Protecting Our Own - Fire Station Safety

The job of the fire department is to protect the community from the hazards and loss that a fire can bring.  However, we cannot effectively accomplish this goal if we do not take care of our own. The following standards have been developed for this purpose:

• NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program
• NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program
• NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments
• NFPA 1583, Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department Members

The starting point for firefighter safety programs is NFPA 1500. This standard addresses safety issues, requirements, and responsibilities related to administration, professional development, apparatus, PPE, operations, medical and physical fitness, and behavioral health and wellness.

This standard also addresses concerns associated with fire department facility, fire station, safety. Section 9.2 requires all fire department facilities to be inspected at least annually, with a monthly walkthrough to address issues.  These inspections are to ensure compliance with the facility safety standard of NFPA 1500, chapter 9.  Model facility inspection programs consist of observance of OSHA standards, general housekeeping, egress, fire extinguishers, life safety, electrical issues, apparatus bay, and the building exterior. To assist in this inspection process we have created an inspection tool for you to download.

FIRE STATION SAFETY ASSESSMENT

Testing Smoke Control Systems

Large-volume spaces are large, usually multi-story, and uncompartmented spaces in which smoke or fire can freely move and accumulate without restriction.  It is within these spaces and under these conditions that a smoke management system may be required.  

NFPA 92, Standard for Smoke Control Systems, defines requirements for the design, installation, testing, and maintenance of these systems. Smoke control systems are designed to prevent smoke from going where it should not, into stairwells, means of egress, and areas of refuge. The system design is also must prohibit smoke movement and migration to other parts of building and provide optimal conditions for emergency responders to conduct their operations.

Once these systems have been installed, they must be tested to ensure that they will work properly, and in conjunction with, all other associated fire protection systems.  Chapter 8, of NFPA 92, provides direction on the testing of these systems. There are five critical steps that taken to ensure the system's operability and functionality.

Step 1. Review the design criteria and system documentation.

Step 2. Inspect the building and construction components.

Architectural components and structural features should be inspected to ensure that their installation is complete.  Items to inspect may include: smoke barriers, shaft integrity, firestopping, doors and closers, glazing, partitions and ceilings.

Step 3. Test individual system components.

All trades should be completed and signed-off on their work. Components that will be affected by the smoke controls system, and should be individually tested include: fire alarm systems, HVAC systems, electrical systems, power and standby power systems, automatic doors, elevators, other smoke control or smoke management systems, and firefighter control stations.

Step 4. Conduct full operational acceptance test of the smoke control system.

1. Building equipment should be in normal operational mode.
2. Demonstrate that the correct outputs are produced for the proper given inputs.
3. Test the complete operational sequence:
1. Normal mode
2. Automatic smoke control mode
3. Transfer to standby power, if applicable
4. Return system to normal

Step 5. Confirm and document that all fans, dampers, and related equipment functioned properly.

Related Posts

• Testing Integrated Fire Systems
• Commissioning New Occupancies
• The 5 Documents Commissioning Requires
• The Commissioning Agenda

NFPA 407 Aviation Fueling Checklist

NFPA 407 is the Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing. The standard outlines general requirements for all aviation fueling operations and four individual fuel applications.  

General requirements (Chapter 4). These apply to all fueling operations.  Outlined in this section is general safety guidelines, fueling equipment requirements and specifications, and fueling operations requirements.

Aviation fueling facilites (Chapter 5). This section addresses requirements for fuel tanks, installation plan review requirements, system components, and acceptance testing criteria.  In addition to the requirements listed in this section, fuel tanks must also be installed per the requirements of NFPA 30.

Airport fueling vehicles (Chapter 6).  Fuel vehicle manufacturer requirements are outlined in this section. Marking, vehicle operation, and general safety requirements are also stated in this section.

Rooftop heliports (Chapter 7).  With a few exceptions, this section largely refers the reader to NFPA 418, Standard for Heliports.

Self-service aircraft fueling (Chapter 8). Provides a short list of requirements for the protection of the user.  These include location of emergency fuel shut-off switches, fire protection, informational signage, access control, and fire protection.

For fire inspectors tasked with conducting periodic inspections of these facilities, the minimum requirements can be difficult to pull from the standard.  The link below will take you to an NFPA 407 inspection checklist that can be used for guidance during an inspection.

Download NPFA 407 Inspection Checklist

Related posts:

• How to Conduct Aircraft Fuel Servicing Operations
• Rapid Refueling and NFPA 407
• The 4-1-8 on Heliport Design
• How to Store Flammable and Combustible Liquids

Information: 503-969-2028 or marc.kilman-burnham@amr.net.