THE ULTIMATE IN FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS DESIGN
The design of fire protection systems is a process. A good design is one that produces a cost-effective system, well matched to the expected problems, that will perform reliably and effectively during a fire event. We use a multi-step process to achieve these goals.
Fire Protection Engineering Consulting includes a wide range of activities other than system design. These services help parties in understanding fire threats, identifying vulnerabilities of life or property and business operations, and developing conceptual defense solutions that are reasonable and cost effective.
Design of Systems
Fire protection systems offer critical anti-fire defenses for life, property and business operations. In order to design effective defenses, fire threats--as well as the unique vulnerabilities of life, property and business operations--must be thoroughly understood.
After conducting a detailed fire analysis, our team will develop a fire-protection solution designed to match the predicted fire performance. We achieve cost-effective solutions through creatively applying fire protection techniques and by optimizing our analysis and fire understanding so that the fire protection systems are not over-designed.
HGI has experience assessing a wide range of fire hazards and designing cost-effective fire protection systems to effectively defend life, property and business operations against various potential fire hazards. Our expertise is broad and covers a diverse range of systems and applications.
Construction Administration
Construction administration provides quality assurance to help make certain that equipment construction and installation are in general conformance with design documents and applicable codes and standards.
In the fire protection engineering industry, construction administration is a broad term that covers a wide variety of activities. At a minimum, construction administration should include a review of shop submittal documentation, field observation of construction works in progress, and witnessing functional testing.
Performance-Based Design
Performance-based design is becoming an increasingly common solution for fire and life safety designs in unique buildings. It is a logical design process where specific performance objectives are determined by the design team related to fire and life safety. Performance-based design solutions are often used where prescriptive codes and standards are too expensive, inflexible, or the required solutions do not fit a particular situation well. Performance-based design offers a broader variety of possible solutions and make it possible to optimize solutions for cost and function.
Performance-based design is a growing sector and is increasingly entering mainstream use. The Life Safety Code incorporates a performance-based design option as an alternative to its prescriptive requirements, and the International Code Council published the International Performance Code, a performance-based building code.
Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES)
During emergency situations, effective communication is crucial for the safety and coordination of emergency responders. Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (“ERCES”) play a vital role in enhancing communication capabilities, enabling faster response times, and ensuring efficient incident management. Here's why ERCES is important:
- Clear and Reliable Communication: ERCES solutions are designed to overcome communication challenges often encountered during emergencies, such as high background noise, poor signal strength, or network congestion. By providing clear and reliable communication channels, ERCES ensures that first responders can effectively relay vital information, receive instructions, and coordinate their actions, leading to more efficient and successful emergency operations.
- Enhanced Safety for Responders and the Public: Effective communication directly impacts the safety of both emergency responders and the public by improving communication performance. ERCES enables first responders to receive critical information promptly, make informed decisions, and take appropriate actions. This enhances situational awareness and helps minimize risks, ultimately safeguarding the lives of first responders and the individuals they are assisting
- Rapid Response and Incident Management: In emergency situations, every second counts. ERCES solutions enable emergency responders to quickly and accurately communicate their status, request additional resources, and relay critical information to incident commanders. This real-time communication facilitates faster response times, efficient resource allocation, and effective incident management, leading to more successful outcomes.
- Compliance with Regulations and Standards: Many jurisdictions and industries have specific regulations and standards in place to ensure the safety and well-being of occupants in buildings. Implementing ERCES solutions helps organizations meet these requirements, ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations, codes, and standards. By investing in ERCES, businesses and building owners demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a safe environment for both employees and visitors.
ERCES Services
- Site Survey: We take the guesswork out of knowing if your facility has adequate signal strength. Many jurisdictions require a signal survey report indicating to the Authority Having Jurisdiction that your building has the required signal strength to ensure first responders can communicate effectively.
- Design and Engineering: We work closely with clients to design and develop ERCES solutions that are specifically tailored to their requirements. We take into consideration the layout, size, and specific needs of the facility to create a communication system that optimizes emergency responder communications.
- Installation and Integration Review: We are well-versed in the review of the installation and integration of ERCES within an existing facility. During our review, we ensure that the systems seamlessly integrate with other fire protection systems, minimizing any disruptions and optimizing performance.
- Testing and Commissioning: Thorough testing and commissioning are vital to ensure the proper functioning and compliance of ERCES. We meticulously test each component and conduct comprehensive system checks to guarantee that the system operates flawlessly when it matters most.
- Support: We offer ongoing support services to ensure the long-term reliability and optimal performance of your ERCES. Our team provides routine inspections and prompt technical assistance to address any issues that may arise.
Benefits of ERCES
- Enhanced Communication: Clear and reliable communication for first responders, enabling faster and more effective incident management.
- Increased Safety: Improved communication enhances the safety of emergency responders and the public during critical situations.
- Regulatory Compliance: Our ERCES solutions help organizations meet relevant fire safety regulations, codes, and standards, ensuring legal compliance and avoiding penalties.
- Faster Time to Certificate of Occupancy: Signal survey reports that show adequate signal strength are crucial in obtaining your Certificate of Occupancy.
Our Experts
- Licensed professional engineers in nearly all lower 48 states
- FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL)
- PCTEL Public Safety Network Testing
- iBwave Public Safety Design
Ready to enhance your emergency response capabilities with our ERCES services? Contact us today to discuss your requirements, request a consultation, or receive a quote. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
Fire-Safety Audits
A fire-safety audit is an in-person survey of an existing building or building area. This audit is designed to identify and quantify various fire threats to life, property, and business operations. A fire safety audit also identifies and quantifies various defenses against those fire threats.
At HGI, we conduct fire-safety audits with careful attention to detail, and we thoroughly analyze the results. We’ll identify any significant weaknesses in the building’s fire defenses and offer specific solutions to correct these shortcomings. Solutions are developed by our HGI team and optimized for cost and function with the input of owners and stakeholders to achieve specific objectives.
Life Safety Analysis
Life safety in a building fire is influenced by an array of factors, from building construction features and occupancy features to human factors. In the US, the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) and local building codes set the standards for a building’s life safety; however, authorities sometimes allow for alternative life safety measures when needed.
HGI’s life-safety analysis services help design and justify alternatives as equivalent to the Life Safety Code. We accomplish this through qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, often including computerized fire and evacuation models.
In the final step in a life-safety analysis, we assist, when necessary, in presenting the proposed alternative method to the Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and obtaining their agreement when necessary.
Code Analysis
Around the world, buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained in compliance with legally binding fire codes and standards. These codes are usually prescriptive in nature, and many design parameters are dictated by the code. But with an almost infinite variety of building purposes and designs, it is impossible that these prescriptions can fit the needs of every building.
HGI’s code analysis specialists help interpret the intent of these prescriptive codes and offer customized solutions for your building. We develop alternative methods to provide equivalent fire safety, supported by documentation, that can then be presented to code officials for approval. With decades of experience, our code consultants have developed an approval approach with a long track record of success.
Digital Fire Modeling
HGI’s fire protection engineers utilize complex mathematical tools for analyzing fire safety and life safety in buildings. Our specialists use these tools, often referred to as computer fire models, to assess the values of a prescribed building code compared to an alternative method designed by one of HGI’s fire protection engineers.
Computer fire models also serve as powerful tools for our investigators when performing post-fire reconstruction and analysis. The capabilities of our computer fire models cover a wide range of uses including predicting fire growth behavior, evaluating occupant egress, analyzing smoke control systems, predicting detector actuation time, and providing plausible post-fire timeline of events.
Commissioning of Systems
As building and fire codes move closer to performance-based design, life safety systems become more complex and more often integrated into building management systems. To ensure that these systems function properly and protect business interests, it is imperative that systems be commissioned by qualified, experienced personnel.
As an Owner or Property Manager, you have a vested interest in the proper design, installation and performance of the life safety systems in your buildings. With life safety systems, discrepancies can happen on both large and small projects with devastating results. HGI’s commissioning process verifies that the entire life safety systems sequence performs as designed and as required.
Water Supply Testing & Analysis
Properly designing water-based fire protection systems begins with an accurate and thorough understanding of the supply of the public water distribution systems. A mistake here can easily go undetected for months or even years after installation of the fire protection system is complete. This results in an unreliable or ineffective system that can be very expensive to repair.
Harrington Group has developed a detailed and systematic approach to testing and analyzing public water supply systems. The result is a thorough and accurate understanding of the public water supply characteristics at the point of connection to the fire protection system. This, in turn, enables the fire protection system to be correctly and economically designed. Our approach helps ensure a fire protection system that is properly matched to the fire hazard and will operate effectively when called upon in an emergency.