Fire Education

Halon® —the name is still almost synonymous with clean agent fire suppression. Developed by Dupont® in the 1950s, Halon became the go-to agent where clean agents were needed. Its adoption…

Fire Suppression for Rolling Stock Depots & Train Stations When considering fire protection for rolling stock, the train itself receives the most attention. First, it is on the conveyance where…

Fireaway Inc. is proud to announce receipt of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Certificate of Approval (COA) for our pre-engineered Stat-X® condensed aerosol fire suppression systems to protect Class…

Why are we still depending on portable fire extinguishers? Workboats are vessels used for commercial purposes, i.e.., they perform some form of “work.” This includes a large portion of the…

For over 200 years, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has been upholding its mission “to ensure our Nation’s maritime safety, security and stewardship.” A primary component of this mission…

Introduction The discovery of electricity and subsequent knowledge of how to use it is one of the most significant discoveries by man, only second to our ability to make and…

When it comes to construction, cranes and lifting equipment are the rock stars. They lift the loads that allow us to construct buildings to ever-increasing heights as well as performing…

When considering a fire and its components, we must first think in terms of what is required to start a fire. Then, we must assess what is required to sustain…

Utility fires in underground vaults, manways, utility passages, and the like can be both stubborn and dangerous. Ask any firefighter and they will tell you that underground utility fires are…

It’s a scene that plays out multiple times every day in the U.S.: A call is received by the communication center reporting a house fire. The call puts into motion…

What is an energy storage system? An energy storage system (ESS) is pretty much what its name implies—a system that stores energy for later use. ESSs are available in a…

History and Overview In the United States, the first fire detection system was implemented in the mid-1600s in New York City. Designated persons would traverse the city carrying a bell…

History and Overview There have been numerous attempts at creating fire suppression systems over the centuries. Even Leonardo DaVinci made an attempt at one that failed.[1] In addition to problematic…

In everyday parlance, people speak of risks, taking risks, unnecessary risks, and avoiding risks. Certainly, a layman’s definition of risk is widely accepted. But, what about in fire suppression and…

Humankind is believed to have utilized wind energy since as early as 5,000 BC. Historically, Europeans—notably the Dutch—have been the most well-known for their forward-thinking use of windmills. But before…

Every home, commercial building, or industrial facility with electrical service has an electrical cabinet. Industrial electrical cabinets are different in multiple and significant aspects from those found in your home….

Depending on the size of the electrical cabinet and the voltage of the electrical service, fires in electrical cabinets can be challenging. Fires in electrical cabinets are an enclosed special…

There are several different types of industrial electrical cabinets which can vary in size and capacity depending on the functions they serve. Some examples are: Power Control Centers The hub…

Simply stated, special hazard fire protection are fire suppression systems that are used to protect property and life from fire in situations where a traditional automatic fire sprinkler system may…

This is a good read, written by David Doniger and Alex Hillbrand. On December 27, 2020, tucked into the omnibus end-of-year legislation that became law, was a bill to phase…

Clean agent systems are a type of alternative fire extinguishing system (as opposed to traditional automatic fire sprinklers) that are used to protect property that would be expensive to replace…

According to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), electrical fires are the fifth leading cause of fires in commercial buildings. One of the biggest problems with electrical fires is that…

A blanket term of “fire protection system” is applied, in industry, to both fire protection and life safety systems. While both types of systems are important in their own right,…

The term “fire suppression system” and the term, “fire protection system” are often used interchangeably, but should be defined differently. For the purposes of this article, “fire protection systems” will…

It has become more apparent over the years how important it is to have adequate fire protection in every building. For most people, what comes to mind when they think…

Condensed aerosol fire suppression, a relatively new technology, is a system of aerosol containers or a single container, that are interconnected to each other and to a control panel, designed…