What are the commissioning requirements for the fire protection systems?
“This is commonly overlooked in design and construction,” says Jelenewicz, citing acceptance testing and inspecting the systems as important actions. “An FPE can assure that each individual fire protection system is working, and also how all the individual systems – from sprinklers to fire alarms to smoke management to exiting- work together as one integrated life-safety system.” Without considering how a building modification may impact fire and life safety, the smallest of incidents can have drastic implications. Fire protection engineers use science and technology to protect people, property, and businesses from destructive fires. They analyze how buildings are used, how fires start, how fires grow, and how fire and smoke affect occupants and property. With their expertise, facilities professionals have the tools to pinpoint risks and the means to protect against fires. Linda K. Monroe (linda.monroe@buildings.com) is editorial director at Buildings magazine.
