 What is fire?

fuel + oxygen + heat = fire

fire takes place when fuel is ignited. Fire is an exothermic reaction. It is a process of
burning.chemical reaction that causes fire is initiated by presence of heat energy in
which a substance combines with oxygen of the air,the process accomplishing by
emission of energy in the form of heat,light and sound.

 Essentials of fire
1. A combustible substance- fuel
2. Oxygen, chlorine,

nitrogen
3. Heat source- spark, flame
4. Process of chain reaction.

 Causes of fire:
1. Children with match,rubbish burning
2. Smoking
3. Malicious or intentional burning
4. Electrical appliances
5. Gas appliances
6. Oil appliances

7. Other fuel appliances

8. Acetylene and liquefied pteroleun gas
9. Solid fuel appliances
 Fire hazards and losses:

1. Direct cost 30%

2. Protection of building 30%
3. Cost of emergency services 15%
4. Cost of insurance 15%
5. Indirect cost 5%
6. Human losses 5%
7. Cost of research and information –negligible

 Smoke:
1. smoke can be seen and smelled. Smoke is not as much harmful as it becomes
by impairing visualty to occupants. Observing exit signs affects other senses.
Smoke causes more killing than fire does.
For evacuating this smoke, smoke and heat extractors are used. Also by
keeping the escape routes small and free,safety of persons can be
provided.
2. Smoke management : heat and fire produces air pressure buoyancy that aid the
spread of smoke well beyond the scene of the fire itself.
3. Confinement : most passive design responses to smoke i.e try to confine to the
fire itself.
4. Direction :The dilusion of smoke with 100% outdoor air makes condition
bearable during occupants evacuation.
 FIRE SAFETY IN HOTELS

The amount and type of fire safety equipment in a hotel varies by the size of the building, its
height and age. Many high-rise hotels are protected with fire sprinklers, but one out of four
still lack them. For all hotels and motels regardless of height, only 50 percent have fire
sprinklers.

Every hotel shall have fire safety equipments and all the proper measures shall be adopted as
per the standards to ensure a fire safe hotel.

What is a fire-safe hotel?

Fire safety is a relative term. If you define "fire-safe" as a zero chance of a fire, then one can
never say that any hotel is fire-safe. However, one can describe hotels as relatively safer than
others based on the fire protection equipment that is installed and the safety practices that
they follow.
New hotels are more likely to have what we consider high-quality fire protection, that is, fire
sprinklers in every guest room as well as detection and alarm systems. Older hotels may only
have smoke alarms in guest rooms, if they have that.

The various fire safety systems essential for a complete fire safe hotel

1. Fire sprinklers.
2. Smoke and fire detectors.
3. Duct Smoke Detectors
4. Automatic alarm systems.
5. Connection between Air handling units and alarm systems
6. Manual alarm systems (the pull-boxes you see near stairway doors and elevators).
7. Fire department standpipes (the things that you see in stairway

8. The emergency egress system.

9. Fire Resistivity of Construction
10. Exits & Exit signs.
11. Pressurized stairways.

12. Smoke control systems

13. Portable fire extinguishers.
14. Staff emergency response plans.
15. Staff training.
16. Gas Supply Shut-off Devices
17. Fire Alarm System Required Hotels/Motels
18. High Rise Buildings
19. Place for a Helicopter to Land
1. Smoke detectors and alarms
 A system of interconnected smoke detectors should be installed, with units
in every room including common areas and all non-guest rooms.
 If they are installed in compliance with nationally recognized standards,
the alarm system will alert guests who are at risk.
 It is also important that the alarm system be monitored off-site by a
qualified organization
 Some alarm systems are connected directly to the fire department, which is
even better.
 The smoke detectors alarm the guests in the hotel, the moment any smoke
reaches its sensors. These detectors only detect fire and alarm the people
they do not ‘stop’ the fire in any way.
`

SMOKE DETECTOR FIRE MANUAL ALARM

2. Emergency lighting.
 A fire may cause the building's electrical system to fail. Sometimes the fire
originates in the electrical system.
 For this reason, the building should have emergency lights installed in all
corridors and public rooms.
 Emergency lighting that complies with nationally recognized standards
will be connected to a separate power supply that is backed up by an
emergency generator.
  The lights will automatically go on when the system detects an electrical

failure.

3. Emergency egress system

A. Stairways
B. Corridors and pathways
C. Doors
D. Walls
E. Ceilings
F. Elevators and escalators
 The national codes contain minimum standards for the emergency egress
system, i. e., the pathways that provide evacuation routes from every part
of the building to the outdoors at ground level.
 corridors and stairways are a vital part of the egress system, so they
are required to have added protection that will theoretically last long
enough to allow everyone to evacuate.
 . That is also why stairways are so spartan, with no decoration or
carpeting. Because stairways are such a critical part of the egress path,
they have stringent requirements that do not allow any combustible
material at all - thus the lack of carpeting or even linoleum.
 And storage of anything, be it combustible or not, is forbidden in
stairways.
 If you see these rules violated, it means that the hotel is not vigilant or is
neglecting its fire safety responsibilities.
 egress system window

Along with the doors, the walls and ceilings of the egress paths are part of
the added protection.
 These items combine to be the "compartmentation," the passive
system of barriers that slows down the progress of a fire and smoke. That
is why all doors should have self-closers, even the guest room doors.
 Door wedges are a no-no. Doors that are propped open or ones that
do not shut automatically and latch tightly are signs that the hotel is
neglecting its fire safety responsibility.
 In large hotels, you may find doors across the corridor that divide the
building into smaller fire compartments. These doors can be held open by
approved devices.
 The devices are usually magnets that automatically release if the fire alarm
panel activates.

 make sure that the hotel floor plan is visibly posted, but also walk the
entire escape route. Hallways, exits and stairwells should be clear of
obstructions.
  Stairs should have emergency lighting; elevators should be clearly marked
to prevent use in a fire.

4. Exits and exit signs

 Exit signs that comply with nationally recognized standards will be visible
from any place in the corridor.

 Those that are not near an exit door will have an arrow showing the
direction to the nearest exit.
 Fire exits are a must have,with proper exit sign boards guiding the people
to the exit. The exit shall open outside the building in an open area.

50 TO 300 PERSONS 2 FIRE EXITS

MINIMUM
  A rule of thumb is that 50 to 300 persons require two exits.

 Three hundred to 1,000 need three exits and more than 1,000 persons
should have four or more exits.

300 TO 1000 3 EXITS

PERSONS MINIMUM

OVER 1000 4 EXITS

PERSONS MINIMUM

 The exits should be brightly lit, not blocked,by furniture or curtains and be
easily opened. They should never be locked or chained.

 Seating or exhibit arrangements should allow enough aisle space for quick
evacuation.

5. Stairway pressurization.
 Hi-rise hotels should have pressurized stairways.
 An exception is a hotel where the stairways are open to the outside.
 In pressurized stairways, a fan operates when the fire alarm panel receives a
 signal from a fire detector or sprinkler.
 The air is blown in from the exterior, and this creates a positive pressure in the
stairway, keeping smoke from creeping
into the stairway and blocking the egress
path

6. Smoke control systems.

 Very large buildings will have systems that automatically pressurize
certain areas and depressurize others to contain smoke or exhaust it
outside.
 This should definitely be present in buildings with atriums
7. Portable fire extinguishers.
 Portable extinguishers are designed to control or extinguish small fires.
 They are placed throughout a hotel to be readily available when someone
finds a fire.
 Installers follow a nationally recognized standard that dictates what type
(based on the type of fire expected at that location), their location, and size.

 Different locations will require different types, depending upon the type of
fire expected.
 For example, the corridors will have units for extinguishing paper and
other similar combustibles.
 A kitchen area will have units designed to put out grease fires.
 Notice that the extinguishers are placed in wall cabinets or are hung on the
wall at a height that makes it easy for an average-sized person to remove.
 If they are found on the floor, then they are not in the proper location.
 One reason for hanging them is to prevent items from being placed on top

 them.
8. Fire response plan.
 A hotel with quality fire safety will have a written plan that describes
every employee's responsibility in a fire or other emergency.
 Proper fire exit plans shall be installed in various parts of the hotel.

 Alert guests on higher floors to prepare for an order to evacuate.

The specific evacuation message will vary by the type, size and layout of
the building .