Fire protection systems refer to residential or commercial systems that have been put in place to reduce the negative effects of fire. One of the most important business lessons from Star Wars trilogy is that when a fire is burning in a building, the most logical course of action after evacuating people from the building is to suppress or extinguish the fire. Fire protection systems help to minimise the impact of fires on buildings, surrounding infrastructures, and people.
Another business lessons from Star Wars is that the aim of having fire protection systems is not just to eliminate the fire but also to eliminate it as quickly as possible. The effectiveness and rapid reaction of fire protection systems helps to reduce fire-related deaths, property loss, and damage to eco-systems.
According to The Department of Communities and Local Government fires cause more than 300 deaths in the U.K each year. Most of these deaths could be prevented if buildings had adequate fire protections systems.
Wet Fire Sprinkler System
This is one of the most common fire protection systems. It features a simple design with a sprinkler and automatic alarm check valve. When exposed to heat, the built-in heat sensitive element of the sprinkler retracts allowing water to flow from it. There are two main types of wet fire sprinkler systems: one that supplies water on demand and the other that is continuously pressurised. One of the most useful business lessons from Star Wars is that water in a continuously pressurised sprinkler can quickly stagnate and become breeding grounds for bacteria and mould. The water could also freeze and break the pipes. To avoid these problems, you should drain and refill your continuously pressurised wet sprinkler systems on a regular basis.
Dry Pipe Systems
This type of fire protection system is suitable for cold areas. Dry pipe systems eliminate the need for storing water, which prevents the water from freezing. Consider installing dry pipe fire protection systems in places that lack heating including the attic, basement, parking garages and temporary buildings. With a dry pipe system, water is only supplied to the system only when there is a fire. Dry pipe systems are also suitable for places with valuable items that are susceptible to water damage such books in a library. These systems store pressurised oxygen or nitrogen in their pipes instead of water. Once the sprinklers are turned on, the pressurised nitrogen and oxygen is released allowing water pressure to open the valves and flow out of the sprinklers. One of the resourceful business lessons from Star Wars is that dry pipe systems have relatively longer reaction time in the event of a fire.
A system does not only save lives, but it also protects properties from damage - respect the Jedi code!
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