2020 Sees Increase In Popularity For Temporary Detection Systems

Download PDF version

2020 introduced a variety of unique challenges for many industries around the world. Not surprisingly, the fire detection industry was not immune to all of those challenges. However, as much of the global community defined our manufacturing and installing peers as “essential” or “critical” it required us, as an industry, to adapt so we could continue to service our customers with our products and services.

Many regions around the world are experiencing significant demand for temporary detection systems. This demand is almost universally driven by an increase in education, awareness, and enforcement. While this is a global shift, our company has experienced a large demand in our own backyard.

Within the United States, this is being driven by the adoption and enforcement of NFPA 241. NFPA is the Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations. NFPA 241 has been a “concept” since 1930 and the official text was finally adopted by the NFPA in 1933. As with all standards, it has progressed over the years to accommodate changes in technology as well as safety awareness.

Fire safety awareness

While general safety awareness on construction sites has always been consistently high, fire safety awareness has significantly increased within the last 5 years.

Nuisance alarms negatively consume first responder bandwidth

Typically, new, or increased regulation within our industry occurs after a single devastating event or several significant events. In this particular case, it was a combination of both.

On a national level, fires on construction sites were reaching dangerous and unacceptable levels and becoming so widespread that enforcement of this standard became a priority in several states.

Need for accurate and timely fire detection

According to a report released by Richard Campbell of the NFPA in February of 2020 titled Fire In Structures under Construction or Renovation, “the estimated number of fires in structures under construction has increased since 2014 after declining between 2008 and 2010” further creating awareness.

For the last few years, the focus of many local AHJ’s (authority having jurisdiction) was on new and active worksites or renovation projects. With the changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic today, many non-essential industries have either shut down or had their operations significantly reduced. This means the need for a functioning detection system is more critical now than ever as many facilities remain idle or continue to operate with reduced personnel.

Detecting fires quickly and accurately gives our first responders the best chance of saving a person or facility. Conversely, having any “detection system” is often not good enough. Nuisance alarms negatively consume first responder bandwidth, possibly removing an engine or fire company from a genuine event.

Temporary fire detection

In an article by The Boston Globe, Easthampton Fire Chief David Mottor, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts said “Ninety percent of these buildings go up every day and nothing happens. It’s during construction before the sprinkler system is activated when they are most dangerous.”

Globally, we have seen four approaches to temporary detection for both construction and renovation sites. We will quickly discuss the advantages and disadvantages below:

Using 24/7 fire watch

Utilizing local first responders or other authorized/trained personnel to offer 24/7 fire watch requires a person or team of people to be onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to be physically looking for fires.

Advantage: Someone is always on site, actively viewing and patrolling the facility.

Disadvantage: Maintaining a 24/7 fire watch can be expensive, further the person or team can only see/find fires in proximity to them as they continue to move about a facility.

Using digital linear heat detection

Digital linear heat detection is a fixed temperature detector that is constructed using a twisted pair of metal conductors that are separated by a heat sensitive polymer. When the ambient temperature meets or exceeds the detector’s fixed temperature the polymers melt, and the detector shorts out resulting in an alarm.

Advantages: Detector can be easily installed at a new construction site or a facility being renovated. The technology is a low profile, non-intrusive and cost-effective form of detection. This automatic initiating device is immune to environmental conditions. Protectowire FireSystems offers Confirmed Temperature Initiation technology (mechanical damage does not cause a false alarm).

Disadvantages: Detector can be mechanically damaged during normal worksite operation.

If you are unsure, be sure to check with the local AHJ or call your insurance provider

Using wireless spot detectors

There are a few companies on the market that offer wireless spot detectors that can be networked together.

Advantage: Typically, this technology uses a mesh network of detectors. The detectors and their bases are battery operated and can be moved or placed per worksite requirements.

Disadvantage: This technology can be expensive. Physical barriers on the construction site may hinder mesh network operation requiring the purchase of additional wireless units. Many wireless technology providers focus on smoke detection. Smoke detectors are often not ideal for the harsh environments associated with construction (dust, temperature changes, etc.).

Using a hybrid approach

This involves using wireless nodes to supervise linear heat detection. Most manufacturers of the wireless systems offer a wireless node that can accept a third-party initiating device.

Advantage: Wireless nodes can be placed anywhere, and linear heat detection technology can withstand the harsh construction environment.

Disadvantage: Wireless node battery life can be reduced when using a third-party device. Less cost-effective approach.

Solution for Facilities

While each of the approaches listed above has its own advantages and disadvantages, you must always consider what is best for your facility. If you are unsure, be sure to check with the local AHJ or call your insurance provider.

Established in 1938, Protectowire FireSystems is the global manufacturer of Linear Heat Detection Systems. The Company has been manufacturing in the United States for the past 80 years and counting. Protectowire is dedicated to delivering products designed, engineered, manufactured, and tested with a high degree of performance, reliability, and quality.

As one of the manufacturers in the fire protection industry, Protectowire has the experience and knowledge needed to meet the ever-increasing detection challenges of the special hazard and commercial industries.

Download PDF version Download PDF version

Author profile

Brenton Harris Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Protectowire Company, Inc.

Related companies
Protectowire Company, Inc.

Related categories
Detectors

View all news from
Protectowire Company, Inc.

In case you missed it

Fire Service Training: Assessing & Auditing Behavioral Markers

It is well reported that incident numbers attended by the UK Fire and Rescue Services have reduced over the last decade, partially as a result of the improved fire safety education conducted by dedicated teams in community fire safety, and other related activities. In particular, during the period 2008-2018, there was a 20% reduction in total fire calls. However, in 2019, there was a small annual rise in the number of fires attended, and in particular, secondary fires. (Home Office, 2020). As a consequence, the total number of fires a firefighter will attend in a career starting in 2020 is likely to be significantly fewer than a firefighter who began their career in 1990. As such an alternative strategy is required to compensate for the reduced opportunities to ‘learn on the job’ in order to meet the same learning outcomes required of all roles, firefighter to chief fire officer. Clearly, this is not easy: fire environments are dynamic, multi-faceted, typically incorporate large volumes of “complex data” and are personnel or resource heavy to simulate accurately. However, the employment of hybrid reality, augmented reality and virtual reality training has demonstrated success across a number of services, and post-COVID-19 is likely to continue to rise in prevalence. firefighter operational training A significant proportion of firefighter operational training is centred on technical equipment use, and it is not always easy or possible to create a physical space where training with them is easy. Yet virtual worlds, with their limitless possibilities, allow us to create practically any scenario and with any combination of tools to use. The employment of hybrid reality, augmented reality and virtual reality training has demonstrated success across a number of services The introduction of new tactical options, such as cold-cut Cobra, or the Emergency One “E1 Scorpion” would traditionally follow a relatively slow uptake-arc, as only a certain number of operators can be familiar with it initially, and we would expect an increase in usage as awareness is gradually built up. However, in a virtual environment, all firefighter or commanders can experiment with all potential tactical options, as there is no limit on availability or scenario complexity. During Fire officer training, there are elements of role or support functions which are not suited to virtual worlds, these generally involve human interactions, and the application of dynamic administrative tasks like decision logging and information processing. To improve the accuracy and value of the training this dynamic is often achieved through the use of actors, role players and “props” to augment the virtual training environment. This hybrid approach enables all aspects of firefighter or fire officer roles to be developed as realistically as possible, honing skills in the classroom that can be applied in the incident ground. Judgement in high pressure situations In conjunction with this development in the training environment, and the recognition that training now plays a central part in building a commander’s capabilities, considerable work on understanding and developing these behaviours associated with decision making, have been the focus of several major research projects (Butler et al. 2020, Cohen-Hatton et al. 2015). In addition, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) had identified that commanders’ judgement in high pressure situations, especially where risk appetite was concerned, needed some consideration. Effectively they recognized that this was a “human factors” consideration, where the commander themselves was the factor posing the greatest risk (to themselves, the public and to the people they are in command of) (CFOA, 2015). Command decision making skills and the application of human factors throughout training are now widely recognized as essential components in the development of a fire officers skill set. Fire Services are effectively required to train commanders in those skills, allow them to develop and maintain them and in particular systematically record and evaluate the strength of those skills. The Effective Command model The Effective Command model developed in 2015 offers a solution to this challenge. It follows a behavioral marker philosophy and can be used to record operational competence achieved during training, incident monitoring or formal assessment, from incidents or simulated training environments. Command decision making skills and the application of human factors throughout training are now widely recognized as essential A rich multi-mode training environment allows in the development of Recognition primed decision making, where the experience is rich enough to become a part of a commander’s knowledge base, allowing them to determine the nature of problems, quickly and resolve them based on past successful experiences. The Effective Command training methodology aligns with the five principles of simulator-based exercise team training, as outlined by Crichton (2017). Principle 1 - Develop learning objectives and expected performance standards Through the use of scenarios, incident commanders are presented with unexpected events or dilemmas (Lamb et al, 2014). These cues stimulate the expected behaviours and allow relevant behavioral markers to be practiced or demonstrated. Principle 2 - Train the team or individuals Training the individual in non-technical skills is often overlooked during training and development of Fire Officers. Principle 3 - Use a structured observation tool The structured observation tool Effective Command is used to capture positive behaviours as well as areas for improvement. The framework is also used as a basis of the training design, used to provide feedback and for self-reflection by the student. Principle 4 - Provide feedback during a structured debrief Feedback is given face-to-face immediately following a scenario-based exercise, and behaviours observed during the exercise are highlighted. Principle 5 - Repeat the Training regularly It has been identified in a recent study (Lamb et al, 2020) that structured and holistic training and assessment systems, like Effective Command, provide an efficient and auditable way of developing and assessing Fire Officers. Enabling data trends to be fed into subsequent training cycles to maximize continual organizational development. Through the employment of a consistent behavioral framework, the process of developing essential knowledge and behaviours begins earlier and ensures firefighters are safer and more effective both immediately and as future officers.

2020 Review: COVID-19’s Impact On The Fire Industry And Firefighting

COVID-19 dominated the headlines in 2020, and it had a profound impact on the fire industry. TheBigRedGuide.com published many articles about the pandemic and its impact, some of which were among the most-read articles of the year. This retrospective will highlight some of those pandemic-related articles, including links to the original content. The Fire Industry Association (FIA) in the United Kingdom published a survey report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The survey, conducted by FIA, sought to gain a greater understanding of how organizations have been impacted by COVID-19 and of the impact on the wider fire industry now and in the future. Resilience is a recurring theme in the FIA report. At the time of the survey (when the United Kingdom was just past the coronavirus peak), a total of 81% of respondents expected they could continue operating under current circumstances for three months or more. rapidly-spreading virus Roughly a fourth expected their business could continue for six months (23.4%), and another quarter of respondents expected they could last a year (23.4%). First responders were on the front lines of the latest COVID-19 health crisis. Around the United States - and around the world - EMS departments faced the uncertainties of a rapidly-spreading virus. One early problem was a shortage of face masks. As cases surged, it was also harder for ambulance companies to get other needed supplies. Around the United States - and around the world - EMS departments faced the uncertainties of a rapidly-spreading virus In King County, Wash., an early epicenter of COVID-19 cases in the United States, Kirkland, Wash., firefighters and Kirkland police officers were placed under quarantine after an outbreak at a senior care facility. Firefighters were either quarantined at home or at a local fire station. Fire stations are unique environments with conditions that could be conducive to the spread of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19. municipal fire departments Firefighters live in close quarters for 24-hour shifts, and then return home to their families. Reports about “hot” firehouses have helped to emphasize the need to follow best practices to avoid the spread of the disease. The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) compiled a list of guidelines that departments can put into practice to reduce and/or avoid cross-contamination of on-duty staff. Among other impacts on the fire industry, the COVID-19 global pandemic played havoc with the industry’s trade show schedule, with major events canceled or delayed. County and municipal fire departments were impacted as local governments respond to the COVID-19-induced economic downturn with spending freezes, hiring freezes and spending cuts. Some local governments are hoping for help from the state and/or federal level. address economic downturns Although some governments have “rainy day funds” to address economic downturns, not all of them do. Furthermore, the extent of the current economic crisis may exceed our worst fears. Proposed budget cuts for some fire and EMS departments are in the 10% to 25% range. A consequence of the coronavirus shutdown was cancellation of hundreds of volunteer fire department fundraisers across the United States - from fish fries to bingo to hog roasts to chicken barbecues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend toward working from home accelerated No more carnivals or spaghetti suppers or gun raffles. And departments lost thousands of dollars. Firefighters are used to wearing protective gear, but one U.S. locale exempted first responders from adhering to a mask mandate to address coronavirus risks. The City Council of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, proposed an amendment to exempt first responders from complying with the city’s face mask ordinance. ensure social distancing Specifically, the proposed amendment states, “Exempted from the requirements of the ordinance requiring wearing of face coverings include law enforcement personnel, first responders or other workers, who are actively engaged in their tasks, if wearing a face covering may hinder their performance.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend toward working from home accelerated. New technologies made it possible for 911 dispatchers to work from home, whether to ensure social distancing or to supplement operations during evolving emergencies. The computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems offer web-based interfaces and mobile capabilities that enable public-safety answering point (PSAP) operators to work from anywhere. Other technologies that are paving the way for dispatchers to work from home include the cloud, virtual private networks (VPNs), and faster data speeds. blocking firefighter access Adapting workspaces to operate safely during a pandemic presents complications, not least of which is making sure that the measures taken to protect employees from infection do not undermine fire safety. In the course of altering a building to prevent infection spread, there are risks of introducing new life safety hazards and compromising emergency preparedness. It is also important to avoid blocking firefighter access and facilities As buildings adapt to new occupancy standards and requirements, it is critical that any protective measures do not interfere with operation of life safety systems. Might temporary partitions or barriers block escape routes during a fire emergency? Social distancing measures might entail blocking emergency exists and disrupting the flow of occupants looking to vacate a building. It is also important to avoid blocking firefighter access and facilities. career options The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting every aspect of our business lives. But buried among the disruption was an opportunity. Newly idled workers could see this as an opportune time for training to expand their career options. Meanwhile, employees still on the job may find that a cancelled or postponed project means they have time on their hands. Training can enable them to make the most of that time. In-person training has come to a halt, of course, because of social distancing requirements. Filling the gap are new online learning opportunities.

Fire Risks: Educating Citizens to Keep the Holidays Happy

The holiday season is fraught with possible dangers from fire. Ranging from dried-out Christmas trees to overloaded electrical circuits, the dangers are high in a season when awareness may be at a low point. Fire departments are well positioned to communicate these dangers to citizens. Social media makes it easier than ever to spread “messages of good habits” when it comes to fire prevention in homes and businesses. A Look At The Statistics The dangers are high in a season when awareness may be at a low point According to the latest statistics, covering 2013-2017, fire departments respond to an average of 160 home fires each year that start with Christmas trees, according to NFPA Applied Research. Electrical distribution of lighting equipment was involved in 44% of home Christmas tree fires, and another 25% were caused by some type of heat source, such as a candle too close to the tree. Excluding Christmas trees, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 780 home structure fires per year that began with Christmas decorations (between 2013 and 2017, according to NFPA Applied Research). On average, 22 home candle fires are reported each day, with the two peak days for candle fires being Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. About 10 percent of fireworks fires occur between Dec. 30 and Jan. 3, with the peak on New Year’s Day. Help From The U.S. Fire Administration U.S. Fire Administration provides a series of holiday, candle and Christmas tree outreach materials to enable fire departments to increase awareness of holiday fires in their communities. A social media toolkit contains content that a department can easily share on Twitter, Facebook or other social media channels. Content may be copied or customized to reach any audience. Messages from the U.S. Fire Administration that departments can share on social media platforms include: The top three days of the year for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year’s Day, and New Year’s Eve. Residents should only use decorations that are flame-retardant or not flammable. Holiday lights should be checked each year for frayed wires or excessive wear. A limit of three strands of holiday lights should be linked. Burning candles should not be left unattended. Battery-operated flameless candles are a safer alternative. Christmas trees should be kept away from heat sources and room exits. Watering a Christmas tree daily keeps it from becoming dry and flammable. Care is required to ensure that the festivities of the season do not come at a cost of lost property and/or lives Care is required to ensure that the festivities of the season do not come at a cost of lost property and/or lives. Fire prevention can lessen the burden on firefighters during a season when spending time with family is at a premium. The sadness of a fire tragedy, especially during the holiday season, can be unbearable. The holiday season is also an appropriate time to acknowledge the hard work that departments and other fire professionals dedicate to preventing and fighting fires. We at TheBigRedGuide.com salute the work of the fire service and the fire industry to keep residents and businesses safe from fire and other emergencies, both during the holiday season and throughout the year. Happy holidays to all our readers, and we look forward to providing even more useful information on our site in 2021.