Last edited 05 Nov 2024

Active fire protection

An active fire protection system is a fire protection system which requires some action in order to function in the event of a fire, such as a fire extinguisher that needs to be operated manually, or a sprinkler system that is triggered by a fire alarm.

This is as opposed to passive fire protection systems, which do not require any action to help prevent the spread of fire, such as fire curtains or fire doors.

Setting the bar. A new competence regime for building a safer future. The Final Report of the Competence Steering Group for Building a Safer Future, Published in October 2020, defines active fire protection as: ‘Method(s) used to reduce or prevent the spread and effects of fire, heat or smoke by virtue of detection and/or suppression of the fire and which require a certain amount of motion and/or response to be activated.’

See also: Passive fire protection.

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