Fire Protection Glossary
A vehicle equipped with an aerial ladder, elevating platform, aerial ladder platform, or water tower that is designed and equipped to support fire fighting and rescue operations by positioning personnel, handling materials, providing continuous egress, or discharging water at positions elevated from the ground.
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American National Standards Institute
A wet pipe sprinkler system employing automatic sprinklers that are attached to a piping system that contains an antifreeze solution and that are connected to a water supply. The antifreeze solution is discharged, followed by water, immediately upon operation of sprinklers opened by heat from a fire.
The organization, office, or individual responsible for approving equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.
A fire suppression or control device that operates automatically when its heat-activated element is heated to it thermal rating or higher, allowing water to discharge over a specified area. (from NFPA #13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
The water pressure on the discharge manifold of the fire pump at the point of gauge attachment.
Limiting the size of a fire by distribution of water so as to decrease the heat release rate and pre-wet adjacent combustibles, while controlling ceiling gas temperatures to avoid structural damage. (from NFPA #13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
A piece of fire apparatus with a permanently mounted fire pump that has a rated discharge capacity of 750 gpm (2850 L/min) or greater as defined in NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus.
A fixed system designed to extinguish a fire or substantially reduce the heat release rate of the fire.
Any fire alarm device or system or fire extinguishing device or system, or their combination, that is designed and installed for detecting, controlling, or extinguishing a fire or otherwise alerting occupants, or the fire department, or both, that a fire has occurred.
A pump supplying water at the flow and pressure required by water-based fire protection systems.
A group of devices that serve to govern, in some predetermined manner, the starting and stopping of the fire pump driver as well as monitoring and signaling the status and condition of the fire pump unit.
Sharply reducing the heat release rate of a fire and preventing its regrowth by means of direct and sufficient application of water through the fire plume to the burning fuel surface. (from NFPA #13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
FM Global (aka Factory Mutual Insurance)
A calculated sprinkler system in which pipe sizes are selected on a pressure loss basis to prescribe water density, in gallons per minute per square foot (mm / min), or a prescribed minimum discharge pressure or flow per sprinkler, distributed with a reasonable degree of uniformity over specified area. (from NFPA #13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
International Organization for Standardization is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations.
A sprinkler system in which the pipe sizing is selected from a schedule that is determined by the occupancy classification and in which a given number of sprinklers are allowed to be supplied from a specific sizes of pipes. (from NFPA #13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems)
A sprayer consisting of a threaded nipple that connects the head to a water pipe, a fusible link (or other releasing mechanism) held in place by a yoke (called a strut), and a deflector that breaks up the water let into fine droplets.
A grid system of water pipes and spaced discharge heads installed in a building to control and extinguish fires. NOTE: There are four basic types of sprinkler systems: Wet, dry, deluge, and pre-action. Wet Pipe: All piping is filled with pressurized water, which is released when a fusible link melts in a sprinkler head. Dry Pipe: All piping contains pressurized air. When a sprinkler opens, air pressure is released, and the dry pipe valve opens to admit water into the system and to any open sprinkler head. Deluge All sprinkler heads are open and water is held back at the main (deluge) valve. When this valve is actuated, water is delivered to all heads simultaneously. Preaction: The main water control valve is opened by an actuating device which permits water to flow to individual sprinkler heads. Sprinkler systems include a suitable water supply, such as a gravity tank, fire pump, reservoir, pressure tank, or connections to city mains. In addition there is usually a controlling valve and devices for signaling alarms when the system is actuated.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
A hydrant mounted on the outside of a wall of a building, fed from interior piping, and equipped with control valves located inside the building that normally are key-operated from the building’s exterior.
The surge of pressure caused when a high-velocity flow of water is abruptly shut off. The pressure exerted by the flowing water against the closed system can be seven or more times that of the static pressure.
A type of hydrant that sometimes is used where there is no danger of freezing weather. Each outlet on a wet barrel hydrant is provided with a valved outlet threaded for fire hose.
A sprinkler system employing automatic sprinklers attached to a piping system containing water and connected to a water supply so that water discharges immediately from sprinklers opened by heat from a fire.
The maximum allowable pressure, including momentary surge pressure, to which a system, hose, or other component can be safely subjected in service.
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