This course has presented an evolving scenario involving the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse fire. Throughout your reading and analysis of the fire, you have been presented with a multitude of information that that will allow you to make recommendation to those charged with designing the suppression system in the new building. This assignment consists of four parts and your project must be at least four-pages in length (at least one page per section).
Section I
As you make suggestions to improve the water-based fire sprinkler system, refer to the background information, if needed, to provide you with the necessary material to identify the basic components common to fire protection for the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse. In addition, review the Points to Ponder Scenario in the Unit V Lesson for additional information.
This assignment is not looking for compliance with building codes nor expecting you to be a fire protection system designer. However, the purpose of this assignment is for you to apply the concepts and knowledge you learned in this unit as you begin writing your final project covering protection systems that will detect, contain, control, and extinguish a fire. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response.
Prepare a well-organized narrative that addresses foam- and water-based fire sprinkler systems and includes your recommendations after reviewing the background information and the information above. Your discussion will consist of your evaluation of the previous water-based sprinkler system, based on information from the textbook and any additional research needed for your recommendations for the rebuild of the warehouse. Discuss the importance of water pressure, and determine the pressure for seven sprinkler heads discharging 157.5 gallons of water per minute.
Section II
As you make suggestions to improve the fire protection system, identify the components and accessories common to fire pump installations needed for the rebuild of the warehouse. Refer to the background information, if needed, to provide you with the necessary material to identify the basic components common to fire protection for the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse. In addition, review the Points to Ponder Scenario in the Unit VII Lesson for additional information as well as Chapter 6 in the textbook.
Prepare a well-organized narrative addressing fire pumps and including your recommendations after reviewing the background information and the information above. Your discussion will consist of your evaluation of the previous fire pump and recommendations for the rebuild of the warehouse, based on information from the textbook and any additional research.
Section III
As we saw in the Points to Ponder Scenario in the unit lesson, electrical surge protection devices could have mitigated damage or even loss to the pump driver. Describe the benefits that surge protection devices provide for fire pump components and systems against the damages of voltage surges.
Section IV (Executive Summary)
In this section, you will prepare a well-organized and thoughtful summary of your recommendations for the fire protection system for the scenario-based case study course project on the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse fire. This summary should expound on what you have learned during the different parts covered in each unit, so you can understand issues that exist within the fire protection technology field. Place the summary after the title page, and follow it with your recommendations for the rebuilding of the warehouse.
The purpose of the executive summary is to provide a narrative about the project with sufficient detail to allow readers to be able to accurately describe your recommendations to resolve potential fires in the future. Explain how your recommendations for the scenario-based case study relate to the methodology you chose and to the project outcome and conclusions. In other words, your summary must be clear, logical, and demonstrate alignment among the goals, methods, and outcomes.
UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE
Fire Pumps
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
5. Examine emerging technologies related to fire protection.
5.1 Discuss the characteristics of stationary fire pumps.
5.2 Identify pump drivers, components, and accessories common to the installation of fire pumps.
5.3 Describe considerations of surge protection for the installation of fire pumps.
Required Unit Resources
In order to access the following resource, click the link below.
Read Chapter 2 of the report titled Data Assessment for Electrical Surge Protection Devices: Phase 1 Final
Report.
Davis, E., Kooiman, N., & Viswanathan, K. (2014). Data assessment for electrical surge protection devices:
Phase 1 final report (Project No. 1ELD62001.001). https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-andResearch/Fire-statistics-andreports/Electrical/RFDataAssessmentforElectricalSurgeProtectionDevices.ashx?la=en
Unit Lesson
Fire Pumps
Fire pumps are a critical and vital component of numerous water-based fire protection systems. Over several
decades, fire pumps have been providing water flow and pressure for water-based fire protection systems. In
the Crosby-Fiske-Forster Handbook of Fire Protection (8th ed.), Crosby et al. (1935) noted that fire pumps are
used to supply water for automatic sprinklers, standpipes, and hydrants.
Fire pumps have not changed much over the decades of delivering water flow and pressure to water-based
fire protection systems. Fire pumps use the same sources of water today as they did in 1935. Drivers, control
devices, and jockey pumps were part of the components of fire pumps in 1935, as well as today. Crosby et al.
(1935) listed fire pumps as centrifugal fire pumps, rotary fire pumps, and steam fire pumps (piston driven by
steam). Today, steam fire pumps are no longer utilized. In 1935, there was a strong emphasis stating that fire
pumps must be listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Factory Mutual Laboratories, and this remains
the same today.
One of the most critical and vital components for fire pumps then and today is adequate water and power
supply. Today, the fundamentals of fire pump design remain relatively unchanged, taking water and boosting
the pressure to meet the pressure and water flow demands of the water-based fire protection system. The
drawback to this is if the public or private water system cannot deliver adequate water to the fire pump. The
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 20: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Fire Pumps for Fire
Protection states that all fire pumps must be tested weekly or monthly based on the type of driver used in the
system (Klaus, 2013). Testing of fire pumps is critical to ensure they are ready to provide the needed water
flow and pressure in the event of a fire.
Fire pump assembly components: A stationary fire pump has several significant components that perform
as a unit. In addition to the fire pump, there are drivers; control devices; jockey pumps; and additional
components, such as fittings, valves, and devices.
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Drivers (pump drivers): A driver connects to the fire pump and provides the mechanical
power
to turn the
UNIT x STUDY
GUIDE
pump. Today, the first choice during the design phase of fire protection systems
is an electric motor. Fire
Title
pump drivers must be listed and meet the performance characteristics determined by UL and the National
Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Control devices: A control device senses the loss of pressure in the system and sends an electric signal
engaging the driver. In the control panel, there are two positions: manual and automatic. The manual position
allows the fire pump to be operated in the event that the automatic pump-start failed.
Jockey pump: Pressure fluctuation and loss is common to any water-based fire protection system, and these
fluctuations or loss of pressure could cause the pump to unnecessarily start and stop. In order to manage the
pressure loss, a smaller pump, which is called the jockey pump, is installed to maintain the pressure. Jockey
pumps are a small electric motor that boosts and maintains the system. When the demand for water flow is
beyond the capabilities of the jockey pump, the main fire pump will then activate.
Points to Ponder Scenario
In the distribution warehouse, the fire pump was located in an area that was out of the way and most workers
did not even know there was a fire pump. The fire pump was a foreign-made fire pump that was not part of
the specifications listed in the design of the fire protection system. The fire pump complied with foreign
regulations and international codes of practice similar to the NFPA. In addition, the fire pump met International
Organization for Standardization’s ISO 9001: 2008 specifically for centrifugal pumps and jockey pumps used
in automatic water-based sprinkler installations. However, the foreign-made fire pump was not UL approved.
The pump met compliance with the engineers design specifications and calculations outlined on the shop
drawings. However, once the fire pump was installed, the inlets for the water lines on the suction side
required elbows to connect to the potable water source. In addition, butterfly valves and pressure regulating
devices were used 10 feet from the fire pump suction flange. The control values were not properly labeled
and none of the values were clearly identified. In addition, the relief valve was eliminated during installation.
After the fire, investigators noted that the fire pump had not been tested since installation, and there were no
records of any maintenance being performed. When power was restored to test the fire pump, an electrical
surge from the power distribution grid occurred damaging the electric motor. In addition, the electric motor for
the fire pump was not properly grounded, and the surge protector used did not comply with UL Standards nor
was it authorized to bear the UL mark, which is a UL holographic label.
Was the fire pump installation in accordance with the NFPA? Should an inspector have realized the elbows,
butterfly valves, and pressure regulating devices were an issue in performance? Should they have noted the
fire pump was not UL approved? According to Klaus (2013), NFPA 25 standards do not require inspectors to
understand the design and adequacy of fire protection systems to include the fire pump. Inspectors are
required to identify operational problems when inspecting the system. Klaus (2013) does state that if
inspectors have specific knowledge of a system and recognize a problem in design, then they must
recommend a hazard evaluation. In addition, butterfly valves and other devices within 50 feet of the suction
flange can decrease performance. The reason stated is these devices can create excessive turbulence,
leading to pump cavitation and the loss of pressure.
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Electrical Surge Damage
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
In the scenario, an electrical surge occurred and damaged the fire pump when the power was restored after
the power outage. Electrical surges can damage various electronics critical to fire protection systems like
computers, phones, phone lines, and fire alarm control units (FACUs). Some of the causes of electrical
surges could be the electrical distribution system is not grounded or surge protection devices are not installed
properly. In addition, surges could occur from lightning, utility switching, or other sources, so surge protection
devices should be used for residential and commercial/industrial structures. According to Klaus (2013), the
industry standards provide limited guidance on what is an acceptable level of protection. A study by the NFPA
Fire Protection Research Foundation concluded that 12% of the fire pumps tested had damage due to voltage
surges (Davis et al., 2014). The authors noted that surges damage motor windings in fire pumps, shortening
the motors life. Control devices are at risk for damage from surges, altering the capacity of the system and
making them ineffective during a fire. Davis et al. (2014) warn that surge protection must be properly sized
and installed in order to protect the device and that there are four types of surge protection devices (SPD)
listed in UL 1449. The types are dependent on the location within in the system and the type of internal
protection provided.
Type 1: SPDs are permanently connected between the secondary line and the line side of the
equipment.
Type 2: SPDs are permanently connected on the load side of the equipment and located at the
branch panel.
Type 3: SPDs are installed at the point of utilization that is at least 30 feet from the electrical service
panel.
Type 4: SPDs are components and assemblies that are factory installed into electrical distribution
equipment and require additional overcurrent protection (Davis et al., 2014).
NFPA 70, which is the National Electrical Code, covers electrical safety in residential, commercial, and
industrial occupancies. The code also covers safety involving electrical wiring, overcurrent protection,
grounding, and installation of equipment, as well as facilitates the safe installation of electrical wiring and
equipment. Brakhage et al (2016) warn that a disadvantage with electrical pump drivers is the reliability during
power outages related to storms, transformer or substation failure, and power line damage. Even with the
disadvantage, electrical pump drivers are still used in most fire protection system designs.
Conclusion
Although there are new and different types of fire pumps, over the decades, they have not changed in their
function of boosting pressure and supplying water. Since 1935 and before, fire pumps have been a critical
and a vital component of water-based fire protection systems. The selection, installation, and maintenance of
fire pumps are also critical and could mean the difference in a devastating fire for life safety and property as
seen in the scenario.
In many instances, electrical surge protection devices could have mitigated damage or even loss to
equipment. It is critical that surge protection devices are used on all electrical fire protection equipment and
appliances. NFPA 70: National Electrical Code covers the installation of SPDs and electrical distribution
equipment.
References
Brakhage, C., Abrams, A., & Fortney, J. (Eds.). (2016). Fire protection, detection, and suppression systems
(5th ed.). Fire Protection Publications.
Crosby, E. U., Fiske, H. A., Forster, H. W., & Moulton, R. S. (1935). Crosby-Fiske-Forster handbook of fire
protection (8th ed.). National Fire Protection Association.
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Davis, E., Kooiman, N., & Viswanathan, K. (2014). Data assessment for electrical
protection
devices:
UNITsurge
x STUDY
GUIDE
Phase 1 final report (Project No. 1ELD62001.001). https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-andTitle
Research/Resources/Research-Foundation/Research-Foundationreports/Electrical/RFDataAssessmentforElectricalSurgeProtectionDevices.ashx?la=en&hash=F3B04
EB52D4235D7EC64F51F47378B14FB0A8B00
Klaus, M. J. (2013). Water-based fire protection systems handbook (4th ed.). National Fire Protection
Association.
Suggested Unit Resources
In order to access the following resources, click the links below.
You are encouraged to review the standard for the installation of stationary pumps for fire protection including
the new rules that specifically address fire pumps.
Divine, T., & Semien, W. (2017). NFPA 20: Changes to the fire pump standard.
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/nfpa-20-changes-to-the-fire-pumpstandard/1ae4ce95f972bc9d47685427db8f1722.html
In order to view National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, each student must register for a free
account with the NFPA. Please review the video tutorial on gaining access to the NFPA website and how to
access the NFPA codes there.
Locating and Using NFPA Standards Tutorial: http://libguides.columbiasouthern.edu/nfpastandards
Click here to access the transcript for the tutorial above.
National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.). Standard for the installation of stationary pumps for fire protection
(NFPA Standard No. 20). https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-ofcodes-and-standards/detail?code=20
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