MOS 5301-14I-1, Fire Protection Technology
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 25 is the baseline for inspection, testing, and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems, but it doesn’t address the proper flow requirements, in other words NFPA addresses that water would flow through the system but not how much. Compliance helps maximize system integrity to avoid failure and ensure fast, effective response in a fire emergency. For that reason we look outside NFPA 25 to get proper guidance in addressing this particular situation that is crucial in assure that we have the proper water flow requirements to guarantee the integrity and effectiveness of the fire protection system.
A great source of information is ISO (Insurance Services Office). ISO is the premier source of information, products, and services related to property and liability risk. ISO published in 2008 the Guide for Determination of Needed Fire Flow. According to their guide in order to evaluate the fire suppression delivery systems and the need of proper flow requirement in this case an auditorium you must consider certain factors, but first let’s define what an auditorium is; according to the NFPA website an assembly or auditorium occupancy is generally defined as “an occupancy (1) used for a gathering of 50 or more persons for deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, amusement, awaiting transportation, or similar uses; or (2) used as a special amusement building, regardless of occupant load.” Assembly occupancies might include the following: Armories, assembly halls, auditoriums, club rooms, dance halls, drinking establishments and exhibition halls among others. Fires in assembly occupancies have shown to be some of the most deadly when the proper features, systems and construction materials were not present cite NFPA in their website. That is why it is so crucial to have the proper water flow when we use a sprinkler system. In addition to saving lives, there are unrecognized benefits in protecting buildings with fire sprinklers, such as the conservation of water and the potential reduction of water infrastructure demands in communities. Water usage by fire services is expected to be significantly less for buildings protected by a fire sprinkler system. A typical fire sprinkler system will discharge 22 to 38 gpm. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standard number 1910.159 (Automatic sprinkler systems) “The employer shall assure that every automatic sprinkler system is provided with at least one automatic water supply capable of providing design water flow for at least 30 minutes. An auxiliary water supply or equivalent protection shall be provided when the automatic water supply is out of service, except for systems of 20 or fewer sprinklers”. ISO developed the Needed Fire Flow (NFF) through a review of actual large-loss fires. ISO recorded the average fire flow and other important factors, including construction type, occupancy type, area of the building, and exposures. Those factors are the foundation of the needed fire flow formula.
The required fire flow for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings and one and two-family dwellings greater than 5,000 square feet (NFPA 1) or 3,600 square feet (IFC) are tabulated in tables B105.1 and 18.4.5.1.2 for the IFC and NFPA 1, respectively. But that information is not accessible free of charge, the person inquiring for that information throughout the IFC and NFPA websites need to actually pay for the publications.
References
Benfer, M., & Scheffey, J. (2014). Evaluation of Fire Flow Methodologies. Springer Briefs in Fire
GUIDE FOR DETERMINATION OF NEEDED FIRE FLOW. (2008).
Klaus, M. (2013). Water-based fire protection systems handbook (4th ed.). Quincy, Mass.: National Fire Protection Assoc.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. (n.d.).