3.13 Life (Fire) Safety, Fire Prevention, 
         and Fire Protection

Keep fires infrequent and small. Help the occupants get out, the firemen get in, and save the structure

No one can be against fire safety. But, fire safety is not just adding fire protection sprinklers, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers. 'These desirable and beneficial devices must work with the walls, doors, windows, building structure, HVAC, and electrical components to form a system of fire prevention. Since these components serve other functions as well, their role in the fire prevention system cannot be known by looking alone. 'The identical material can be part of a fire prevention system in one application but not in another. And materials that look the same may have completely different fire prevention qualities. Relevant information is needed and is discussed below.

The Purpose of Life Safety Measures 

Fewer fires, smaller fires, limited smoke

'The purpose of life safety measures is to minimize the fire and smoke that can injure people or damage a structure. 'This is accomplished first by controlling combustion devices, such as furnaces and hot water heaters, so fire from these sources is extraordinarily rare. (Reduction in open flame space heaters over the second half of the twentieth century was one of the largest contributors to decrease in residential fires.) 'The second approach is to use materials that ideally Do not burn, or if they do burn, burn slowly and make an acceptable amount of noxious smoke. Finally, fire suppression systems keep the fire small, and extinguish it quickly.

Get the occupants out, the firemen in, and save  the structure 

The overall goals are:

1.                   To notify and get the occupants out of the structure safely (except where impossible, such as hospitals and prisons—as discussed below)

2.                   To get the firemen in as safely as possible

3.    To provide the firemen adequate direction about the location and
       nature of the fire.