What Is Fire Protection?

Fire protection is a huge field and encompasses all of the various ways that humans try to mitigate unwanted fires from happening in their facilities. Some of these methods focus on prevention, while others deal with suppression or evacuation procedures during an emergency. There are also maintenance requirements associated with a variety of fire safety equipment, and regular property inspections are an important part of this process.

Passive fire protection systems are mostly built right into the building during construction, using materials that are fire retardant or that take a long time to be affected by flames. These include cinder block walls, fire-rated doors and fire barriers like smoke baffles. Some passive systems can combine active and passive systems, such as fire curtains that deploy from ceilings in warehouses or other tall buildings after an alarm is activated.

Most workplaces have fire hazards in one form or another. For example, electrical outlets that are overloaded with appliances or overheated machinery can be a risk, and chemicals stored incorrectly or improperly handled in kitchens may cause an accident. Having fire hazard assessments conducted regularly helps prevent these types of problems from becoming major disasters. A common way to do this is by distributing a checklist that employees can use to identify potential fire hazards. The checklists should include questions such as whether the work area has adequate ventilation, if it is cluttered with unnecessary items or if the building’s exits are clearly marked and easy to find.

Unlike passive fire protection systems, active fire suppression systems are designed to directly fight the fire and keep it contained until emergency personnel can arrive on scene. The most familiar type of active fire suppression system is a sprinkler, which can be installed in a facility based on criteria such as occupancy and the size of the structure.

In addition to putting out the fire, these systems can be used to notify emergency responders and alert people to the situation. They can also be used to evacuate the building, and many of them are connected to other fire safety systems, such as fire alarms.

Some buildings have specific requirements that require specialized fire suppression systems, such as those that use carbon dioxide or dry chemical systems rather than water. These are often found in commercial cooking areas, laboratories and hazardous or chemical storage rooms. Some computer server rooms also need this type of specialized fire protection system, as well.

In Minecraft, the Fire Protection enchantment reduces damage taken from sources of fire, including lava and magma blocks, being set on fire and melee attack damage from mobs that deal fire damage. This enchantment works with all armor, except for iron. The reduction in damage is increased with higher levels of the enchantment. It is not available to players below level 10, however. Fire protection is a great enchantment for those that want to survive longer in an environment where there are multiple sources of damage and can be quite dangerous.