Integration Of Fire Alarm And Automatic Suppression Design In Hospital Renovation Projects
On the mechanical side, a life safety key is providing proper dampers and detection devices for ductwork passing through fire- or smoke-barrier partitions. But that’s just one element in good renovation design.
Today’s hospitals and specialized care facilities integrate a slew of building technologies to ensure all systems function as intended to provide state-of-the-art care for patients. Many of these hospital building systems rely on interdependency on other components for their proper operation and function. Everyone is aware of how critical mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are to a hospital’s daily operations — appropriate HVAC design to help control infections and keep temperatures at comfortable levels, or proper electrical design to provide uninterrupted power for life support equipment, for instance. But just as importantly, fire protection and life safety systems are vital to the everyday operations of a hospital.
The building fire alarm system, fire suppression systems, and passive fire-rated construction all ensure building safety for its occupants in the event of a fire emergency — especially compared with most other types of buildings given a hospital’s unique “Defend in Place” strategy, which requires patients to shelter in place rather than the evacuation procedures you might see in other typical buildings.