Fire Protection in Mission Critical Infrastructures

This chapter provides an understanding of how fires behave, an objective accounting of the various fire protection technologies available, the expected performance of these technologies, and the applicable codes. In order to determine what technology is appropriate for an application, a hazard analysis of the facility should be conducted by a licensed fire protection professional. A variety of fire detection devices are available in the marketplace, and each is meant for specific types of applications, although manufacturers and installers may have reasons other than applicability for recommending a given technology. Today there are a number of types of automatic fire suppression systems available to an owner. It is essential that facility managers understand the applicable fire protection technologies that are available to mission critical environments so they can implement appropriate solutions that meet business reliability goals.