metric units plus I-lASS in metric Spanish. Circle Reader Card No. 179

SOFTWARE Hydratec, Inc. Booth 1307 Hydratec provides a full line of engineering software that include HydraCAD, HydraCALC, HydraLIST, and HydraBID, and all can accommodate the needs and skills of the new or experienced user. Circle Reader Card I/o. 181

TE~rlFtG Hydro Flow Products Inc. Booth 248 Hydro Flow Products, Inc. provide the industry's most complete and innovative solutions for fire pump testing, roof-top standpipe testing, and fire- flow testing. We introduced the Hose Monster line of flow testing equipment, which revolutionized pump

testing and is now the industry standard. Circle Reader Card No. 182

SIGNAGE Isolite

Booth 1353 Isolite is a leading supplier of exit signs and emergency lighting. Isolite offers a range of both LED and self- luminous energy efficient lighting products. All Isolite exit signs and

That's why God gave you two hands. It's not a matter of choice. These are the tools of the trade. But unlike most tools, these serve a higher purpose.

The unbreakable ABS body on the Pelican Super SabreLite'" can take the abuse that comes with the territory. Beat it. Drop it. Break a window with it. It'll keep on shining. Plus, it will last a lifetime and that's our unconditional guarantee: Pelican will repair or replace your flashlight as long as you own it.

The tightly focused collimated beam cuts through thick smoke to lead you in... and show you the safe way out. And, with more safety approvals than any other flashlight, it's one less thing to worry about in a hazardous environment.

The Super SabreLite TM. It's Firefighting 101.

Got a great Pelican story or photo? J"~Ak-",, Check out the Pelican Tough Contest ~ _ J ~ _ _ ~ , ~ N " at pelican.com. You break Jt we replace i t forever

23215 Early Ave., Torrance, CA 90505 Tel 310,326.4700 • Fax 310.326.3311 • www.pelican,corn

C i r c l e 044 o n R e a d e r S e r v i c e C a r d


SHOWCASE emergency lighting products are UL- listed. Visit us at www.isolite.com. Circle Reader Card No. 183

Jessup Mfg. Co. Booth 208 The complete photoluminescent egress system. Low-level pathway markings and safety signage. The GIo Brite Photoluminescent System includes UL 924-listed exit signs for high- and low-level usage; low-level egress strips; directional indicators, arrows and dots; non-slip tapes; fire safety signage; and stripe and egress tape. Circle Reader Card No. 184

Joslyn Clark Controls, Inc. Booth 732 Joslyn Clark Controls, a world-class manufacturer of fire pump controls, produces units that are UL-listed, FM Global-approved, and meet all requirements of the latest NFPA -20, Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection. Available for both diesel engine and electric motor-driven fire pumps, the controllers may be applied up to and including 7.2KV applications. Circle Reader Card No. 185

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Keltron Corporation Booth 1613 Keltron develops and manufactures secure, reliable, UL-listed fire and security alarm response management systems and components for the municipal and proprietary life-safety markets. Products include radio fire alarm, coded fire alarm and high-line

security systems, digital alarm receivers, universally compatible fire alarm control panel networking solutions, and a full line of alarm annunciators. Circle Reader Card No. 186

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Kidde Fire Systems Booth 402 Kidde Fire Systems offers the Circle of Protection for applications ranging from kitchen hoods/ducts and vehicles to marine and computer complexes. Products include clean- agent systems (FM-200 and FE-13), carbon dioxide, pre-engineered wet- and dry-chemical systems, Kidde Orion XT air-sampling detection systems, conventional detectors, and control systems. Visit us at www.kiddefiresystems.com. Circle Reader Card No. 187

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King-Fisher Company Booth 923 King-Fisher Company is a leading manufacturer of radio fire alarm reporting systems and personnel alerting systems serving federal and municipal governments since 1970. King-Fisher products are designed to alert and protect life and property at daycare centers, hospitals, hangars, ammunition storage, and municipal facilities worldwide. Circle Reader Card No. 188

Knox Company Booth 1031 The Knox-Box Rapid Entry System is

a complete, UL-listed system that reduces emergency response time, forced-entry property damage, and the liability for lost keys. More than 7,000 fire departments depend on Knox for single-key emergency access. The system includes high- security key boxes, vaults, cabinets, padlocks, key switches, and locking FDC caps. Circle Reader Card No. 189

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Lockmasters, Inc. Booth 1804 Lockmasters manufactures the LKM7000 Life Safety Exit Device that features true, single-motion egress, deadbolt security, and the ability to pair with many high-security locking devices, access control, and monitoring systems. Lockmasters is also a leading distributor of supplies and tools for industrial, commercial, and automotive locksmiths. Circle Reader Card No. 190

Loos & Company, Inc. Booth 1617 Loos seismic wire rope/cable bracing is a tension-only earthquake bracing system that can be used for fire sprinkler applications, as well as many other mechanical systems. Circle Reader Card No. 191

Marioff Corporation Booth 432

] 20 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

Hi-Fog is a water-mist fire protection technology that's fast, efficient, and safe for people and the environment. Hi-Fog uses water and is the first choice for many marine and land- based applications around the world. Circle Reader Card No. 192

Marray Enterprises, Inc. Murray Enterprises manufactures and modifies locking door hardware for use in access control systems. We stock and distribute electrified lever locks, power transfer hinges, panic bars, E-Trim Alarm contacts, and tools. Products are UL and fire tested. Circle Reader Card No. 193

Master Control Systems, Inc. Booth 307 Master Control Systems is the complete fire pump controller company offering UL-listed, and FM-approved fire pump controllers in all sizes. We offer electric controllers from 5 to 400 horsepower at 200 to 600 volts and from 20 to 1,900 horsepower at 2,300 to 7,200 volts. We also offer diesel fire pump controllers and accessory items. Five-year warranties are standard on our EC-series controllers and paperless pressure and alarm recorders. Circle Reader Card No. 194

Maxi-Signal Products Co. Booth 643 Distributor of signals, lighting and safety equipment, including hazardous location and explosion-proof strobes and alarms. Circle Reader Card No. 195

McKeon Rolling Steel Door Company Booth 444 Manufacturer of overhead and side- activated fire-related products

addressing life safety issues and egress. UL-classified fire door operator for retrofitting most existing rolling fire doors, regardless of the original manufacturer with automatic door testing and automatic resetting operator.

Circle Reader Card No. 196

,. )f,,1B1Uf41~;A] I(}[~S MEDC International Booth 954 MEDC designs, manufactures, and markets a range of ATEX/CENELEC-

Fairbanks Morse Pentair Pump Group

Quality / Performance / Reliability / Service With a wide range of rated capacities and rated pressures, Fairbanks Morse has a UL Listed or Factory Mutual Approved fire pump to meet your application needs.

Whether you require a small 50 GPM vertical in-line...a 1000 GPM vertical turbine...a 5000 GPM horizontal split case...or a completely packaged system, you can count on Fairbanks Morse for Quali ty, Performance, Rel iabi l i ty and Service every time.

Today Fairbanks Morse continues to be a leader in the manufacture of Qual i ty fire pumps. Per formance of these pumps is assured through certified testing of all fire pumps prior to leaving our modern manufacturing facilities, which meet ISO 9001 standards for quality.

Thousands of worldwide installations stand ready to protect life and property, attesting to the continuous Rel iabi l i ty of Fairbanks Morse pumps. Our family of highly qualified pump distributors and representatives

assures Service at the time of initial , ~ start up and acceptance test.

Contact us today to learn more about how Fairbanks Morse fire pumps can meet your protection system requirements.

m ~ Fairbanks Morse Pump 3601 Fairbanks Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66106

NFPA" 913/371-5000, Fax 913/748-4028 MEMBER . ~ _

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WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 1~].

approved and UL/FM-listed/approved field devices for fire and gas and communications systems. The range includes call points, horns, speakers, strobes, status lamps, lighting and control, and distribution equipment for use in harsh environments/potentially explosive atmospheres. Circle Reader Card No. 197

SOFIV~ARE MEP CAD Inc. Booth 638 Learn about, AutoSPRINK-VR, the world's first object-based fire sprinkler design application, which creates the most comprehensive easy-to-use estimating, design, field-labor-reduction system in the fire sprinkler industry. AutoSPRINK-VR's suite of programs provides automated interface between sales, engineering, and construction. AutoSPRINK's programs dramatically increase profitability by increasing productivity in all areas. Circle Reader Card No. 198

t-Li ~,:, Metraflex Booth 344 The Metraflex Fire Loop simplifies designing movement into your fire sprinkler system. It takes less space, installs faster, and effectively protects critical sprinkler piping from breaking during an earthquake. A proven technology with thousands of seismic installations, the Metraloop is now

approved for spinkler systems. Visit www.fireloop.com for more information. Circle Reader Card No. 199

CONTRNLLERS Metron, Inc. Booth 526 Metron is the leading manufacturer of UL/FM-listed fire pump controllers and the manufacturer of the new FD4 microprocessor-based, diesel engine fire pump controller. Circle Reader Card No. 200

DETECTION SYSTEM Minimax GmbH Booth 234 Minimax GmbH is one of the leading European suppliers of complete fire detection and protection systems. Quality management certified in accordance with ISO 9001, our own fire research center, experienced specialists, state-of-the-art systems, and numerous international approvals stand for world-wide reputation and deserve your trust. Circle Reader Card No. 201

CONTROL PRODUCTS Mircom Technologies Limited Booth 202 Mircom Technologies manufactures and markets a full line of fire control and communication products dedicated to the life safety and telephone access markets. Mircom is committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective, and innovative products that meet the demands of a growing marketplace. Circle Reader Card No. 202

VALVES NIBCO Inc. Booth 318 NIBCO manufactures valves for the fire protection market and its valve package has expanded to include pipe hangers, supports, and seismic bracing to create an enhanced offer-

ing. By combining NIBCO's and TOLCO's products and market reputation, we provide a complete fire protection offering to customers. Circle Reader Card No. 204

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TESTING SERVICE NGC Testing Services Booth 1731 NGC Testing Services conducts full- scale fire evaluations of building materials, structures, equipment, protective enclosures, and components in compliance with NFPA, ASTM and other standards. Circle Reader Card No. 203

FIRE CONTROL PRODUCTS Ningbo Kaixuan Fire Control Equip- ment Company, Limited Booth 415 Ningbo Kaixuan Fire Control manufactures cylinders and accessories for extinguishers, landing valves, nozzles, couplings, fire hoses, hydrants, sprinkler system, and gas systems. Circle Reader Card No. 205

ALARM PANELS Notifier Booth 1502 Notifer's fire alarm panels are designed to offer one product series for all your fire protection needs. The Onyx Series is a multi-faceted intelligent fire alarm panel that supports up to 636 addressable devices, includes an optional standard or extended display and is completely field programmable from display keypad or

] . ~ NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

off-line PC. From small commercial facilities to high-rise buildings to campus complexes, Onyx Series has a product to fit all your applications needs. Circle Reader Card No. 206

TESTING LABORATORY Omega Point Laboratories, Inc. Booth 935 Omega Point Laboratories is a pri- vately owned independent laboratory specializing in flammability, fire resistance, and structural testing of building materials and assemblies, including roof decks. Circle Reader Card No. 207

STATIONARY PUMPS Patterson Pump Company Booth 710 Patterson Pump Company continues to be the world's number one supplier of stationary fire pumps. Models include Vertical In-Line, End Suction, Vertical Turbine, Horizontal Split Case, and Pre-Pac packaged systems. Regional offices in Greece, Ireland, UK, and Thailand to serve your every need. Circle Reader Card No. 208

/

VALVES OCV Control Valves Booth 931 OCV Valves are hydraulically operated, diaphragm-actuated for multi-function control of non-corrosive,

non-abrasive fluids. Available in globe or angle configuration, these fully automatic valves operate off line pressure or, if desired, from an independent power source. Our wide range of control pilots makes it possible to offer combination models for

virtually any fluid-handling need. The basic Series 65 valve contains only one moving part. This simplicity of design promotes dependability, reduces downtime, facilitates service and extends the life of the valve. Circle Reader Card No. 209

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twenty years ago, Rcd/e~ ~ ' ~ • e first ftmdbte fire . . . . .

sprinkter connection. That system was used in protecting b|lUon dollar ~ n r o o m f a d [ ' ~ . Tod , over 95"/0 of

.W~S computer chips :axe produced in !~[e~mom facilities p ~ by RexHead. ,Now, we've applied file same technol~jy and quaU~j to the commelda[ marketplace, and. introduced the first flexible fire sprinkler connection designed for use in suspended .ceiLings. Re~ead's are fad: and simple to install In a quarter of the time it takes for hard-pipe installaUon, you can easily place a RexHead exactly in ~ c~$er-of-tlle. New or retrofit buildings are ready for revenue produdng occupancy quicker, - a ~ ready for fast and easy space changes. ALL at an |nstaLLed cost Iwer than hard-pipe arm-overs. Call us at (800) 82g'Gg75

today o r visit us onLine at: fl l com for more

information.

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WWW.NFPAJOURNALORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 ]123

SHOWCASE Pll-"il',J/} Performance Pipe Booth 428 Performance Pipe, a division of Chevron-Phillips Chemical Company LP, is a leading manufacturer of DriscoPlex Series polyethylene pipe and fittings, manholes, tanks, and fab- ricated structures. Performance Pipe offers more than 40 years of polyethylene piping experience, with 11 ISO-certified manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Mexico. Circle Reader Card No. 210

LEAK DE i[:yrluN PermAlert ESP Booth 1414 PermAlert ESP: supplies liquid leak detection/location systems that keep mission critical facilities online and in production. The PAL-AT monitors a coaxial cable for faults (leaks, breaks, shorts). PALCOM software can monitor numerous panels allowing for remote control. Applications include sub-floors, computer rooms, and semi-conductor facilities and drains. Circle Reader Card No. 211

rvlor,qrr( ~RiP,4G SYSTEM Potter Electric Signal Company Booth 310 Established in 1898, Potter Electric Signal Company has earned a reputation worldwide as an elite provider of products used in the fire protection security, boiler/chiller, and industrial control industries. These include fire sprinkler monitoring systems, electronic fire systems, vault and safe securities systems, boiler/chiller, and industrial control monitoring products. Circle Reader Card No. 212

DETE, : 7 F)l',l PRODUCTS Protectowire Co., Inc. Booth 1410 The Protectowire Co., Inc. will be introducing the new SRP-4X4 Fire Alarm/Releasing Control Panel which

is field-programmable and designed for commercial detection and releasing applications. The SRP-4X4 offers many unique features, such as alarm point location and selectable Class A or B detection circuits, all in a standard, off-the-shelf package. Circle Reader Card No. 213

FIRESTC, PPfflG PRODUCT Rectorseal Corp. Booth 1632 Rectorseal is a leading manufacturer of firestopping products. Metacaulk products are a family of firestopping products specifically designed to fill voids in construction joints and around penetrations in fire-rated walls and floors. Our newest products; Metacaulk Composite Sheet and Metacaulk Cover Guard, will be on display. Circle Reader Card No. 214

TE_b, Retrotec Inc. Booth 424 Retrotec manufactures door-fan test equipment for measuring the leakage rate of enclosures being protected with clean agent to determine reten- tion times and the adequacy of relief vents. Door-fans are used for measuring the leakage rates of floor slabs, elevator shafts and pressurized stairwells for the purpose of controlling smoke. Circle Reader Card No. 216

SPRINKLERS Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Booth 1640 The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Com- pany has grown from a small company, founded by a mechanical contractor, to the internationally respected fire sprinkler manufacturer it is today. Reliable operates global sales and distribution facilities in 12 states and 2 countries. Reliable's growing fire sprinkler product line contains the most complete range of sprinklers, valves, system components, and a comprehensive line of Special Hazards/Special Systems. Circle Reader Card No. 215

I-:RE S T( ,P PI<ODU( [ Royal Quickstop Booth 1301 Royal Quickstop produces revolution- ary firestop products. The Quickstop Coupling and Quickstop anchor offer a unique approach which allows the pipe system and fire protection to be installed at the same time. Installation can be completed by the plumbing, electrical, or mechanical contractor. Circle Reader Card No. 217

DETECTJON PRODLJ!'T SAFE Fire Detection, Inc. Booth 626 The leader in early warning fire detection has introduced nine new products and services to better serve your special hazard fire detection needs. Now with cloud chamber, laser and conventional air sampling systems, installation pipe, consulting, engineering, testing and training services, SAFE has the broadest range in the industry. Circle Reader Card No. 219

S[_( U!q[ Y i'HOF.)(J~. :] Safety Technology Intl Inc. Booth 1614 Manufacturer of the world famous Stopper II that stops vandalism, theft, and false alarms to existing manual

124 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWW, NFPAJOURNALORG

pull stations. We now have 50 other enclosures preventing vandalism, theft, and false alarms to other existing fire and security products around the world, known as the "Stopper Line." Circle Reader Card No. 220

CONTROL PANEL Securiplex Inc. Booth 409 Securiplex is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and integration of total fire protection

solutions. Securiplex products include the AquaPro Fine Water Mist Systems and the Pro2000 Panel series. Securiplex products have a wide range of applications including marine, oil and gas, power utilities,

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Pyrogen Firepak Oil & Gas Industries Booth 1240 Firepak Oil & Gas Industries is a premier fire protection company, providing fire protection, safety and environmental remediation products and services in the Americas. Master distributor for Pyrogen Aerosol. Visit www.pyrogen.com. Circle Reader Card No. 218

BRASS PRODUCT SAGIV Booth 1639 With over 30 years of experience, SAGIV is one of the world's leading manufacturers of brass hot-forged and machined products. Known for quality, reliability, and diversified machining capabilities, SAGIV supplies a variety of products based on ball valves and OEM. SAGIV's new product, COPFIT, will give a quality copper system the cost of a steel system, with copper pipe connections and brass fittings for copper piping. Pro- vide easy, quick and reliable connection for fire extinguishing and water systems. Circle Reader Card No. 221

WWW, NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 125

I:IRE PROTECTIOfl HAD LII:E SAI:ETY PROI:ESSIOIIALS

DOII'T IIIISS THIS OPPORTUI I lTY!

Iletwork with your peers in engineering/

facilities management, fire seruices, life safety

and education.

members: take action on

more than 20 codes and standards.

U J T h e importance of life safety has become

increasingly evident over recent years.

For more than a century, NFPA has devel-

NFPA" op., co~e~ a.,.t~.,~,~ that s~ve lives and protect communities. Our Fall Education Conference,

this November in Reno, will help you enhance your career

and learn about the latest developments and issues in fire

protection and life safety. With a special focus on

Emergency Management and Preparedness, you will not

want to miss this educational opportunity.

Enhance your career and strengthen your leadership

skills, while earning continuing education units

[CEU's), with more than 30 hands-on career

deoelopment seminars.

Enjoy the exciting attractions and beauty

of Reno, Iieuada.

For more information visit www, nfpa.org/meetings or ca//+1-617-984-7310!

and semiconductors. Circle Reader Card No. 222

CONTROL PANEL Secutron Booth 1132 Now available from DSC is Secutron's newest innovation, the MR2100 and MR2200 addressable fire alarm control panels. These panels provide flexible, cost-effective, and dependable operation. The MR- 2100 has a single addressable input Signalling Line Circuit (SLC) for support of up to 198 devices, while the MR-2200 has two SLCs, allowing a total capacity of 396 addressable devices. Expansion and upgrade is simple; optional modules mount directly to the chassis of each unit and can be conveniently field installed. Circle Reader Card No. 223

DETECTOR Sensor Electronics Corporation Booth 236 Manufacturer of gas and fire detection and fire suppression products. On display, Aero-K Aerosol Fire Sup- pression Systems. Ten times more effective than conventional alternatives. New Infrared Hydrocarbon detector also on display; Low-cost systems and virtually maintenance free. Truck, trailer, or skid mount firefighting systems; dry chemical, twin agent, CAFS. Circle Reader Card No. 224

r:ONTR©L PANEL Signalink Technologies Inc. Booth 1722 Fire-Link is a system designed to supplement the signaling capabilities of a buildings' existing fire alarm system. Using the existing wiring infrastructure, Fire-Link can be deployed to any suite or room. No new wiring is required. Circle Reader Card No. 225

~ONTROL PANEL Silent Knight Booth 1402 Our fire products integrate digital communication technology with the sophisticated control functions your

job demands. We offer a complete line of fire alarm control panels that range from the powerful IntelliKnight addressable system to the economical two-, four-, and six-zone conventional panels. Silent Knight's

THE HASS ® FAMILY OF QUALITY SOFTWARE.

The HASS Family is Windows-based fire protection software designed to save you time and money as it has for thousands of users for over 25 years. . . Engineers, Contractors and Reviewing Authorities who design, analyze, estimate, and review commercial, industrial and residential fire protection systems.

H A S S ® is the leader in computer software for design and hydraulic analysis of sprinkler systems. Calculation enhancements include use of Darcy-Weisbach and velocity pressures plus earthquake bracing, water hammer analysis and an e-mail report reader.

C O O S A ® analyzes two phase flow for CO z fire suppression systems,

with high or low pressure and total flooding or local application.

H A S S H O U S E s is the fast and accurate way to analyze residential sprinkler systems. As you select a sprinkler and piping, cutsheet data enters automatically. The coversheet and N1.85 graph summarize all calculations.

HASS-Estimator quickly develops estimates of sprinkler system job costs and installation time for bidding and preliminary scheduling.

Complete Fire Protection System Design with The HASS Family

HRS Systems Inc. 4792 LaVista Road • Tucker, GA 30084

(770) 934-8423 E-mail: [email protected] (770) 934-7696 (fax) www.hrssystems.com


WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 19.'7

SHOWCASE commitment to fire protection has no equal. Circle Reader Card No. 227

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Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. Fire Safety Division

Booth 602 When it comes to fire detection, we can honestly say we do it all. For 50- plus years, we've designed solutions for virtually every type and size of facility, protecting lives and business operations worldwide. Our market leadership is built on long-term customer relationships, and solidified by a commitment to R&D, consistent value, and customer-driven solutions. Circle Reader Card No. 226

Southwest Research Institute Booth 1341 SwRl's Department of Fire Technology is a leader in the areas of engineering, research, testing, quality system audits, and product surveillance. SwRI services national and international government and commercial clients by providing multidisciplinary technologies in support of the

' . ~ . ~ l r "~-

construction, telecommunications, transportation, chemical and petrochemical, utility, and nuclear industries. Web site: fire.swri.org. Circle Reader Card No. 229

SOLUTIO Booth 335 SOLUTIO, a life/fire safety software developer, has 20 years of expertise in life/fire safety. Get a full overview of your fire and life safety installations with SOLUTIOS's FireVision. Create maintenance and training routines, track hazmats, and ensure that all compliance requirements on all fire and life safety standards are fullfilled. Circle Reader Card No. 268

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Stop by booth #0950 at the NFPA World Safety Expol 1.800.946.8832 failsafekey~×.com

SimplexGrinnell Booth 902

WVVW.NFPAJOURNALORG


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Job 131Je: [ ] C Rre Service, Public and 267 [ ]A Architect, Engineer, Private 268 Consultant, Contractor [ ] D Indus~al Firm (Factory,

[ ] B Owner, President, Manager, Warehouse) Administrator [ ] E Commercial Firm (Office,

[ ] C Fire Chief, Other Fire Service Retail, Lodging, [ ] D Facilities Safety OffÉcer Restaurant) [ ] E Inspector, Building Official. [ ] F Institutional (Health Care,

Fire Marshal Education, Detention, [ ] F Loss Control, Risk Manager Museums) [ ] G Other: [ ] G Electrical Services,

Installation Reason for Inquiry: [ ] H Insurance, [ ]A Immediate Purctiase Risk Management [ ] B Future Prelect [ ] I Utilities

[ ] J Other Type of Organization: [ ] A Architecture, Engineering, Purchasing AuU'zorlty:

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P|ease send me intorma~on about the to,owing cir~ed items: 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 01B 01g 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042 D43 044 045 046 047 04B 049 050 051 D52 053 054 055 056 057 058 059 060 061 062 063 064 065 066 067 068 069 070 071 072 073 074 075 076 077 078 079 OBO 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 ORB 089 090 091 092 093 094 095 096 097 098 099 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 156 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 226 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266

We would appreciate your comments... LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Job "13Ue: [ ] C Rre Service, Public and 267 D A Architect, Engineer, Private 268 Consultant, Contractor [ ] D Industrial Firm (Factory,

[ ] B Owner, President, Manager, Warehouse) Administrator [ ] E Commercial Rrm (Office.

[ ] C Rrs Chief, Other Fire Service Retail, Lodging, [ ] D Facilities Safety Officer Restaurant) [ ] E Inspector, Building Official, [ ] F Institutional (Health Care,

Rrs Marshal Education, Detention, [ ] F Loss Control Risk Manager Museums) [ ] G Other: [ ] G Electrical Services,

Installation Reason for Inquiry: [ ] H Insurance, [ ] A Immediate Purchase Risk Management [ ] B Future Project [ ] I Utilities

[ ] J Other Type of Organization: [ ] A Architecture, Engineering, Purchasing Authority:

Contracting [ ] 1 Recommend [ ] B Government [ ] 2 Specify

[ ] 3 Approve

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SimplexGrinnell, a unit of Tyco Interna- tional's Fire and Security Services group, is a leader in fire protection, life safety and high-end integrated security. SimplexGrinnell delivers single-source solutions using a portfolio of products and services that includes fire detection and alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, portable extinguishers, integrated security systems, health-care communication systems, and sound and intercom systems. Circle Reader Card No. 228

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Space Age Electronics, Inc. Booth 824 Annunciators and evacuation egress maps for fire alarm, security, access control, HVAC and special hazards building automation. UL/UUKL smoke control panels. Complete line of multi- voltage fire-listed relays and duct smoke accessories. Accessory, terminal and battery cabinets along with wire guards and cages and electrical wiring boxes. Circle Reader Card No. 230

SPR!r'~KLER PIRODLICT Spears Manufacturing Booth 1326 Spears FlameGuard CPVC fire sprinkler products provide a cost-effective alternative to metal systems, providing the advantages of high corrosion resistance, improved system hydraulics, and easy installation. Spears FlameGuard CPVC products are approved by UL, FM Global, and LPCB; are listed for NFPA 13, NFPA 13R, and NFPA 13D systems; and are certified by NSF. Circle Reader Card No. 231

FIRESTOP PRODUCT Specified Technologies Inc. Booth 1527 Specified Technologies is a leading manufacturer of firestop products with over 600 UL-classified systems.

WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

The SpecSeal product line includes intumescent and endothermic sealants, intumescent wrap strips and collars, intumescent pillows, mortar, and elastomeric joint sealant. The newly introduced EZ Path is a fire- rated cable pathway that requires no firestopping. Circle Reader Card No. 232

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Spectrex Inc. Booth 319 Spectrex develops unique products to detect gas and flame quickly and

accurately, including its new CCTV flame detector. State-of-the-art Sharp- Eye and SafEye models allow detection of gas/flame extremely fast and over long distances, are suitable for difficult environmental conditions, and are highly immune to false alarms, www.spectrex-inc.com Circle Reader Card No. 233

'd?~-ii~ !- System Sensor Booth 1314 System Sensor is a global manufac-

l i b e l P i r o t e c t i | ~ l Life and Property

Off Shore or On Shore . • Depend on

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Pressure Reducili~j

Pressure R e ~ ~ ,

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Phone: (94g) 722-4800 • Fax: (949) 548-5441 • Phone: 1-800-942-6326 E-mai l : c lava l@cla-va l .com • Websi te ola-val .com


SHOWCASE

E L I M I N A T E Y O U R

FIRE C O D E

JNSPECTION F O R M S

Fire Inspection Manager from TISCOR is designed to record fire code inspections using PDAs.

Handwritten forms and manual data entry are completely eliminated, increasing efficiency

and accuracy.

Fire Inspection Manager:

• Displays the building and

structural information for each

inspection on the PDA.

• Lists all of the fire codes and their

categories on the PDA.

• Allows inspectors to choose and

assign violations for each site

according to what is found.

• Schedules annual inspections,

follow-up inspections and new

construction inspections.

• Shows violation history for each

site on the PDA.

Fire Inspection Manager improves your department's overall efficiency whi le maximizing your operational budget.

To find out how you

can eliminate your

Fire Code

Inspection forms,

call TISCOR today

at (800)227-6379.

xt. 118.

T h e M o b i l e S o f t w a r e S o l u t i o n s P r o w d e r

w w w . T I S C O R . c o m 800 .227 .6379


turer of fire detection and notification devices, specializing in smoke detection and notification technology. System Sensor places a premium on research and development, resulting in products that are reliable, sophisticated, and designed for real-world applications. Sales, service, and manufacturing facilities are located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Circle Reader Card No. 234

PUMPS Talco Industries, Inc. Booth 639 Talco has six product lines to address the requirements for residential applications. All pumps are performance tested and use UL-listed fire pumps. Circle Reader Card No. 235

, 7 7 '~L.'LLI_E Task Force Tips, Inc. Booth 544 Since 1969, Task Force Tips Inc. has led the industry in the innovative design of high-performance fire suppression nozzles, monitors, foam application, injection equipment, and industrial fixed systems. TFT now proudly introduces large-diameter hose hardware and accessories. Circle Reader Card No. 237

idit ' !_~,ikI..IP: I- i-7 Thermo Electron Corporation Booth 738 Thermo Electron Corporation (formerly Andersen, Eberline, Environmental Instruments and Gas Tech, Inc.) provides inexpensive air samplers to highly sophisticated radi- ation detection instruments and combustible gas monitor systems. Circle Reader Card No. 238

i R~\i[,41I..j~ i TargetSafety.com Booth 1814 TargetSafety offers distance-learning programs that would enable your

employee base the ability to receive a complete line of specialized proprietary training courses over the Internet. TargetSafety.Com, Inc. is highly experienced in the development of OSHA/EPA/DOT-mandated post-secondary educational curricu- lum. TargetSafety offers a wide range of training for the fire industry, municipalities, and private industry. Circle Reader Card No. 236

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Thermal Ceramics Booth 1513 Thermal Ceramics is the worldwide manufacturer of FireMaster Fire Pro- tection Systems, engineered solutions for commercial kitchen grease and air ventilation ducts. FireMaster materials are 2000°F to 2300°F fire-rated, non- asbestos, inorganic insulations offered in body soluble or ceramic fiber compositions. High-performance FireMaster provides reliable fire safe systems that save labor because they are lightweight and flexible. Circle Reader Card No. 239

Tiscor Booth 625 TaskMaster for Fire & Safety is a software management tool designed to schedule, track, and document inspection and maintenance activities on all types of fire and life safety equipment. The system utilizes software and hand-held computers to electronically gather information. TaskMaster for Fire & Safety eliminates the hand-written log sheets and manual data entry typically associated with performing site or equipment inspections. Circle Reader Card No. 240

]-30 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 WWWNFPAJOURNALORG

FiPE Hid,J(i[ ~",5 TOLCO Booth 316 TOLCO is a manufacturer of quality UL, ULC, FMRC, NYC products including pipe hangers, supports, and seismic bracing for the residential and commercial fire protection markets. With over 35 years of experience, TOLCO is a leader in seismic bracing technology. TOLCO also pioneered the development of hangers for CPVC pipe. Circle Reader Card No. 241

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Tornatech Inc Booth 1732 Tornatech manufactures fire pump controllers built to NFPA 20 and UL 218 standards. Among our products are electric fire pump controllers, electric fire pump controllers c/w automatic transfer switch, diesel engine fire pump controllers, and mis- cellaneous pump controllers, such as

jockey pump controllers, alarm panels, and booster pump controllers. Circle Reader Card No. 242

FIRE PiROi ~ C];(,q PiRODU~;TS Tyco Fire & Building Products Booth 1102 Tyco Fire & Building Products manufactures the world's most complete line of fire protection products, including sprinkler heads and devices, specialty valves, steel pipe, grooved pipe couplings, CPVC pipe and fittings. It continually expands its capabilities through aggressive research and development to provide its customers state-of-the-art fire protection products, including complete fire sprinkler system design software. Circle Reader Card No. 243

CABLE Tyco Thermal Controls Booth 1337 Tyco Thermal Controls is proud to offer the Pyrotenax brand of mineral insulated (MI) cable for a broad range of industrial and commercial applications. Pyrotenax is the world leader in MI technology, and is now offering Pyro CiC 2-hour fire-rated FPL fire alarm cable and other MI products worldwide. Circle Reader Card No. 244

Worcester Polytechnic Institute-Dis- tance Learning

Only The Best Will Do For Alarm Monitoring.

That's why people look to the Digitize System 3505 for the ultimate in efficiency. Perhaps that's because "We wrote the book" when we introduced the world renowned System 3500 and System 3000.

Like its predecessors, System 3505 is employed worldwide, providing an unsurpassable level of effectiveness in the supervision of fire and security alarms ... and in the management of building operating systems.

And continuing Digitize's 25-year tradition of making the best better, System 3505 supports more alarms, carries out more functions and includes new power supply, CPU, rear panel, I/0 and printer cards, and battery units.

Need help with a fire or security challenge? Tell us about it. And find out how versatile and cost-effective alarm monitoring can be.

E l I B i ] r I Z E ° ISO 9 0 0 1 : 2 0 0 0 Cer t i f i ed

Digitize, Inc° 158 Edison Road Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07649-2217

Phone: 800-523-7232 ° Fax: 973-663-4333 E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http:l/www.digitize-inc.com

First... When Seconds Count! ~ Since 1977

Visit us at Booth #1232 NFPA Show Circle 013 on Reader Service Card

NFPAJOURNAL ORG NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003 131

SHO , CASE Booth 1437 Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers education to fire protection engineers worldwide through its distance-learning network. Engineering professionals can enroll in continuing education courses, graduate certificate programs or a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineer- ing. Courses cover the spectrum of topics needed by the well-rounded practitioner. Circle Reader Card No. 246

Wet or Dry Tank Inspection Booth 740 Fire suppression tank inspection, consulting, and engineering firm. Let us show you how to meet the NFPA 25 standard the cost-effective, safe, efficient way. Our staff of highly trained NACE inspectors and engineers assesses your structures inside out

and provides comprehensive, detailed reports, recommendations, and video of your tank and needs. Circle Reader Card No. 250

Uponor Wirsbo Booth 1424 Uponor Wirsbo's AQUASAFE is a revo- lutionary residential sprinkler system that provides a cost-effective solution for reliable and safe fire protection. Using Uponor Wirsbo's AQUAPEX tub- ing, the plumbing system and the fire sprinkler system can be combined into one, low-cost, multi-purpose

water supply system. Circle Reader Card No. 245

Vibro-Meter, Inc. Booth 821 Omniguard flame detectors, manufactured by Vibro-Meter, Inc., are known to be superior in both fire detection and false alarm rejection. These detectors, whose certifications include approval to both the new FM3260-2000 and ATEX standards, provide exceptional protection against

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PROTECTION Control FDC access by installing a locking Knox FDC Cap'" that protects the connection from tampering and potential fire sprinkler system damage. FDC integrity is a safety consideration for school buildings, industrial structures and commercial businesses.

The Knox locking plug is solid stainless steel for long-term protection. Both the plug and a ~_~-d~k " locking Storz cap are quickly and easily removed with a Knox Keywrench".

Call Today I ~ 800-552-5669

17672 Armstrong Avenue, lrvine, CA 92614 • www.knoxbox.com Fax (949) 252-0482 • E-mai(: [email protected]

The HOSE MONSTER"

pipes, Evaluate water supplies through Hydrant hydrants. The built-in reversible pitot and e x a c t orifice permit a c c u r a t e and F l o w consistent flow rate measurements. The Testing patented design minimizes property 8( Flushing d a m a g e and traffic tie-ups by controlling and dramatically reducing the force of

flowing water ..... ,,.-,,.~ ,, ......... 1-888-202-9987 on exit. "~¢ == """*' "-' ~" ~ . . . . . . : : .'.

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hydrocarbon fires and non-hydrocarbon fires such as hydrogen and Silane. Circle Reader Card No. 247

Viking Corporation Booth 618 You won't want to miss the Viking booth this year! We're introducing several new products designed to save you time and money on your fire sprinkler designs and installations. Expanded residential and storage sprinkler lines, straight-through deluge

valves and TotalPac2--250 psi-rated preassembled systems with more options than ever before--are among the quality products you'll have the opportunity to learn about. Circle Reader Card No. 248

Vision Fire & Security Booth 1626 VESDA air-sampling smoke detection is the worldwide leader in detection technology for business-critical envi-

ronments. VESDA produces the earliest possible warning of a potential fire situation. It provides solid smoke detection solutions for cold, high- value and flammable storage, power generation facilities, data centers, telecommunication and cleanroom facilities, and more. Circle Reader Card No. 249

. 1'I .~ ~:, Watts/Ames Company Booth 1025 Watts Industries is one of the world's largest independent valve companies with 11 factories in the United States and Canada. Watts Regulator/Ames Co. designs, manufactures, and sells

18 Liri01 ~ i ! i ! !!1!!i iilSil S~ ii ~ i Heat


The Firetrol Mark II SO ADVANCED IT'S SIMPLE

The Flratrol Mark II Is the most powerful control platform available In the firs pump controller Industry. Its Intuitive menu structure makes operation a breeze. A common look end feel between diesel and electric controllers greatly reduces trslnlng time for multiple system applications. For a FREE CD demonstrating the features and capabilities of the Mark II, visit our website at www.flretrol.com or fax your request to (919) 460-5250. Register before January 31, 2003 to be entered In a drawing fore FREE PALM PILOT.

4 F i r e l . . . . . . . . . . . . . = ~ , =

S e e us at the NFPA Show, Booth #818


SHOW'C: SE an extensive line of valves and related flow control products for the water quality, residential plumbing and heating, commercial, fire protection, and OEM markets. Circle Reader Card No. 251

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Xerxes Corp Booth ] 436 Manufacturer of fiberglass underground storage tanks typically used for rust-free, long-term storage of water to be used in sprinkling sys-

terns, and also for collection of spent fire protection water. Circle Reader Card No. 254

LIFE S,\i:ET'~ Pi~c~:)DU~::TS Wheelock Inc. Booth 810 Wheelock designs and manufacturers life safety, building communications and access, and control systems, including SAFEPATH4, an integrated system that combines voice evacuation, messaging, background music, and paging. Also featured will be our full line of fire alarm notification appliances, including multi-candela, high-candela and weatherproof models. New E-Learning programs will be introduced. Circle Reader Card No. 252

I: IRE I-IGHIINil, ~_QUIPMEr4T Williams Fire & Hazard Control Booth 945

Williams F&HC is the world's premier emergency response contract firefighting company that also manufactures or supplies large capacity manualand remote controlled monitors, foam concentrates, foam system proportioning equipment including bladder tanks, foam pump proportioning skids and the new constant pressure drop wide-range proportioner. Circle Reader Card No. 253

Zhejiang Wananda Fire Fighting Equip- ment Co. Ltd. Booth 352 The company offers a range of products, including extinguishers, hose reels, fire hydrants, cylinders, nozzles, and sprinkler and deluge systems. The company is only the EN3-approved fire extinguisher manufacturer in China and the UL

NGC Testing Services

T H E B E S T M E A S U R E O F P E R F O R M A N C E

FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM LEVEL INDICATORS UL Listed Products

Complying with NFPA Requirements

Ult rasonic Liquid Level ler The most advanced Comparitor on the market. Both extremely easy to use and micropic controlled for greater precision in measurement. The Comparator compares ultrasonic echoes with the Surface Acoustic Wave signal that produces an enhanced propagation across the liquid gas. Ic is simple to identify the liquid gas level, on CO2, Halon, FM200 and all other equivalents.

T h e Dynal ink Self Adhesive Level Ind icator Str ip Sensors Within seconds of applying hot water or steam, the Level Indicator Scrip Sensor will change to yellow in colour and react co the liquid.The precise liquid level is indicated for a few seconds as the scrip changes to black/gray over the area of liquid and stays yellow above level. After the level has been indicated the scrip returns to its original black colour ready co be re-activated again as required.

: .... I:

J W e b : w w w . l i n k i n s t . c o m


Over 35 years of providing fast, cost effective evaluation of materials, products and systems for:

Fire E n d u r a n c e • F lame spread A c o u s t i c a l • A n a l y t i c a l • S t r u c t u r a l

I Accredi ta t ions: ICBO ES, NVLAP List ings: BOCA ES, SBCCI PST & ESI. . .

F u l l S c a l e : f l o o r - c e i l i n g / w a l l / t u n n e l t e s t f u r n a c e s & a c o u s t i c a l l a b

Test programs, from developmental stage through the certification process, conducted in accordance

with standards developed by: UL ULC NFPA ASTM ISO FM UBC

I ASTM E 119, E 84, E 814, E 1968, E 136, E 72, =

E 330, E 90, C 423, E 492, E 1414, E 1222, I UL 10B & 10C, NFPA 130...

~'÷=== -_,,.o ~ ~ NGC T e e t i n g Serv ices 1650 M i l i t a ry Road

;~ ~ *~ Buffalo, NY 1 4 2 1 7 - 1 1 9 8

N G C smell Ongctsetlngservicee.com Telrtlng Services" w w w . n g c t e e t l n g s e r v i c e a . c o m


certificate for the fire extinguishers will be acquired soon. Circle Reader Card No. 256

r..Ai.rllolq

]: %ifl'k~ l i<,l'.j, ; SDI Booth 1024 SDI is dedicated to supplying professional products: Solo - Universal,

integrated range of test and service equipment for smoke and heat detectors situated up to 30 ft. Trutest- UL-listed field test device measuring smoke detector sensitivity in one gen- uine test. Solo Aerosol for functional testing. Manufacturer endorsed. Quicker response/clearing times. Plastic compatibility checked. Non- flammable. Oil-free. Circle Reader Card No. 255

A':q~i]!( :IATiON American Fire Sprinkler Association Booth 328 AFSA is an international trade association representing open shop fire sprinkler contractors, manufacturers and suppliers of fire sprinkler products, and AHJs. AFSA offers training, technical publications, online resources, industry representation and promotion, a monthly magazine, and the industry's largest annual con-

vention and exhibition. Circle Reader Card No. 256

,:,SSO(,I;Ti I(-;{t American Pyrotechnics Association Booth 554 The American Pyrotechnics Associa- tion is the premier trade association of the fireworks industry. The APA publishes educational materials and videos for enforcement authorities and industry members with an emphasis on safety standards for proper storage, transportation, and handling. Circle Reader Card No. 257

HALOr.J kE,~, ~,gL ir,G APi Systems Group, Inc. Booth 940 APi Systems Group has a number of branches. Halon Banking Systems is a division of APi Systems Group that deals in halon recycling, purchasing and supply. We also consult on larger projects. Our sister company Vipond

~ s , ~ ~ "~ " = ~ " " l i , . . I

Worcester Polytechnic Institute's graduate distance learning program makes it easier for working professionals to stay current in this rapidly changing field. You'll learn the same material, from the same engineering professors that teach on campus. But on your schedule, wherever you are, with no campus-based requirements at all. Whether you just need one course or a degree, WPI can help you move your career ahead.., without interrupting it. Call or click today for more information. @ W p I rh" Uni~r~i~ of

Science and -I~chnoh)D,, And Life..

5 0 8 - 8 3 1 - 5 2 2 0 www.wpi.edu/+ ADLN/FIre



SHOw,St SE Fire Protection offers very competitive pipe fabrication out of our Toronto office. They ship anywhere in Canada or the United States at very reasonable rates. Circle Reader Card No. 258

AVO Training Institute Booth 320 Leading provider of "hands-on" electrical safety and code, electrical maintenance and telecom training courses for 40 years. AVO also offers a complete line of electrical safety services, technical books, electrical safety videos, and personal protective equipment. Call today to request a free catalog and schedule.l-800-723- 2861, Extension 3522 www.avointl.com/training Circle Reader Card No. 259

T&_ i; ~i :

Center for Domestic Preparedness

Booth 213 The Center for Domestic Prepared- ness is charged with training emergency responders to deal with a terrorist attack involving Weapons of Mass Destruction and incidents involving hazardous materials. The Center is the only federally chartered WMD training center that provides hands-on training in a toxic agent environment to civilian emergency responders. Circle Reader Card No. 260

Combustion Science & Engineering Booth 846 CSE specializes in: combustion research and technology (fundamental and applied, analytical and experimental), performance-based and fire hazard code equivalency analysis, hazard analysis of risks, fire protection research and development (small and large scale), fire investiga-

tion and reconstruction (cause and origin), computer fire modeling and CFD analysis of reacting flows. Circle Reader Card No. 261

Croker Div. Fire-End and Croker Corp. Booth 737 Croker will display the finest quality fire - standpipe equipment including cabinets, fire hose rack assemblies, fire dept. valves, fire dept. connections, and storz adapters. Circle Reader Card No. 262

Fire Systems Design, Inc. Booth 1622 Fire Systems Design is a full service NESCO Affiliate Notifier Distributor serving North Central Texas. FSD offers complete fire alarm system design and installation services. FSD also has a full Test and Inspection and


Service department for complete system maintenance. Services performed by NICET Certified and State licensed employees. Circle Reader Card No. 263

IHS Booth 317 IHS is the leading provider of technical content solutions and services, leveraging more than 40 years of experience in capturing, managing, integrating, and delivering technical content. By understanding our customer's critical business processes, we provide information solutions that help create a competitive advantage through increased efficiency, speed to market, and improved quality. Circle Reader Card No. 264

Conrady Consultant Services Booth 1525

An international consulting engineering firm specializing in underwater and drained inspections of all types of water tanks. More than 1,700 tanks inspected during 21 years in business. Tank interior and exterior, extensive structural, sanitary, and coating inspection, including pictures and video. Most comprehensive inspection report in the industry. Circle Reader Card No. 265

+i*, ~i,:,/~,] Ior.,~ National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Booth 646 The National Fallen Firefighters Foun- dation was established by Congress in 1992 with the mission to honor and remember America's fallen fire service heroes and to provide necessary resources to assist their survivors in the rebuilding of their lives. Sponsor of official national trib- ute to all firefighters who die in the

line of duty. Circle Reader Card No. 266

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National Fire Sprinkler Association/International Fire Sprin- kler Association Booth 536 Established in 1905, the National Fire Sprinkler Association is a trade association comprised of installers and manufacturers of fire sprinklers and related equipment and services. Pro- fessional and Subscriber memberships are also available. NFSA provides publications, seminars, representation in codes and standards-making, market development, labor relations, and other services to its membership. Circle Reader Card No. 267

4 New Fire Service i Tests Now

,i Available!

Call: 800-381 -TEST (8378) Mail: 1617 Duke Street,

Alexandria, VA 22314 Intetnet: www.ipma-hr.org

B-5 Entry-Level Firef ighter Exam (1 O0 questions)

- I In~ended to assess a w,der range of characteristics than typical enlry-Jeve[ Iirelighter exarns.

-11 Includes a 20 queshon non-cognmve component that will provide a mare complete view of apphcants and reduce adverse impact.

The B-5a Entry-Level Firef ighter Exam - Contains the 80 questions tram tile B-5, excluding the non-cognitive component

701 Fire Supervisor (Lieutenant) Exam (100 questions)

"-I Incorporates the most current thinking, technoJogy and regulatory reqwre- ments in the held at firefighfing

- I Includes Emergency Medical Care questions in response to the industry c~eed.

The 702 Fire Supervisor (Lieutenant) Exam - a 100 question exam s~mtlor to the 701 but with the Emergency Medical Care questions replaced.

In ternat iona l Personnel Management Associat ion ipm¢l Circle 031 on Reader Service Card

UL 2125 C O M P L I A N C E

UL Listed Oilless Piston Air Compressors for Dry Sprinkler Systems

UL 2125 listed "UL2125 is the latest UL standard that specifically addresses , ompressors for sprinkler systems.

Motor mounted

Oil free air no lubrication required)

Corrosion resistant internal parts

Compact, easy to install

IMST A UNIT OF IDEX CORPORATION

po Box 97 2550 Meadowb oak Road Ben on Ha ~o MF 49023 Ph 269 926 6171 J 800-952-4278 I Fax 269-925-8288

www.gastmfg.com

Ci rc le 024 on Reader Service Card

hardware that ('omplies with Secli(m l l.~. 1.7. Section 16.~.2.~ ])rovides detaih'd requirements specific to assembly oc(-u])ancies.

The most si,~,dticant l~lcl()r contril)uling to I]le deaths in the West Warwick tire was the absence of a sl)rinkle," system, the reqtlhelllC'llls It)l" which can be tound in Se(tiOll Ilk3.5. Assem- hly huildings with ;m ()C(llp;ull It)a([ el more than ,':I00 peoph' I l l t lSl I)e I)r()le('led hv al l approved, supervised atllonlali(" sl)rinkler s%.ls[e|]l installed in accordance wilh Section 55.!{. There are some excepd(ms f()r places of worship with lixed seats, sporting lhcilities with()ut at~dien(e tit('ilities for more thalt ,'-:}()('} [)('()[)l(', and st) on.

In Chicago, lhe crowd crtish appea~s Io ]lavc bt't'll ('atlscd l)x' i)anic. Section 16.3.4.3.~ requh'es that asse,nbly ()('CUl)ancies I)e provided with ()CCtll)~lll[ n()til ic:lti(m Iw both ViStl~i[ signals Hlld voice allll()ttllCelll(:nts, either live or re(orded. The ;mnoun(e- merits nlusl be sent from a constantly ~tttelldcd location and be audible ovt'r the ambient noise level <)f tile ()c('upancy.

Will NFt)A a30(.)0 prevent tragedies like these t]om happvning again? Probabh' not, but applying and entb,(ing comprehetv sire, (onsenstlS cod('s will certainly help reduce the iltlml)er itlld potential devastation of suc'h i lwidents for fl.ltlll(= generali(ms, i}

The Online Source For Gas Detection is:

www.MACURCO.com

The Professional's Choice Since 1972

Circ le 035 on R e a d e r S e r v i c e C a r d

isn't ()iterating. l)ispatche]s should I)e able to hel I) identit)' what's (m Ihe dock ()r inside trailers at the l;wili iv. (:ooperati(m betv,eell termhla] I1KHl~l~el/lell[ illld [h(" Ill'(' {lep;tl'[)}l('lll is essential.

When contr()nted wilh a lirc al a truck terminal, you musl consider the polential for a large fire thai p()ses a signil](aUl risk {o li)cHgh{e)x. Thaz's why pre-iz~cide))l plam)i))g tbr lhcse lit('ililies is essential. @

Hre l),eventi(m and survival skills. "The feedback f,'om teachers al)oul the quality ()1 the

pro,gram materials w;.I.s, ;.ts always, very gratil~'ing," s,tvs .Judy Comolell i , NFPA's d i rec lor of Public Educati(m.

A licensed educa to r and gifted curr iculum devcl()per iu her own r ight , Judy sl)ea]heads this ])r()iec! and w()rk('d directly with lt;,ele& Remler / l J l ( ' t ime l . ( 'arning .%VSt('IllS [~) ¢re;:tt(" the" lessons. More than 8H pe)cenl ()f t i l e l e ; l c h e l s su]veved rated the malerials "'excelleut" ()r "al)()ve average."

NFI)A has l(mg apl)reciated lhe special magi( sparked

THINK SPECTRALERT" For all your building protection needs, think SpectrAlert ~ speaker products • It°signed t0 yield a greater

fre(lLle]lcy respoilse aJld ]ov,'er total harmollic distortion than other speaker modds

• Provides richest, fullest SOuI]d for output that uJl0re ch)sdy lll,'t{dleS the source signal

,,Compact, Iow-protile design is aesthetically i)]e;t,~ing in ;my atlnOSphere

• M()LII1L'~ l i lt• stalldclrd 4- x q- ;~ 2/8" backhox without an extension ring

• C0mprehensi~e series of SpectrAlert speaker pn)ducls

Circle tile numher on the reader service card for a free E.I)()CS" CI)-R()M, a c(mll)rehensive resource of t e c n m i c a ~ iiffon'matioll or call[ 80(]19 2"-66 7 6.

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1.38 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JU~'¢E 2003 WWW.NFPAJOURNAL.ORG

": ' ;;.J][([."v[.}-~ trLi~q~ ;,3 e [.~'-,

I~y conlb in ing kids, their teachers, and h)cal lh'etighters ill fire satkqyac- tMties that are positive, interactive, and fun. l|~'e/d~' Rc'<tder ICilchcrs clciu'ly agree, citing the in l lucn(c ()f hwal th-c dcpa r tu l cn t involvcnlcnt in their classrooms dur ing Fire Pr('vCll- lion Wt'ck.

W<)rk has ahcady bcgun tin tilt" 200q FPW clunl)aign, the theme o f which is "When Fire Strikes: ( ;c t ()ti t! Slav ( ) t i t !"

This ycal. NFPA Wt'ICOIIIUS t)ack fund ing partner, the Honle Safety ( : o u n ( i l and wcl t ( )n les the Pclla Col-- pt ) r , l t ion. Pclht is OllC o f tilt" wor ld 's leading n lanufac turcrs ()1" windows, ClIII'V d o o r sysl(qllS, s t • r i l l (-Ioors, iilld

patio doors, whose l)artncrship in Fire Prevent(tin Wcck underscores the impor tance o f lily(rig "'two ways out" (if every I ' ( l ( ) l l l !

Ccrtitied Fire Protection Specialist Prinler May-)-6 • Chicago, Illinois

June 16--I 7 • Sire Ram(m, Califi)rnia lncrcase Vour cllallces ti)r success 011 tile

Certified Fire Protection Specialist Exanl.

NFPA 2002 National Elech'ital (',o&' Sclninar May 5-9 • Chicago. Illinois May 12-16 • Athulm, Georgia .June 16-20 • San Ranlon, Caliti)rnia The 9009 edition of NFPA 70, National l'~h, Htical Code', CoIItilJllS hundreds of significant changes that will affect tile way you do your job.

NFPA Lift" Sq/~' O' Code" Senlinar May 5-9 • Chicago, Illinois May 12-16 • Atlanta, (;eorgia June 16-20 • San Ranlon, Calilornia l)cveh) I) a boiler understandil)g of the

DATEB00K 2003 edition of NFPA lOl I.!fi, Safi,ly C,d¢, to inlprovc your job perfornmnce and help you protect pc•pie li'oln lire.

NFE, Vs Autonlatic Sl~rinkler Svstenls Scnl- inar May 7-9 • Chicago, Illinois May 14-16 • Atlanta. (;c()rgia

June l,q-2I) • San Ralmm, Calili)rnia Slav current with tile latest industlx dcvel- O])lllCIlIS ;llld practices s<) you (an avoid c(isth' nlist,lkcs thai could conlpronlise sVSlClll rcadincss and elli-ctiveness.

N FPA 72, ,\'aliolml Fire A&rm Code, Scnlinar May 7--0 • Chicago, Illinois May 14--16 • Atlant,I, (;eorgia

June 18-20 • San Ralnon, Califorlfia Learn about new and rcvi~.d provisioias in NFPA 72 st) wm can avoid installation errors, failed insl)eclions, and lalsc ahums.

industrial-Strength Training for

the Petrochemical industry.

A C A D E M Y University of Nevada, Reno

One-million square feet of burnable props Real fuels • Real-life situations

Call: 800-233-8928 • Web: fireacademy.unr.edu


• 10 Slot P ICMG Backplane • Intel • PIll or P4 CPU Options • 3 0 0 W A T X Power Supply • Fan Monitor/Overtemp Board • 24 Hour High Temperature Burn-In • System Configuration Control • 17", 19" & 21" High Resolution CRTs • 15.1", 17" & 19" High Resolution LCDs • Resistive Touchscreen Options • Beige or Charcoal Grey Versions Available • UL864 File Submission & Maintenance

A p p l i c a t i o n S o l u t i o n s for: F i re A l a r m , A c c e s s C o n t r o l , S e c u r i t y ,

a n d B u i l d i n g A u t o m a t i o n

COMARKCSIZlPD ATIDN 800 -280 -8522 • w w w . c o m a r k c o r p . c o m



• Bringing Fire Safety Solutions to a High-Risk W o r l d

• State-of-the-Art in Fire Safety Products and Services."

• 3 Days of Cutting-Edge Industry Educational Sessions.

• Presented concurrently with AmeriCas" Security Expo and ~Americas" Building & Home Automation Conference.

NFPA's Americas' Fire Expo (AFE) is Latin America's, the Caribbean Basin's and Southeastern United Stales' complete resource for the latest in fire protection. It's the region's premiereshowcase l~or products and services, and your access to the innovators and industry

Sponsored by

NFPA"

Two additional concurrent events are included with

your AFE admission

SEP, III~IIIY America' Securi~ £ x ~ - Now in its ninth year, ASE is an international, culturally rich, exciting marketplace featuring the state-of-the- art in security products, systems and services.

" , 2 2 2 ' ~

Americas" Bui lding & Home Automation Conference - Now in its third year, the conference wil l reveal trends, track progress and define opportunitAes in this fast-evolving field.

leaders who have the solutions to your real world challenges,m °

In addition to the expo, AFE features a comprehensive seminar program addressing codes, standards and guidance on fire, electrical and life safety issues, and the latest industry topics. Sessions a;'e presented in English and Spanish.

r

Register in advance and your access to the exhibit floor is FREE!

I

Produced in cooperation with the inddstry's

most progressive media

1

C o m p l e t e ant i re tu rn this te rm for f ree a d m i s s i o n to NFPA's A n l e r i c a s ' Fire Expo and d i s c o u n t e d c o n f e r e n c e reg is t ra t ion fees. (t IS Atternd('e (re(l t ,nt ials wi l l be' maile(l , h}h,rr~ation,d Al l( ,n( lee credentials will be held for onsite i)i¢:kup.I

[ I Please register me n o w for NFPA'sAmericas ' Fire Expo. I ] Please send me information on exhibit ing at NFPA'sAFE. ] ] Please send more details on NFPNAFE Confe rence Sessions. I I Please send more details on Post Conferences .

To register in a d v a n c e , fax this form by luly 15, 2003 . After this date, use th is f o rm to reg is te r o n s i t e fo r a d m i s s i o n to NFPA's A m e r i c a s ' F i re Expo .

N a n l e :

Title:

( ) rgan iza t ion :

A(Iclr(,ss:

City:

.~ laIe:

Count ry :

Zip:

[ f I X :

Telel)hone:

I.-mail: Subs~dpti0~ Code: Journal

Registration Options i Full Conference Package

Inc ludes three days o f e d u c a t i o n a l seminars, exh ib i t o r p resenta t ions and admiss ion each day to the Expo.

• NFPA Member. Member ,~ .. $2C0 After July 15, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $240

• Non NFPA Member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250 After July 15, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300

• Firefighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100 After July 15, 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $I 50

Interest in NFPA M e m b e r s h i p ? C o n t a c t NFPA N F P A at + I - 6 1 7 -

9 8 4 - 7 2 3 8

S i n g l e D a y C o n f e r e n c e R e g i s t r a t i o n Inc ludes o n e day (Tuesday, Wec lnesday o r Thursday) o f e d u c a t i o n seminars , e x h i b i t o r p resen ta t ions and admiss ion to NFPA A m e r i c a s ' Fire Expo.

• NFPA/V~aber .Member~ . $90 After July 15,2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $I ]3

• Non NFPAMember. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100 After July 15, 2(303 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $I 25

Please no te w h i c h day you w i l l a t tend:

[ Tues(lay [ I Wednesday [ ] Thursday

NFPA's A m e r i c a s ' F i re Expo O n l y

FREE aclnl iss ion to the exh ib i t f l oo r & exh ib i t o r ) resenta l ions. (Does not nc lu(le ,u'(r( ,di le(I et lucd! on s~'ss ons.)

• Al'l('r July 15, 2003 lllUS[ regisler onsJle . . . . . . . . . . . $20

TOTAL REGISTRATION A M O U N T . . . . . . . . . $

Payment Information Payment by Credit Card:

ilI Visa , il Mastercard

Card Nurnl)er :

- - Amer i can Lxl)ress

[ xpira l i t )n Date:

N a m e on lhe card:

Sign.llLtre :

Payment by Check: Make check payab le Io: R(-)C I xh ib i l ions, Inc. Ma i l In: ARgyslems Internation,|l, ill()8 Niagara Falls Blv(l, PMB ~)5(), North Tonawanda, NY 1412(1-2060. Note: (;he~- ks must t)e d rawn againsl a L ;.S. bank or in LJ.S.dollars..

Please a n s w e r these A. Primary Business

,please check one only' • Sul)lflff'rs uf

Fir(' 5,1h'b, I'rt)du~ ts & %t.~ . t p~

_ ~01, Asscx: ia l ion /Publ ica l ion

, ~02~ (.tm,..uhing l irm ' ~0.1, Dealer,lnslaller

_" ~04, Dislribulor . ~0_;u ~%tallula(;lurer

1061Manufacturlt.r's Rel)re~nlalive

~07~ Olher iplease sl)ecii~., _ _ ,,, Bu,;ers/l nd I. Iser~ t)l

I ire I ~,llt 'tv l"rllUu( IN t~. h("r'~ R I'~

- -~08, At( hile(;turelF ngirleering

~09, Building Managemei~l ~I 0! Commercial IRelail. Reslaurant~ ,I l, Consuiling ] 2~ C(intrach}r/Inslaller

i_. d] l Fire Service 14 ~ Government

i I 5~ Hotels;lnteflainmenl • ,I 6, Heahhcare ,I 7~ Induslrial/Manuh]{ luring

i~18+ Insuran(e/Risk Management i I 19~ Tr, lns l~orlaliun ,20, Ulililies ILl, ()lher Iplea,,e ~l)ec li~, _ _

B. Primary Job Function i,J2! Architect ~2 l, Building ()wneuManager

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Conference Reiund/Can(ellallon Poliq~

c uestions C. Number of Employees _. LI3, 1-10

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i}R, 500-999 _ 13q~ 1000-2000

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D. Produ(ts & Services Purchased by your Organization ,plea~, check all Ihal apply,

_~ 141 ~ AlarmlDeteqion S~/stems _ q42, Building Construction Materials

i~43, [ ducalion/Training 144, [leclrira] l~quil)menl/Services

- i H5 ~ [ xtinguishers/i-oa ms _~ i4(, Fire Degartme~t Equipmenl/Services ~. ,47, HazrnaI Storage~Handling

• 148~ Pumps,~Conlrols,'Valv~ _ 14q, Securih' Products,'Services

15fl, Sprinklers/Sprinkh,r S'¢slerns (52! Signaling Svslems , ;2, Olher 1}lease spec il~.l

E. Involvement in Purchasing Decision

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Or reg0ster online! www.nfpa a merlcasflr e.com

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C o n t a c t Us: ROC Exhibitions, Inc. • 1963 University Lane , Lisle, IL 60532 • USA Para mJs informaci6n en Espafiol:

Fax: + I -630 -271-8234 , Tel: + I -630 -271 -8210 , Gabriela Mazal • NFPA • I Batterymarch Park • Quincy, MA 0 2 2 6 9 , USA

Email: [email protected] Fax: + I -617-984-7272 • Tel: + I -617-984-7777 • Email: [email protected]

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Call for Presentations 2004 NFPA World Safety Conference and Exposition ® May 23-27, 2004- Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City We are now accepting proposals for educational presentations at NFPA's 2004 World Safety Conference and Exposition '~ (WSCE). We invite you to share your experience and expertise with your peers in the field of fire and life safety as a presenter in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 23-27, 2004. Please complete the form below in full and return, via mail, e-mail, or fax to NFPA by September 26, 2003. Presentations should be non-commercial in nature and specific brand names should not be mentJoned. All presentation proposals will be reviewed by the Sessions Committee and selections will be made based on quality, relevance, focus, practical application, timeliness and on the presenter's experience and credentials.

Presentation Submission Form (Please type or pfint c/early.)

Title of presentation:

Description of presentation (50 words or less):

Presentation Length: F i 1 hour CJ1-1/2 hours El Other To be considered, a resume and short description of the presenter's and any co-presenter's credentials must be attached.

Learning Objectives:

Important: A handout will be required 4 weeks in advance of the conference. NFPA does not pay for travel expenses, but speakers will receive a complimentary conference registration.

Presenter Information:

Name:

~tle:

Company:

Address:

City:

Phone:

E-mail:

Fax:

State: Z i p : C o u n t r y :

Return form to: NFPA Attn: Linda Bailey One Batterymarch Park Quincy, MA 02169-7471 Fax: +1-617-984-7030 E-mail: [email protected]

Deadline for submission is

September 26, 2003

If you plan on someone presenting this topic with you, please complete the information below, Use additional pages if necessary.

Co-presenter Information:

Name:

Title:

Company:

Address:

City:

Phone:

E-maih

Fax:

State: Z i p : C o u n t r y :

CLASSIFIEDS SALES OPPORTUNITY

Leading alarm integration systems manufacturer is seeking experienced distributors. Offer trainh~g/promotion support. Fax firm's qualifi- cations, including sales applications and technical capabilities to (609) 242-1325 for consideration.

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Chemguard, Inc. a growing fire suppression chemical and equipment manufacturing company in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas USA, seeks high-energy individuals responsible for domestic and international sales and marketing efforts. Require- ments: Proven track record h~ special hazard international and/or domestic sales required. Outstand- ing conwnunication and orgauizational skills, strong fire/mechanical engineering experience, estimating and education a plus. Travel required. Please send resume and salary requirements to [email protected], or fax to (817) 473-4574.

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CLASSIFIED RATES NONCOMMISSIONABLE

Copy only(per column inch) ..... S260 Display (2 ~/, x 4 ~/.) .............. $1,250

Closing date for the copy is the 25th of the second month preceding issue date. To place your classified ad, contact Advertising, NFPA, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471; telephone (617) 984- 7323; fax (617) 984-7090; E-mail [email protected].

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ADI (RSC 001) www.adilink.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ' i . . l ~ AGF Manufacturing (RSC 002) m.tt~'t~laN:lrein.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; ];~t Altronix (RSC 003) ~tw.altronix.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .: ...., Amerex Corp. (RSC 004.) www.amerax-flre.o~m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '.,.. Ansul (RSC 005) www.ansul.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LI~ Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd. (RSC 006) w w ~ a l ~ f t m . ~ , u k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,1;l~j Aurora Pump (RSC 007) www,aurorepump~c~rw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ~

Bilco Co. (RSC 008) www.bilco.com .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,~.2 Blazemaste~) Fire Sprinkler Systems (RS~ : 0 C l ~ ) ~ / ~ w . ~ e r . c o m . . . . . . . . . . . . .~ , , ~4 Bosch Security Systems, (RSC 010) w w w , ~ d t y . u s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,..,~.. ~ ' '~.~ Cla-Val (RSC 0 1 1 ) ~ c l a - v a l , ¢ o m . . . ; i .....:.. v , . . , . . . . ~ , p ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . " . . . .

Comark Corp. (RSC 012) ~P~P,v.comatk-coq~, corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L. ,:, ..'~$!~ Digitize. Inc. (RSC 013} www, digiUze, i n ¢ , o ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :, ;;]~,~ Dmka USA {RSC 014) www.drskausa.comtlileline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ DuPont Rre Extlngulshants (RSC 015) ~ Z l ~ c ~ r n / f i r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~.. ,.,.., ,. ,, Edwards Systems Technology (RSC 016) www;esLr~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :...<,~:, .:p:;~., ,, Fail Safe (Rsc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fairbantm Morse Pumps (RSC 017) w~w,fald~n~. ~ ~ . c o m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~.,~,, ,~~'~ Rre Control Instruments (RSC 019) ~m~w.flre~0ntmli~str~ts.oom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~" Rrstrsoe (RSG 020) www.firetraca.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , ~,~ Flretrol (RSO 021) 1~ww.firetrol.¢om . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ FloxHeed Induetdes (RSC 022) www.fle~d~e~d.O~m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -, L1 Gamewell (RSC 023) www.garnsweil.oom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , L:'!~;'~ Gast Manufacturing (RSC 024) w w w . g a s t m f g , o o m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - - i

Great Lakes Chemical {RSC 025) www.frn-200,com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , ~,~ Halotron {RSC 026) www.halotron-~o.~om. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , ,

Hardngton Signal (RSC 027) w w w . h a r r i n ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoover Treated Wood Products (RSC 028) www.FRTW~eom . . . . . . . . . . HRS Systems (RSC 029) www.hrssystems, cc~ln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hydro Flow Produ~s (RSC 030) www.hosemonster;com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

IPMA (RSC 031) www.lpma-hr.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Johnsonite (RSC 066) www.safe-t-flrst.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kidde Fire Systems (RSC 032] www, kiddefiresystems.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knox Co. (RSC 033) www.knoxbox.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Link Instruments (RSC 034) ww~.linldnst.¢om Mecumo (RSC 035] wvnv.detectgas.~om . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . ;

Matttdcs (RSC 036) wwwxnsttic~.oom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEDC (RSC 037) w~w.medc.com ,. . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . NationalTime & Signal Co. (RSC 038) www.natsgo, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NFPA www.nfpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NGC Testing Services (R}BC 039) www.ngotestingsendces.com . . . . . . . . Nibco (RSC 053} www~nib¢o.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . No Climb (RSC 040) www.no~imb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Notifier (RSC 041) w~w.r~otifler.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patterson Pump Co. (RSG 043,,) www.pattsrsenpumps.com . . . . . . . . . . . . P~ll~m Products (FISG O44) www.pelt¢~m.¢om . . . . . . ~ i . 11g: Potter Electric Signal Co. (RSC 045) ~ w w , ~ n a l . c o m ' . . . . . . . . . . ~' .,~..~" _

Protec Fire De~ectlon (RSC Q46) www.proflm;¢o.uk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . 1 1 3 , ,

Pyrotenax (RSC 047) www.wrotenax.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ l f . Safe Fire Detection (RSC 046) www.safetiredstec'don.corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1~/ SES USA (RSC 048] www.sesusa.us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : , . : ..:. . . . . . . . ~ ~ ,Safety Technology (RSC 049) www.stl-us~,com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . ~,. , : . ,...-: !;'i; ~ SDI (RSC 040) www.sdlfire.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,. ............ .,',: ! ~ Siemens Rre Safety (RSC 050) www~sbt,stemens.com/tls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ ", ' : ' , "i~: Silent Knight (RSC 051) www.silentkrdght.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : ..... ;~,,; ~ i Simplex Grinnoll (RSC 052) www.simplexgrinnelLcom/safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , i - , : . ' ~ : : i , ~ ~ ' ~

System Sensor (RSC 054, 067-072) www.systemsensor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . ~,;~, ~':~;~¢ 3M - Novec (RSC 055) www,3m.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,,, : , ,~.~,, .~.1 Tiscor (RSC 056) www.tis¢or.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . ...... ~.-=~, ;., .t i~% I Twenty-First Century Fire Equipment (RSC 057) www.21oenturyflre.com . . . . . . . . . =.. ~. ~'..-"1~ Tyco Rre & Building Products (RSC 058) Www.tyco-flre.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :,. . . . . ; . , ;1~'" Underwriters Laboretodes (RSC 059) www.ul.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . ,. . . . . 83 University of Nevada (RSC 060) www.flreaoademy.unr.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ! ~ , Victaulic Fire Protection (RSC 051) www.viotauUc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 -

Viking Corp. (RSC 062) www.vikingcorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I~ Vision Systems (RSC 063) www.visionusa.com/vesda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ ~ Wheelook (RSC 064) www.wheelockino.eom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~1~:o!:::

~ : orcester Polytechnic Institute (RSC 065) www.wpLedu/+ADLN/Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; t ~

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