FSE 101: Fire Prevention

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Spring 2015

Week 1

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Professor Anthony R. Cole, P.E., CFPS, CFEI

Fire Protection and Safety Engineering

SSEM/College of Justice and Safety

Stratton Bldg 216

859-622-7990

Anthony.Cole@EKU.EDU

What is FSE 101?

Introduction into fire and safety codes

The code development process

How to read, interpret, and implement the
codes

Not your typical 100-level class.

Books
NFPA Fire Protection Handbook (20th ed.)

NFPA 1 Uniform Fire Code (2015 ed.)

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (2015 ed.)

Additional readings as required

Course Details
Check syllabus and course schedule

Test, quizzes, projects, and homework

Come to class and pass....

Course Details
E-mail format

[FSE101]Topic e.g.: [FSE101]Homework

Please use first and last name in e-mail
signature

Course Details
Submittal format

File name: FSE101ARC_HW1 or _TEST1
or _Project1

Who am I?

27 years of fire fighting and engineering experience

Certified NFPA 1001 (I/II), NFPA 1041, NFPA 1081

B.S. Fire Protection Engineering Technology (EKU)

M.S. Fire Protection Engineering (WPI)

Licensed Professional Engineer P.E.

NFPA/Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)

NAFI/Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator/Instructor
(CFEI/CFII)

Authored books, articles, and committee representative

(NFPA and SFPE)

Who am I?
10 years as a Senior Fire Protection
Engineer and Deputy Disaster Commander
for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi
Aramco)

4 years as Fire Protection Superintendent/
Fire Chief at SABIC/HADEED

6 years working as a Loss Control/HPR
Engineer

26 years as a volunteer/paid fire fighter,
Lieutenant, Captain, Chief in departments
in Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi,

Who and What is a

G.A.?
Andrew Rice

Who are you?

Name

Where are you from?

Fire related experience?

What are your goals?

What is a code?
A code is a law or regulation that sets
forth minimum requirements and in
particular, a building code is a law or
regulation that sets forth minimum
requirements for the design and
construction of buildings and structures.

Why do we need codes?

Codes represent a minimum requirement to
establish a unified method to protect
health, well-being, and safety of society.
It is an attempt to represent societies'
compromise between optimum safety and
economic feasibility.

Examples
Iroquois Theater: Chicago, IL 1903 killed
602

Cocoanut Grove Nightclub: Boston, MA
1942 killed 492

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: New York, NY 1911
killed 146

Our Lady of the Angels Fire: Chicago IL
1958 killed 95

The Station Nightclub Fire: West Warwick,

Does the national fire

problem still exist
today?

History of Codes
Evolved from identification of need
Experience from history

Pressure from Society

History of Codes:
Code of Hammurabi
If a builder build a house for some one
and does not construct it properly, and
the house which he built fall in and kill its
owner, then that builder shall be put to
death.

If it kill the son of the owner the son of
that builder shall be put to death.

History of Codes:
Code of Hammurabi
If it kill a slave of the owner, then he
shall pay slave for slave to the owner of
the house.

If it ruin goods, he shall make
compensation for all that has been ruined,
and inasmuch as he did not construct
properly the house which he built and it
fell, he shall re-erect the house from his
own means.

History of Codes:
Babylonia 1790 BC

Roman Empire 1st Century AD

London 1600s

1648 Regulate Chimneys

1700s Regulate walls, roofs

1875 Chicago - 1871 Chicago Fire

History of Codes:
Model Codes
1905 NBFU Recommended Building Code
(National Building Code)

1927 ICBO Uniform Building Code

1945 SBCCI Southern Standard
Building Code (Standard Building Code)

1950 BOCA Basic Building Code (1976 National Building Code)

History of Codes:
Codes of Today
2000 International Code Council (ICC)
International Building Code (IBC)/
International Fire Code (IFC)

2002- NFPA 5000 - Building Construction
and Safety Code and NFPA 1 Fire Code

Safety vs. Risk

Greater Safety = Less Risk

Greater Risk = Less Safety

However:

Greater Safety = More Expensive

Greater Risk = More Economical

Acceptable Level of Risk

Can this change over time??

Types of Codes:
Prescriptive Codes:

Also called specification codes

Spell out in detail a variety of attributes of
a structure

Materials

Heights

Assembly of components

Very little leeway

Lack flexibility for unusual or alternative designs

Types of Codes:
Performance Based Codes:

Outline the goals of the code.
Provide little guidance on how to get
there, just the end requirements.

Provide much more flexibility and often
result in economical solutions to
problems.

Types of Codes:

Model Code:

A code developed and maintained by a

standards organization independent of the
jurisdiction responsible for enacting the
building code.

Popularity can be attributed to:

Development of proprietary codes is
expensive

Ability to accommodate local
conditions

Types of Codes:
Standards:

Spells out methods for achieving the desired
result.

Building codes are largely composed of

excerpts from standards.

Standard Organizations:
American National Standards Institute
Standard Developing Organizations

NFPA

ASTM

Scientific and Professional Societies

Industry Associations

National Fire Protection

Association
NFPA
Typically involved with codes relating to:

Fire Prevention and Protection
Measures

Firefighting Operations

Hazardous Materials and Production
Processes

NFPA Code Development

Step 1

Call Goes Out For Proposals To Amend
Existing Document Or For
Recommendations On New Documents

Step 2

Committee Meets To Act On Proposals,
To Develop Its On Proposals, And To
Prepare Its Report

NFPA Code Development

Step 3

Committee Votes On Proposal By Letter
Ballot. If Two Thirds Approve, Report
Goes Forward. Lacking Two Thirds
Approval, Report Returns To Committee

Step 4

(ROP) Report On Proposals Is Published
For Public Review And Comment

NFPA Code Development

Step 5

Committee Meets To Act On Each Public

Comment Received

Step 6

Committee Votes On Comments By
Letter Ballot. If Two Thirds Approve,
Supplementary, Report Goes Forward.
Lacking Two Thirds Approval,
Supplementary Report Returns To
Committee

NFPA Code Development

Step 7

Supplementary Report -Roc- Report On
Comments Is Published For Public View
Step 8

NFPA Membership Meets (Annual Or
Fall Meeting) And Acts On Committee
Reports (ROP Or ROP)

NFPA Code Development

Step 9

Committee Votes On Any Amendments To
Report Approved At NFPA Annual Or
Fall Meeting
Step 10

Appeals To Standards Council On
Association Action Must Be Filed Within
20 Days Of The NFPA Annual Or Fall
Meeting

NFPA Code Development

Step 11

Standards Council Decides, Based On All
Evidence, Whether Or Not To Issue
Standard Or To Take Other Action,
Including Upholding Any Appeals

How is a code formed

video...
http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/
standards-development-process/howcodes-and-standards-are-developed/
standards-development-process/standardsdevelopment-process-video-series

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

National
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

State

State Fire Marshall

Local

Local Building/Fire Inspectors Office

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

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activities to decrease the incidence and

severity of uncontrolled fires. -FPH

Development of Codes
Inspections

Enforcement of codes

Education

Design and Engineering Practices (Plans
Review)

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Fire Prevention Personnel

State Fire Marshal/Commissioner

County Fire Marshal

Fire Inspector

Plans Examiner

Fire Protection Engineer (FPE)

Fire Investigator

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

National Professional Qualifications

NFPA 1031 Fire Inspector/Plan Examiner

NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator

NFPA 1035 Public Fire and Life Safety Investigator

NFPA 1037 Fire Marshal

NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS)

E.I. Certifications

P.E. Certifications

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Fire Prevention Inspections

Often performed by fire companies

Can be performed by fire marshals office

Depending on AHJ

Sometimes have entire divisions devoted to inspections

Objectives:

Ensure compliance with mandated life safety codes

Possibly prevent fires from ever occurring

Review fire/emergency evacuation plans

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement

Fire Prevention Codes

Code Administration

Enforcement Procedures

Permits

Licenses

Certificates

Enforcement Notices

Warnings or Notices of Violation

Red Tag or Condemnation Notices

Citations or Summonses

Warrants

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Plans Review

Site Plans
Preliminary Building Plans

Final Building Plans

Certificate of Occupancy

Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement

Other Enforcement Agencies

Building Department
Planning and Zoning Department

Plumbing Department

Mechanical Department

Electrical Department

Summary
Codes and standards serve many purposes,
but foremost is their contribution to the
overall betterment of civilization

The successful implementation of fire
prevention functions relies on the adoption
of up-to-date codes and standards and
the presence of technically capable and
motivated personnel