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Coffee Break Training: Housekeeping
"An occupancy's housekeeping practices often reflect the owner's attitude toward fire safety. This photograph was taken of a storage area beneath exit stairs in a large convention center with an occupant capacity of several thousand persons. The accumulation and variety of combustibles in a small space is surprising. Look closely and you will see ordinary combustible materials, a paint can that may contain a flammable or combustible liquid, cleaning chemicals, two pressure vessels of refrigerant gases, and two portable welding kits that contain oxidizing and flammable gases. If you look even more closely, you will see the edge of a hot water tank in the lower left-hand side of the picture that could be an ignition source for any of these items. The model fire codes require that combustible storage in buildings be orderly and separated from heaters or heating devices by distance or shielding so ignition cannot occur. The codes also prohibit storage in mechanical rooms or electrical rooms."
United States Fire Administration
2008-12-16
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Coffee Break Training: Saying it Correctly
"The student shall be able to explain the difference among the terms 'fusible,' 'frangible,' 'friable,' and 'fissile'. Today's Coffee Break Training is a vocabulary lesson. Every industry and profession has its own words and phrases that may be uniquely understood by others in that field. At times, though, we are required to communicate clearly with persons who may not understand our jargon. We should make every effort to choose our words wisely so our message is conveyed. In the fire protection field, there are several 'F words' that may cause confusion among users as well as those with whom we communicate. When giving instructions or issuing correction notices,"
United States Fire Administration
2008-11-25
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Coffee Break Training: Nonmetallic Sprinkler Pipe in Aboveground Applications
"For many years, metal pipe or tube (iron or copper) were the only materials listed for fire sprinkler systems. Now, three nonmetallic plastics are recognized by NFPA sprinkler standards: chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), and polybutylene (PB), although PB is no longer in production. There are limits, though, where these materials may be installed. Always refer to the manufacturer's product listing information for the most up-to-date information. PEX is listed only for multipurpose piping systems (potable and fire protection) in one- and two-family dwelling and manufactured homes. The pipe must be installed with a thermal barrier between the room and the PEX. CPVC may be used for wet pipe sprinkler systems in residential occupancies up to and including four stories, light hazard occupancies, and air plenums. CPVC may not be installed in combustible concealed spaces where sprinklers are required, and the expected ambient temperature of any space should not exceed 150 °F (65.6 °C)."
United States Fire Administration
2007-01-09
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Coffee Break Training: Measuring Sprinkler Sensitivity
"In NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] 13, 'Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler System's, sprinkler operating elements are characterized as 'fast response' or 'standard response,' depending upon their RTI [ Response Time Index]. The RTI for a specific model sprinkler is measured by plunging test samples into a heated-air wind tunnel and determining how quickly the operating element releases. The RTI is calculated using the sprinkler element's operating time, operating temperature, air temperature, and velocity of the wind tunnel and a conductivity factor between the heat responsive element and the sprinkler test oven. RTI values are expressed by multiplying meters by seconds and raising the product to the one-half power: the lower the value, the faster the response."
United States Fire Administration
2007-01-02
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Coffee Break Training: Standpipe Systems: Standpipe System Reliability
"Coffee Break Training" is a series of short lessons within the National Fire Academy's Fire Protection Curriculum. According to the learning objective: "The student shall be able to summarize the inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements for standpipe systems."
United States Fire Administration
2012-09-04
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Coffee Break Training: Storage Practices: Part One: 'Commodities'
"If you were asked to define a 'commodity,' how would you respond? Is it a consumer product sitting on a shelf at the neighborhood pharmacy? Is it an Airbus 320 sitting on the tarmac of the international airport? Is it tons of corn in a grain elevator waiting for a better price on the Chicago Exchange? In fire protection, a specific definition for commodity is important because it provides the basis for applying the appropriate codes and standards for storage arrays, sprinkler protection, building construction, smoke and heat venting, fire detection, firefighter access, and a host of other issues in storage occupancies. By definition, a 'commodity' is the combination of products, packing material, and container that determines commodity classification. Commodities are assigned a Roman numeral character 'Class' based on the relative fire hazard."
United States Fire Administration
2009-08-18
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Coffee Break Training: Fire Command Center Construction
"Highrise building fires present many challenges for fire suppression personnel, including the coordination of built-in fire protection systems and equipment. The building codes provide requirements for Fire Command Centers (or Central Control Stations) where Incident Commanders (IC's) can oversee the systems' operations.The International building and fire codes require that the Fire Command Center be at least 96 sq. ft. with a minimum dimension of 8 feet, and separated from the rest of the building by 1-hour fire-resistive construction. The NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] building code has no construction specifications, but leaves it to the fire department to specify an approved location."
United States Fire Administration
2006-01-24
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Coffee Break Training: Flue Spaces in Rack Storage Arrays
"Rack storage arrays provide special fire protection challenges for manual fire suppression and automatic sprinkler systems. Large fuel loads, plenty of oxygen, many channels for vertical fire travel and narrow aisles that enhance radiant heat spread combine to make rack storage a significant fire problem.When designing sprinkler systems, the engineer must understand how the storage racks will be configured. Two terms are essential: transverse and longitudinal flue spaces."
United States Fire Administration
2006-01-17
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Coffee Break Training: Stairway Floor Number Signs
"Once a person enters an exit enclosure, he or she may lose his or her sense of location within a building. During fire operations, this potential for disorientation may have catastrophic consequences.The building and fire codes require that stair enclosures three or more stories (ICC [International Code Council] codes) and five or more stories (NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] codes) have stairway identification signs posted 5 feet above the floor landing, where they will not be obstructed by doors in the open or closed position.The signs must identify the stair enclosure (e.g., North Stair, A Stair, Stairway No. 1), the floor level, and the terminus of the top and bottom of the enclosure. The sign also must identify the floor level of and direction to the exit discharge. If the stair enclosure provides roof access, that information must be provided on the sign."
United States Fire Administration
2006-02-07
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Coffee Break Training: Aisle Widths in Rack Storage Arrays
"Aisles in rack storage arrays provide an important fire protection role. Not only do they provide emergency egress and firefighter access, they enable discharging sprinkler water to reach the face of the stored commodities, and provide a spatial break so radiant heat spread from one rack array to another is minimized. There should be no storage in the aisles."
United States Fire Administration
2006-02-14
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Coffee Break Training: Exhaust Discharge from Commercial Cooking Equipment
"Commercial cooking equipment presents a serious fire hazard. Burning grease temperatures can reach 2,000°F, hot enough to ignite nearby combustibles.Exhaust removal equipment that meets nationally recognized standards is intended to confine a fire to the duct system. The exhaust point must be arranged so flames will not reenter the building downstream of the exhaust fan."
United States Fire Administration
2006-01-31
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Coffee Break Training: Fire Alarm Power Circuits
"Fire alarm control units (panels) are required to have primary and secondary power sources. In most cases, the primary power source is the local power utility that provides electricity to the building where the fire alarm system is installed. The fire alarm control panel must receive its power from a dedicated branch circuit. The circuit cannot be used for lights, receptacles, or any type of appliances."
United States Fire Administration
2006-02-21
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Coffee Break Training: Fire on the Web
"The World Wide Web provides thousands of informative sites where fire protection professionals can obtain technical assistance and training. Most have links to other fire-related sites."
United States Fire Administration
2006-01-03
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Coffee Break Training: Fundamental Fire Physics
"Fire protection personnel must understand fundamental fire physics if they want to know how building and fire codes should be applied and how fire protection systems work."
United States Fire Administration
2006-02-28
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Coffee Break Training: Sprinkler Discharge Hydraulics
"An essential skill when reviewing sprinkler system hydraulic calculations is to know how much water will flow from an open sprinkler."
United States Fire Administration
2006-01-10
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Coffee Break Training: Weather Protection Construction
"Property owners and occupants may elect to move hazardous materials outdoors to avoid the code limits and requirements for 'indoor storage.' Generally, the requirements for outdoor storage are less restrictive. If products and containers need to be protected from the weather, the owner/ occupant may want to provide weather protection in the form of some sort of enclosure. What conditions create covered storage areas that are not classified as 'indoor storage?'"
United States Fire Administration
2006-11-07
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Coffee Break Training: Powered Industrial Trucks
"Powered industrial trucks, commonly called 'fork lifts,' may run on diesel, gasoline, electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas, or a combination of energy sources. There are 15 categories of powered industrial trucks, and the fire codes regulate their suitability for use in hazardous atmospheres. Each category is identified by a letter designation, and a permanent identifying sticker should be attached to the truck."
United States Fire Administration
2006-09-26
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Coffee Break Training: Standpipe Classes
"Standpipe systems are installed in buildings to help firefighting personnel deploy attack hoselines quickly and with adequate water pressure and volume to suppress a fire. They may be designed for 'heavy stream applications,' as 'first aid fire appliances,' or have the features of both. Standpipe systems are described by classes to indicate their fire protection performance."
United States Fire Administration
2006-10-10
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Coffee Break Training: Fire Pump Air Release Valves
"Centrifugal fire pump assemblies are susceptible to cavitation: a condition where, due to high speed and low pressure, water vapor forms inside the pump impeller. When pressure increases, the vapor pockets collapse inside the pump causing vibration and noise. The cavitation may result in permanent damage to the pump. To minimize the likelihood of cavitation, centrifugal fire pump assemblies are required to be outfitted with an air release valve installed on the top of the pump casing. The air release valve must operate automatically if the pump casing normally is full of water and the pump is designed to start automatically."
United States Fire Administration
2006-10-24
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Coffee Break Training: Standpipe Types
"Standpipe systems for fire protection service are categorized into five types. These types differ from the three standpipe classes with which fire protection professionals are familiar, and are descriptions of the operating modes."
United States Fire Administration
2006-10-17
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Coffee Break Training: Carbon Dioxide Extinguishers: Electrical Conductivity Testing
"Carbon dioxide fire extinguisher hoses have a continuous metallic braid that connects to both couplings to minimize the static shock hazard from the discharging gas. An annual electrical conductivity test is required to verify that the hose is conductive from the inlet coupling to the outlet orifice. Carbon dioxide hose assemblies that pass the conductivity test should have the test information recorded on a label that is attached to the hose."
United States Fire Administration
2006-10-03
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Coffee Break Training: Outdoor Flammable Liquid Container Storage: Setbacks
"Flammable and combustible liquid storage facilities are highly regulated because of the potential for serious fires with potential heat of combustion and rates of heat release."
United States Fire Administration
2006-10-31
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Coffee Break Training: Building Construction: Solar Energy Systems
"Every single day our sun projects enough solar energy onto the surface of the earth to supply all the world's energy needs for 4 to 5 years! This enormous supply of energy remains virtually untapped by the earth's inhabitants, but is changing rapidly. In a world hungry for energy, solar energy collection is happening now at locations near you, and it is going to increase. Fire officers, firefighters, inspectors, plan reviewers, and code officials need to know about these systems and the potential hazards that they may pose. Two types of solar energy systems are most common: water heating systems and photovoltaic (PV) systems. Water heating systems are used to heat water for domestic use (hot tap water), heating, and recreational use (pool heating). Water heating systems typically have much smaller solar panels than those used in PV systems. PV systems convert the sun's rays into electricity, and are used in a wide range of applications where electricity is needed. Some PV systems have batteries to store electricity that they generate for later use; other systems (i.e., grid-tied) feed unused electricity back into the electric grid."
United States Fire Administration
2009-09-29
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Coffee Break Training: Hazardous Materials: Mercantile Display
"Many of the consumer products we use qualify as hazardous materials. Unfortunately, because of customer familiarity with the products, retailers, shippers, and users often don't recognize the seriousness of the hazard that exists. Shelf storage in retail display can be a particular problem for hazardous materials (especially liquids) that are easily displaced or spilled. If the containers are not placed on the shelves with attention to stability, vibration or seismic activity may cause the containers to fall to the floor. Codes require that shelves used for hazardous materials in retail display be of substantial construction that is adequately braced and anchored in accordance with the building codes. Shelves should be treated, coated, or made from materials that are compatible with the hazardous materials."
United States Fire Administration
2006-08-15
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Coffee Break Training: Smoke Detectors and HVAC Diffusers
"Mechanical air handling systems can have a negative effect on automatic smoke detection devices. The moving air currents can push contaminants into detectors, resulting in unwanted alarms, or can draw smoke and other products of combustion away from detectors, resulting in delayed alarms. Always refer to the manufacturer's listing documents for guidance in placing detectors near supply diffusers or return openings. As a general rule, detectors should not be locatedwithin 3 feet of a supply diffuser or return grille. One study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that with some diffusers a separation as much as 10 feet is needed."
United States Fire Administration
2006-08-08
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Coffee Break Training: Class I and III Standpipe Hose Station Locations
"Standpipe systems are installed in buildings to help firefighting personnel deploy attack hoselines quickly and with adequate water pressure and volume to suppress a fire. The picture below illustrates one location where standpipe hose station outlets are required: both sides of the exit doors through a horizontal exit."
United States Fire Administration
2006-08-29
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Coffee Break Training: Application of Class K Portable Fire Extinguishers
"In most cases, portable fire extinguishers are employed as 'first aid fire appliances,' designed to suppress a fire before the structure's built-in fire protection systems operate. This is not the case with Class K extinguishers used in commercial kitchens where foods are cooked with animal or vegetable oils. In commercial kitchens, the Class K extinguisher is intended to be a secondary device to be employed after the wet chemical hood and duct fire suppression system operates automatically or manually."
United States Fire Administration
2006-09-19
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Coffee Break Training: Wood Chip Pile Spacing
"Wood chip storage piles provide a special challenge based on climate conditions, wood species, and pile age. Access to the piles for firefighting operations often is compromised by poor road conditions and large product-handling vehicles. Fire protection water supplies may be limited or nonexistent. Wood chip piles are susceptible to two different fire types: internal, burrowing fires from spontaneous heating, and surface fires from a wide variety of ignition sources: smoking materials, sparks, equipment, arson, etc."
United States Fire Administration
2006-08-22
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Coffee Break Training: Sprinkler Pipe Hanger Rules
"The photograph below illustrates a copper potable water line hung with a U-bolt and strap beneath an automatic sprinkler cross main. This practice is prohibited by NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] 13, Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Sprinkler hangers are engineered to hold the water-filled pipe plus a safety margin. They are not engineered to include other attachments such as this water line, mechanical equipment, signs, banners, decorations, or other objects."
United States Fire Administration
2006-09-12
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Coffee Break Training: Outdoor Liquid Container Storage: Mixed Liquid Piles
"The fire code language regarding storage piles of mixed class flammable liquids can be confusing: 'Where two or more classes of liquids are stored in a single pile, the quantity of the pile shall not exceed the smallest of maximum quantities for the classes of material stored.' To correctly apply this requirement, you must refer to the outdoor container storage requirement table of your code."
United States Fire Administration
2006-08-01
