Fire Suppression Systems And Feeling The Burn

By Brian Robinson


Nobody intends to get hit by disaster and nobody wants to be struck down by one. But disasters can happen to anyone, at any place, and at any time, either through sheer bad luck or through the deliberate intent of another party. As such, it is best to prepare for one beforehand. Which is why having fire suppression systems NYC just makes sense.

Fires can destroy and end lives. Fires can destroy businesses and livelihoods. In a densely packed city where buildings are close together, having a system for containment may not just save one building, but a whole street full of them.

But beyond the social responsibility, there is the task of preserving culture and knowledge. In the past, libraries have burned down and the books and scrolls inside, made of highly flammable paper, burned as well. The knowledge contained in those books and scrolls was lost forever.

Prevention is the first line of defense. As such, stopping a calamity before it starts is always better than having to deal with it. Be careful when storing volatile or flammable chemicals. Take care that all electrical wiring is up to safety standards. Having a suppression system is prudent, but taking care to never need to use it is even better.

Fire suppression systems are mechanisms put in place to put out a blaze and stop it from spreading throughout a building, isolating it. There are a number of methods available, each suited to different environments and varying levels of intensity. Some types are better used to combat different fuel sources than others.

The extinguisher is one of the most common means of containment available. Best used for smaller blazes, extinguishers should not be used if the flames have spread beyond a small area. An extinguisher spurts out a mixture of chemicals to react with the inferno and put it out. Different types of extinguishers use different chemical mixtures and some mixtures are suited to certain types of fires depending on the fuel source.

Sprinklers are another widely used method. A sprinkler works by detecting a fire, either through smoke or through a significant spike in the temperature, and then gushes water about. Most commercial buildings come outfitted with sprinklers and they are generally quite effective when fitted and maintained properly.

Some buildings or areas may contain machinery that is sensitive to water. In those areas, gas suppression systems can be used. Instead of spreading water, a gas system spreads inert gases to combat a fire. The main drawback is that system can cause injury or even death, as one of the main methods of a gas system is to reduce the amount of oxygen in a room.

The choice to have a suppression system or not is an easy one to make, most cities actually require one to be installed by law. But the choice of which to have can be somewhat more complex. Water works best for most places, but grease or electrical fires can require foam or inert gases to put out. Some places can be outfitted with different types of systems. Getting hit by a blaze is bad enough, getting hit by one with a system in place could be potentially catastrophic.




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