Fire Fighting Equipments

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS -
- A fire extinguisher should never be used to prop open a
door. It should always be fixed to the wall, and it should be
checked monthly by a service technician.
- Most modern fire extinguishers are developed to deal with
many different fire scenarios. Fire extinguishers can be filled
with powder, water additive, foam, or carbon dioxide
- When choosing a fire extinguisher, be sure to pick one that
will fight the fires that are most likely to develop in your
business or home.
 Extinguisher Common
Features
- Locking pin
- Carrying handle/operating lever
- Pressure guage
- Label :

Type(Water,CO2,Dry Chemical)
Classification (A,B,C..)
NFPA Capacity Rating
Instructions

- Discharge nozzle or horn

 Remember the
PASSword
1) Keep your back to a clear escape route,

2) Stand back 6 to 8 feet from the fire,

3) Then follow as per the figure

mentioned.
FIRE HOSE REEL -
- The fire hose reel lets out a powerful stream of water that
extinguishes large fires. The hoses usually come in a fire
hose reel, which holds 30 metres of tubing.
- This makes the hose easy to unravel so a fire can be fought
quickly. Fire brigades can also attach different nozzles to
the end of the hose to fight a variety of fire situations.
- A fire hose is one of the standard types of fire fighting
equipment, and it is efficient against even the largest fires
FIRE BUCKETS -
- A fire bucket is considered the simplest piece of fire
fighting equipment, but still serves a purpose. The
standard red bucket has the word 'Fire' written on it and
it is made of metal or plastic.
- It can be filled with water or you can fill it with a flame
smothering powder like Flamezorb. To use, dump the
bucket over the fire and keep repeating the process until
the fire is out.
Fire Hydrant
- A fire hydrant, also called a fireplug, fire
pump, johnny pump, or simply pump, is a
connection point by which firefighters can
tap into a water supply. A component of
active fire protection.
OPERATION -

- Most hydrants open when the operating

nut is turned in a counter clockwise
direction.
- Compression hydrants are the most
common in the province; the hydrant
Always open and close hydrants slowly -

- Opening a hydrant too quickly can cause

a sudden decrease in pressure that
could create vacuum in the distribution
system; back-siphonage may occur.
- closing a hydrant too quickly can result in CLAPPER VALVE
water hammer and may damage the
distribution system
When operating a hydrant, the valve
should be fully open -

- 18 to 22 turns of the hydrant valve will

fully open or close the hydrant.
Fire Sprinkler
- A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the
component of a fire sprinkler system
that discharges water when the effects
of a fire have been detected, such as
when a predetermined temperature
has been exceeded.

- Fire sprinklers are extensively used

worldwide, with over 40 million
sprinkler heads fitted each year. In
buildings protected by properly
designed and maintained fire
sprinklers.
Water supplies for
sprinklers
Acceptable sources of water supply are
- Town Main
- Elevated private reservoir
- Gravity Tank
- Automatic pump drawing water from
river or canal
Head Components
 Types of Sprinkler
Wet
systems
Dry Alternate Wet-Dry Pre-Action Deluge system Tail-End system
System System syst System
-Used in heated -Used in unheated -Used in buildings -Used where prior -Employed for risks -Used when a part of
buildings (Temp. buildings (Temp. where freezing is warning of system requiring total/ building is subject to
>0⁰) <0⁰) likely during winter discharge is zoned water damage by frost
months necessary coverage while rest of the
-No risk of water in -Risk of water in the
building is
the system freezing system freezing -In summer it works -Pipework charged -Pipe work is not
adequately heated.
as wet system and with air at low- pressurized and all
-Pipework is -Pipework is charged pressure and
in winters the pipe water discharge -This system is a
constantly filled with with compressed air electrically operated
work is emptied of nozzles are open variation of
water at moderate valve used to retain
water and charged alternate wet-dry
pressure and water water. -Can be put into use
with compressed air system.
is held back by a by
-Heat produced by and it works as dry •System of heat
valve manual/automatic
out-break of fire system sensitive detectors detectors which
causes the sprinkler -When sprinkler respond to fire and open a control valve
to open at their head opens, it signals the valve to & allow
operating releases air in pipe, release water into simultaneous
temperatures lifts the valve and the pipe work discharge of water
allows water to
-After short delay from all open
enter the pipe work
sprinkler heads nozzles.
● Permanent vent at the top equal to 5% of the cross sectional area of
enclosure & openable sashes at each floor level with area equal to 1 to
15% of the cross sectional area of the enclosure on external shall be
provided.
● The roof of the shaft shall be at least 1m above the surrounding roof.
● If the staircase is in the core of the building and cannot be ventilated at
each landing, a positive of 5mm w.g. by an electrically operated blowers
shall be maintained.
● The mechanism for pressurizing the staircase shall be so installed that
same shall operate automatically on fire alarm system/ sprinkler system
and to be provided with manual operation facility.
3. Ramps
● Ramps of slope not more than 1 in 10 may be substituted.
● Larger slopes shall be provided for special uses but in no case greater than 1 in 8.
● For all slopes exceeding 1 in 10 and where the use is such as to avoid danger of
slipping, the ramp shall be surface with approved non-slippery material.
● Minimum width of ramps in hospital to be 2.4m and in basement using car-park
shall be 6m.
● Handrails shall be provided on both sides of ramp.
● Ramps shall directly lead to outside open space at ground level.
● For building above 24m in height, access to ramps from any floor of the building
shall be through smoke fire check door.
● In case of nursing homes, hospitals area more than 300 sqm at each floor, one
of the exit facility shall be a ramp of not less than 2.4m wide.
4. Lift Enclosure
● Walls of lift enclosure to have fire rating of 2 hours. Lifts shall have vents at
the top of area not less than 0.2sqm.
● Lift motor room shall be preferable located on top of the shaft and separated
from the shaft by the floor of the room.
● Landing door in the lift enclosures and lift car door shall have a fire resistance
of not less than one hour.
● Number of lifts in one lift bank shall not exceed four. A wall of two hours fire
rating shall separate individual shafts in a bank.
● Lift car door shall have a fire resistance rating of 1 hour.
● For buildings above 15 m in height, collapsible gates shall not be permitted for
lifts and solid doors with fire resistance shall be provided.
● Exit from the lift lobby, if located in the core of the building, shall be through
a self-closing fire smoke check door of one hour fire resistance.
● Lift shall not normally communicate with the basement. If however, lifts are in
communication, the lift lobby of the basement shall be pressurized with the
self closing door.
● Telephone/talk back communication facilities may be provides in lift cars for
communication system and lifts shall be connected to the fire control room of
the building.
● Suitable arrangements such as providing slope in the floor of the lift lobby
shall be made to prevent water used during fire fighting, etc at any landing
from entering the lift shafts
● A sign shall be posted and maintained on every floor at or near the lift
indicating that in case of fire, occupants shall use the stairs unless instructed.
The sign should also contain a plan for each floor showing the location of the
stairways.
● Alternate power supply shall be provided.

5. Basement :
● The access to the basement shall be either from the main or alternate
staircase providing access and exit from higher floors. Where the staircase is
continue the same shall be enclosed type serving as a fire separation from the
basement floor and higher floors.
● In case of basement for office, sufficient number of exit ways and access
ways shall be provided with a travel distance of maximum 15 m. The travel
distance in case of dead end shall be 7.5 m
● The basement shall be partitioned and in no case compartment shall be
more than 500. Sq.m. area except parking.
● The first basement can be used for services/ parking or other permissible
services. Lower basement, if provided, shall exclusively be used for car
parking only.
● Each basement shall be separately ventilated. Vents with cross sectional
area not less than 2.5 percent of the floor area spread evenly around the
perimeter of the basement shall be provided in the form of grills or
breakable starboard lights or by the way of shaft.
● The staircase of basement shall be of enclosed type having fire resistance of
minimum 2 hours and shall be situated at the periphery of the basement to
be entered at ground level.
● In multi-storeyed basements, intake duct may serve all basements levels,
but each basement and basement compartment shall have separate smoke
outlet ducts.
● Mechanical extractors for smoke venting system from lower basements
levels shall also be provided.
● Mechanical extractors shall have and internal locking arrangement so that
extractors shall continue to operate and supply fan shall stop automatically
with the actuation of fire detectors.
● Mechanical extractors shall be designed to permit 30 air changes per hour in
case of fire or distress call.
● Mechanical extractors shall have an alternate source of power supply
● Ventilating ducts shall be integrated with the structure and made out of
brick masonry or RCC as far as possible.
● Kitchens working on gas fuel shall not be permitted in basement.
● If cutouts are provided from basement to the upper floors or to the
atmosphere, all side cutout openings in the basement shall be protected
by sprinkler heads at closed spacing so as to form a water curtain in the
event of a fire.
● Dewatering pump shall be provided in all basements.
6. Service Ducts / Refuge Chute
● Service duct shall be enclosed by walls and door, if any, of 2 hours fire rating.
● If ducts are larger than 10 sq.m. the floor should seal them, but provide suitable
opening for the pipes to pass through, with the gaps sealed.
● A vent opening at the top of the service shaft shall be provided between one-
fourth and one-half of the area of the shaft.
● Refuge chute shall have an outlet at least of wall of non-combustible material
with fire resistance of not less than two hours. They shall not be located within
the staircase enclosure or service shafts or air-conditioning shafts.
● Refuge chutes shall not be provided in staircase walls and A/C shafts etc.
7. Air Conditioning
● Air-conditioning system should be installed and maintained so as to minimise
the danger of spread fire, smoke or fumes thereby from one floor of fire area to
another or from outside to any occupied building.
● Air-conditioning systems circulating air to more than one floor area should be
provided with dampers designed to close automatically in case of fire and
thereby prevent spread of fire or smoke.
● Air-conditioning system serving large place of assembly, large departmental
stores, or hostels with over 100 rooms in a single block should be provided with
effective means for preventing circulation of smoke through the system in case
of fire in air filters or from other sources drawn into the system even though
there is insufficient heat to actuate heat smoke sensitive devices controlling fans
or dampers.
7.1 Air Conditioning should confirm to the following
● Escape routes like staircase, common corridors, lift lobbies, etc. should not be
used as return air passage.
● The ducting should be constructed of metal.
● Wherever the ducts pass through fire walls or floor, the opening around the
ducts should be sealed with fire resisting material of same rating as of walls,
floors.
● Metallic ducts should be used even for the return air instead of space above
the false ceiling.
● The material used for insulating the duct system should be of flame resistant
and non conductor of heat.
● Area more than 750 sq.m. on individual floor should be segregated by a
firewall and automatic fire dampers for isolation should be provided.