Fire Codes: A Foundation of Safety for a Rapidly Changing World

Also, as construction practices evolve, codes become obsolete and refinements must be made to these living codes. In order to keep pace with these inevitable changes, American standards that fall under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) must be reviewed at least every five years — NFPA updates codes every three years. CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, conducts a systematic five-year review of its standards. The European insurance federation known as CEA, updates its requirements every two to three years. During the interim periods, technical bulletins are issued as warranted. Pump standards Without question, the fire pump is one of the most critical pieces of equipment inside a building. The pump takes water from an external water supply, such as a public utility or reservoir, and provides the required water flow and pressure for the fire protection system. Reliable, code-compliant fire protection systems begin with the consulting engineer or designer, tasked with meeting the overall project objectives and selecting the necessary systems for the project. He or she must be knowledgeable in each component of the system and understand how each component will affect the selection of another component, and how they will all work together. The development of codified performance-based approaches to system design has begun to present designers with the necessary tools to better anticipate the building’s performance in the event of a fire and a clear assessment of risks in terms of the overall project objectives. Standards governing fire pumps are most often included in broader guidelines for automatic sprinkler systems as the fire pump is a crucial part of the overall system. Some standards are loose guidelines for further code development; others that are more detailed and complex are designed to account for all conceivable scenarios in order to ensure maximum protection. Here is a summary of the leading standards and how they are applied: NFPA 20 The Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection is the most widely recognized standard in the world, issued by the U.S.- based National Fire Protection Agency and prepared by NFPA’s Technical Committee on Fire Pumps. The committee consists of more than two dozen members and nearly two dozen alternates representing fire departments, fire equipment manufacturers, listing authorities, government, academia, engineering, insurers, associations, unions and other groups.