"Fire protection engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people, property, and their environments from the harmful and destructive effects of fire and smoke."
Codes that specify the minimum requirements for fire prevention, detection, and suppression systems, as well as emergency exits and lighting.
Building Codes: Building codes are the regulations, standards, and guidelines that dictate the design, construction, and maintenance of structures.
Fire Protection: Fire protection revolves around the various equipment, materials, and methods employed to prevent, detect, and extinguish fires.
Life Safety: Life safety encompasses the legal obligations and best practices aimed at ensuring the well-being and safety of building occupants and emergency responders in the case of an emergency.
Building Occupancy: Building occupancy standards refer to the maximum number of individuals that can occupy a given space in compliance with the building code.
Means of Egress: Means of egress entail the routes and features that permit building occupants to exit safely and quickly in the event of an emergency.
Fire-Rated Construction: Fire-rated construction involves the use of materials and construction techniques designed to safeguard against the spread of fire.
Fire Suppression Systems: Fire suppression systems comprise the equipment and techniques used to extinguish or control fires, including sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers.
Alarm Systems: Alarm systems alert occupants of hazardous events and can be used to signal emergency responders.
Emergency Lighting: Emergency lighting ensures that exit routes remain visible and that occupants can navigate safely during a power outage.
Building Inspections: Building inspections are critical to ensuring compliance with fire protection and life safety codes, as well as identifying potential hazards.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes outline regulations and standards for fire prevention, life safety, and protection measures in architectural and design settings.
International Building Code (IBC): The International Building Code (IBC) is a comprehensive set of regulations governing the design, construction, and fire protection aspects of buildings, aiming to ensure public safety and welfare.
National Electrical Code (NEC): The National Electrical Code (NEC) sets the minimum safety standards for the installation and use of electrical systems in buildings to prevent fire and electrical hazards.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards: The topic of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards in the context of Architecture and Design and Fire protection and life safety codes focuses on regulations and guidelines for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment to prevent workplace hazards and protect employees.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the context of Architecture and Design and Fire protection and life safety codes ensures accessibility and safety for individuals with disabilities in buildings by setting guidelines and standards.
International Fire Code (IFC): The International Fire Code (IFC) is a set of regulations that establish minimum fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings to protect life and property from the dangers of fire.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards: Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards are a set of internationally recognized safety standards for testing and certifying products related to fire protection and life safety in architecture and design.
"It encompasses engineering which focuses on fire detection, suppression and mitigation and fire safety engineering which focuses on human behavior and maintaining a tenable environment for evacuation from a fire."
"Fire detection - fire alarm systems and brigade call systems."
"Active fire protection - fire suppression systems."
"Passive fire protection - fire and smoke barriers, space separation."
"Smoke control and management."
"Escape facilities - emergency exits, fire lifts, etc."
"Building design, layout, and space planning."
"Fire prevention programs."
"Fire dynamics and fire modeling."
"Human behavior during fire events."
"Risk analysis, including economic factors."
"Wildfire management."
"Fire engineers assist architects, building owners and developers in evaluating buildings' life safety and property protection goals."
"Fire engineers are also employed as fire investigators, including such very large-scale cases as the analysis of the collapse of the World Trade Center."
"NASA uses fire engineers in its space program to help improve safety."
"Fire engineers are also employed to provide 3rd party review for performance-based fire engineering solutions submitted in support of local building regulation applications."
"[Fire safety engineering] focuses on human behavior and maintaining a tenable environment for evacuation from a fire."
"Fire suppression systems... aid in preventing, controlling, and mitigating the effects of fires."
"Fire protection engineering... aims to protect people, property, and their environments from the harmful and destructive effects of fire and smoke."