The development of a fire evaluation system for detention and correctional occupancies

Abstract

A Fire Safety Evaluation System for Detention and Correctional Occupancies has been developed. It can be used for determining whether a facility has fire safety equivalent to that obtained by meeting the requirement of a given code.The system was calibrated for use with proposed chapters for detention and correctional occupancies of the Life Safety Code (1985) There are separate sets of requirements for each of four use conditions: one for zoned egress, one for zoned impeded egress, one for impeded egress, and one for contained. Within each set, there are two levels of evaluation: one for partially sprinklered and non-sprinklered buildings, and one for totally sprinklered buildings. 1 1.

Fire Research At Nbs: The First 75 Years

“…In addition, each facility is rated according to occupancy risk, which takes into account the number, age and mobility of occupants as well as the availability of trained staff. This was done initially for institutional health care facilities as prescribed in the 1973 NFPA Life Safety Code and subsequently for a variety of other types of occupancies [60][61][62][63][64]. It may be used for upgrading existing buildings as well as for comparing alternative new designs, thereby permitting building designers and code officials to achieve an equivalent level of safety often at lower cost.…”