The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), was established in the year1886 with a sole purpose of ensuring fire safety in all public and private spaces. The first and most crucial way by which this safety is enhanced is through construction measures as well as use or operation of any equipment that could pose a fire hazard to the public in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the NFPA (Ta et al., 2012). This organization is responsible for the inspection and certification of various environments to ensure that fire safety is given the top priority (Buchanan, & Abu, 2017). The NFPA 25 is an international standard for inspection, testing, and maintenance of all water-based fire management systems (NFPA, 2013). This safety code has been applied to many institutions, residential and commercial centers, and has ensured great success in fire prevention.
Yau, A., & Ho, S. K. (2014). Fire Risk Analysis and Optimization of Fire Prevention Management for Green Building Design and High Rise Buildings: Hong Kong Experience. Nang Yan Business Journal, 3(1), 41-54.
This study was conducted in Hong Kong city in the year 2004. It examined fire safety measures in various high-rise and green building designs in the city, as the construction industry continues to boom (Yau, & Ho, 2014). This study focused on the suitability and sustainability of the current fire safety building code and the current trend of green building designs. The analyses done included investigating the type of buildings with the greatest fire risk in Hong Kong, the suitability of current safety measures in the preservation of life and the compatibility of green building design with current fire safety code.
This fire safety study found out that commercial buildings have the best designs for fire prevention, followed by factory buildings. Residential buildings have the lowest investment in fire safety and prevention systems (Yau, & Ho, 2014). Secondly, although the current fire safety building code is efficient for typical buildings, an urgent review is necessary for the modernized green buildings in commercial centers. Lastly, the current fire systems at various high-rise buildings in Hong Kong are sufficient for fire risk ranking (Yau, & Ho, 2014). However, stringent fire prevention measures are crucial for effective mitigation of fire risk. This risk can be minimized through an update of the available fire prevention equipment at various buildings. It is essential to constantly inspect and test the viability of these systems, as this study found out that many fire safety systems, especially in older buildings, are not as efficient as they were originally designed (Yau, & Ho, 2014).
This information targets to influence fire safety management authorities such as the NFPA towards reviewing the practicability of their systems and constant review to accommodate the ever-surprising technological innovation which sees the design of new more challenging designs (Yau, & Ho, 2014). This is consistent with our class studies. The NFPA 25 review sought to accommodate the upcoming new building designs in the market. This report brings to light the need for a proper equipment maintenance routine for residential buildings as they have relatively lower fire safety measures (Yau, & Ho, 2014). It is important to add that the measures outlined in the NFPA 25 guidelines, as well as those outlined in this study, are laid for not only the residents or other occupants of the buildings but also the firefighters combating the infernos in case of an outbreak (NFPA, 2013).
Conclusively, the NFPA 25 is an international standard for inspection, testing and maintenance of fire safety and prevention equipment in various premises. It has regulations and guidelines which must be adhered to during design and construction of buildings and other potentially hazardous establishments. As shown in the study above, routine review of the guidelines to accommodate new innovations is necessary for the modern society. Residential buildings have the lowest fire safety levels, and this should be closely addressed.
References
Buchanan, A. H., & Abu, A. K. (2017). Structural design for fire safety. John Wiley & Sons.
National Fire Protection Association. (2013). NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-based Fire Protection Systems. National Fire Protection Association.
Ta, V. M., Frattaroli, S., Bergen, G., & Gielen, A. C. (2012). Evaluated community fire safety interventions in the United States: a review of current literature. Journal of community health, 31(3), 176.
Yau, A., & Ho, S. K. (2014). Fire Risk Analysis and Optimization of Fire Prevention Management for Green Building Design and High Rise Buildings: Hong Kong Experience. Nang Yan Business Journal, 3(1), 41-54.
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