@michael-blank
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It is my opinion that the ICC and the NFPA play a major role in fire safety, but differ in the change process. The ICC process is indeed a longer process with an approximate three year and nine step process. The submitted changes come from a variety of public individuals, as well as staff members. Three review groups review the changes, and in the third year codes are prepared for publication.
The NFPA is a shorter process with under three year and a four step process. The NFPA uses a larger field of designers and technical professionals in the change request process. NFPA uses 13 members appointed by the Board of Directors which oversee the technical committees and determine which projects move forward.
I believe obtaining and using first hand knowledge and information from fire company crews would assist in decision making and potential code changes in fire safety.
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Question 1- The design goals for smoke control are designed for the compartmentation or removal of smoke to keep occupants and firefighters safe. The pros and cons are tied financially to the building designers/owners. Smoke removal systems are a great firefighting tool, and can save countless lives. The cost of these systems either during construction or retro-fitting can be a huge financial burden. Life safety is paramount in certain occupancies, such as hotels, correctional facilities, and business high rise structures, which is why the systems are required.
Question 2- The features that relate to stairway door operation are the required fire rated doors that include magnetic door closers connected to the fire alarm, and the panic hardware, that may have sensors that will release upon fire alarm activation.
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Question 1- Several problems that are common with discharging wet and dry chemical agents include the range of the heads, the environmental impact on employees and patrons at the time of discharge, and the amount of cleanup can be overwhelming, causing down time for business owners. Clean agent systems would limit the environmental issue, and cut down on clean up concerns.
Question 2- The need for periodic inspections, testing and maintenance on fire extinguishers is extremely important due to the 1st line of defense during a fire. Small fires can be controlled quickly by extinguishers, provided they are easily accessible, as well as tested and inspected. This insures the reliability of the extinguisher. -
Water based fire protection systems play a major role in fire suppression. Without these systems being tested periodically, possible gauge malfunctions, shut off valves becoming stuck, FDC connections being damaged, water flow issues, and sounding devices not functioning would present a non compliant system, and a life safety concern for the occupants, as well as a property concern for the the structure and contents.
Additional standards that provide information concerning inspections, testing, and maintenance of specialized water based systems include NFPA 13, which is The Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, NFPA 22, which is the Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection and NFPA 24, which is The Standard for Fire Service Water Mains.
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