FIRE PUMP SYSTEM
Definitions of Terms in Chemical Safety
Fire pumps are used to enhancement the water pressure in sprinkler and standpipe systems and to deliver the required amount of water. This is essential when the system is fed by a non-pressurized water tank, or when the water supply feeding the system has inadequate pressure. A fire pump may be driven by an electric motor, diesel engine, or steam turbine.
National Fire Protection Association - NFPA 20, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection, contains design and installation details for fire pump installations.
National Fire Protection Association -NFPA 20 requires electrical monitoring of pump controllers for pump running, power failure, or controller trouble. These remote alarm signals are often combined into fire alarm annunciators, so that fire departments may identify the status of a given fire pump.
A fire pump controller is the enclosure that contains controls and status indicators for a fire pump. National Fire Protection Association -NFPA 20 requires these devices to be within sight of the fire pump motor or engine. Fire service personnel may need access to this equipment during the course of a fire.
National Fire Protection Association-NFPA 20 contains dependability requirements for the power supply to an electrically driven fire pump. For example, power supply lines must be protected and the circuit must be independent of a building’s electric provision.
The latter feature allows the fire service to shut down building power while the fire pump continues to run. The most required location for a fire pump is in a separate building. This affords the most protection from fire, and gives fire-fighters easy access to the pump and its controllers. If locating the pump in a separate building is not possible, a fire-rated room with an outside entrance is the next best option.
Safety Warning Signs for Workplace Awareness
National Fire Protection Association-NFPA 20 requires pump rooms to be separated from the rest of the building by 2-hour fire rated construction in buildings without full sprinkler protection, and 1-hour construction in fully sprinklered buildings.
Ensure, Inside and outside entrances to fire pump rooms should be labelled with signage. Minimum lettering size should be six inches high with a 1/2 inch stroke (thickness of lines in each letter).
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