Fire Hose Reels, Fire Hydrants and Sprinkler Systems Explained

• Proeksa Meas
• 31 December 2015
• Construction Focus
• 5459 Views

By Paul Hurford, Managing Director, AZISAFE

Wet fire systems are a serious consideration in the design of any new project, and they can be an expensive addition. However, retrofitting them after a building is completed is an extremely difficult and more expensive task. Ensuring you select the best system for your project needs to be more than simply following the building standard or code you have chosen to use for your project.

It is also essential to remember that whatever option is selected, it will require an independent reserve supply of water and fire pump; mains supplies are not a reliable source of water in the event of a fire.

Fire Hose Reels systems are designed as an easy-to-operate, first intervention tool for building residents to use in the early stages of a fire. They are also a cost-effective solution due to the limited plumbing and pipe work requirements. They are unfortunately not a genuine firefighting solution if your building is of a size or height that limits the fire service from accessing all areas from the outside, as they do not deliver enough water to effectively fight a developed fire.

Sprinkler systems are often seen as the automatic solution for firefighting in a building, and would seem to be the ideal solution for Cambodia where fire safety awareness is limited and the likelihood of those present in the initial stages of a fire taking action to stop a fires spread is low. Sprinklers however are primarily designed to slow the development of a fire and aid in the evacuation process rather than extinguish a fire. Without quality ongoing maintenance sprinkler systems can do significant water damage to a building and can result in higher expense than a potential fire would cause.

Fire Hydrant systems with fire hoses are a very effective tool for internal firefighting for trained professionals, however are not designed for use by individuals with no training, and can be quite dangerous to those attempting to fight a fire without the relevant skills and knowledge. This is a problem that can be easily overcome by ensuring building employees are trained appropriately, or better still developing onsite fire response teams.

As I have discussed in an earlier article, fire standards from different countries are not always the answer for Cambodia. When it comes to fire hydrants, sprinkler systems and hose reel systems there are some clear examples of quality installations being inappropriate for Cambodia.

The fire service in Cambodia is dramatically improving, however they still have limited resources and training to be able to internally fight fires, particularly in larger buildings. Most fire codes or standards are designed with the response procedures of local fire authorities taken into account, which in the case of Singapore or Malaysia for example are some of the best trained and equipped fire services in the world. Applying these standards to Cambodia without looking at the difference in response capability, and the impact this will have can be very dangerous.

Other installations which are commonly found in Cambodia due to the application of international standards include dry risers systems and sprinkler or hydrant boost points which are currently a waste of resources as the majority of firefighting vehicles used in Cambodia are not designed to work with these installations. Investment in higher capacity fire pumps and effective internal procedures would be a far more efficient option.