1

FIRE FIGHTING
PREPARED BY
Eng. Mahmoud Saber
Senior Mechanical Engineer
2
 COURSE OUTLINE
1- BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINATION.
2- MANUAL FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS.
STANDPIPE SYSTEMS ( FHC– SIAMESE CONNECTION – FIRE
HYDRANT) - PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
3- AUTOMATIC FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS.
SPRINKLER SYSTEMS - FOAM SYSTEM - WATER MIST SYSTEM
- WET CHEMICAL SYSTEM - FIRE FIGHTING GASES – AUTOMATIC
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS .
4- FIRE FIGHTING CALCULATIONS.
5- FIRE PUMPS & WATER TANKS.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 3

 2 . MANUAL FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
GENERAL
 A standpipe system is a fire safety system which is designed
to provide rapid access to water in the event that a fire breaks
out.
 Standpipes are installed as stand-alone systems which act
like building specific fire hydrants, providing fire protection
which will be readily available to fire fighters.
 The basic concept of a standpipe system has not changed
extensively since the original NFPA standard was adopted in
1915.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 4

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O INSTALLATIONS

 Systems are used in high-rise buildings, large commercial,

retail, and industrial buildings; places of public assembly, and
other areas where advancing hose lines would be difficult due to
the building size.

 Tunnels, such as subways, and shopping malls have a

horizontal standpipe system.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 5

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O INSTALLATIONS

Underground buildings, heliports, marinas and boat yards.

Systems are installed in accordance with NFPA 14 “Standard for

the Installation of Standpipes and Hose Systems” and any local
adopted codes.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 6

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O COMPONENTS
 Standpipes have several main components;
 Water Supplies;
 municipal or private water mains,
 gravity and pressure tanks,
fire pumps.
 Siamese connections,
 Risers,
 Cross connections,
 Valves,
 Hose outlets.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 7
 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
 A Class I System - 2 ½” hose connection.

 No pressure
reducing valve
present.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 8

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
 A Class I System - 2 ½” hose connection.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 9

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
 A Class I System
 2 ½” (65 mm) hose connection;
 used by personnel trained for heavy stream operation,
 designed to deliver 250 gpm’s.
 flow to be residual 100 psi at highest hose station, (pre 1993
systems residual 65 psi)
 bldgs. not classified as High-Rise, system can be auto wet, auto
dry, manual wet or manual dry,
 high-rise system must be auto or semi-auto wet except where
subject to freezing.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 10

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

 A Class II System –

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 11

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

 A Class II System –
 1 ½” (40mm) hose station;
 used by building occupants/FD,
 100 gpm’s at 100 psi, (65 psi for pre-1993 systems)
residual outlet pressure,
 auto wet system unless subject to freezing,
 auto dry or semi-auto dry allowed where fire
brigade trained to operate w/o FD intervention.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 12

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

 A Class II System -
 in the corridor,
 accessible to the occupants,
 not more than 100 feet of 1 ½” (40 mm)
hose and 30 foot stream,
 1” (25.4 mm) hose permitted in light
hazard occupancies,
 reduced water supply.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 13

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
 A Class III System –

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 14

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
 A Class III System –

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 15

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O CLASSES OF STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

 A Class III System –

 2 ½” (65 mm) hose connection and a 1 ½” (40 mm) hose station.
(features of both Class I and II);
 auto wet system unless subject to freezing,
 auto dry or semi-auto dry allowed where fire brigade trained
to operate w/o FD intervention,
 not more than 100 ft. of 1 ½” (40 mm) hose,

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 16

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTIONS
 allows FD to pump supplemental water for
automatic systems and primary water for manual
systems,
 shall be visible and recognizable,
 located and arranged so that hose lines can be
attached without interference,
 min size of fittings 2 ½” (65 mm) (FCNYS),
 have a sign with at least 1” letters that read
“STANDPIPE”,
 shall not be less than 18” or more than 48”
above grade.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 17
 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTIONS
 No shut off valves between the FD
connection and the system allowed.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 18

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE HYDRANT

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 19

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE HYDRANT

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 20

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE HYDRANT

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 21

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O FIRE HYDRANT

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 22

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICES
 Pressure-Regulating Device; a device
designed for the purpose of reducing,
regulating, controlling, or restricting water
pressure, static and residual.

 Pressure-Restricting Device; a valve or

device designed for the purpose of reducing
the downstream water pressure under flowing
(residual) conditions only.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 23

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O RESIDUAL PRESSURE
pressure acting on a point in the system
with a flow being delivered,

 where the residual pressure at an 1

½” (40 mm) outlet on a hose connection
exceeds 100 psi (6.9 bar), a pressure
regulating device shall be provided to
limit the residual pressure at the flow to
100 psi. (6.9 bar)

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 24

 STANDPIPE SYSTEMS
O STATIC PRESSURE

 pressure acting on a point in the system with no flow

being delivered,

 where static pressure at a hose connection exceeds 175

psi (12.1 bar), a pressure regulating device provided to
limit static and residual pressure at the outlet of the hose
connection to 100 psi (6.9 bar) for 1 ½” (40 mm) hose and
175 psi (12.1 bar) for other hose connections.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 25

 4 . MANUAL FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
FIRE EXTINGUISHER ANATOMY PRESSURE GAUGE
(not found on CO2
DISCHARGE LEVER
extinguishers)

DISCHARGE CARRYING
LOCKING PIN HANDLE
AND SEAL

DISCHARGE HOSE DATA PLATE

DISCHARGE NOZZLE
BODY
DISCHARGE ORIFICE

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 26

 FIRE EXTINGUISHER
FIRE EXTINGUISHER TYPES
PRESSURIZED WATER
O Class “A” fires only
A Trash Wood Paper
A Trash Wood Paper

O 2.5 gal. water (up

to 1 minute discharge time)
B
B
Liquids Grease
Liquids Grease O Has pressure gauge to allow visual
capacity check
O 30-40 ft. maximum effective range

C
C
Electrical Equipment
Electrical Equipment
O Can be started and stopped as
necessary
O Extinguishes by cooling burning
material below the ignition point.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 27
 FIRE EXTINGUISHER
FIRE EXTINGUISHER TYPES
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
O Class “B” or “C” fires
A Trash Wood Paper
A Trash Wood Paper
O 2.5-100 lb. of CO2 (8-30
seconds discharge time)
O Has NO pressure gauge--capacity
B Liquids Grease
B Liquids Grease
verified by weight
O 3-8 ft. maximum effective range

O Extinguishes by smothering burning

materials
C Electrical Equipment
C Electrical Equipment

O Effectiveness decreases as temperature

of burning material increases.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 28
 FIRE EXTINGUISHER
FIRE EXTINGUISHER TYPES
MULTIPURPOSE DRY CHEMICAL
O Class “A”, “B”, or “C” fires
A Trash Wood Paper
A Trash Wood Paper

O 2.5-20 lb. dry chemical (ammonium

phosphate) 8-25 seconds
B
B
Liquids Grease
Liquids Grease discharge time)
O Has pressure gauge to allow visual
capacity check
C
C
Electrical Equipment
Electrical Equipment O 5-20 ft. maximum effective range

O Extinguishes by smothering burning

materials.
Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 29
 FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 30

 FIRE EXTINGUISHER
DISTRIBUTING EXTINGUISHERS
O Extinguishers should be placed in locations provide easy access
and are readily free from temporary blockage.
O Near normal paths of travel, near exits and entrances.
O Mounted on walls, the operating instructions must face outwards,
and can be removed easily.
O Ext. with gross weight of no more than 40 pounds (18 kgs) should
be installed so that the top of the extinguisher is not more than 5
feet above the floor.
O Ext. more than 40 pounds (except wheeled types) should be
installed so that the top of the extinguisher is not more than 3.5
feet from the floor.
O In no case should the clearance between the bottom of the
extinguisher and the floor be less than 4 inches.

Engineers House Mahmoud Saber Farag-Allah 31