[200William-EC] Fire Escape Level 7

[Matt Perkins]

Hi Craig,
  I may be able to shed some light on this one for you.

I think the Fire exit on level 7 does not exit outside onto the roof but 
exists into the lift lobby. So it does not fit the definition of "open 
space".  There is also much more going on in a fire exit than meets the 
eye at first glance.

1) Firstly the fire escape is pressurized by a fan system. This blows 
air from the top down through the fire escape and out the bottom door. 
It's desinged to keep a positive pressure throughout the fire escape so 
that when a door is open on any level smoke will not enter the fire 
escape.  As such the smoke rises argument is not appropriate. One thing 
that is approperate is that fire and heat goes up and the last place you 
want to be in a burning building is on the top with no means of rescue. 
Helicopter rescues from burning buildings are the stuff of Hollywood  
remember there is 10,000 liters of unleaded petrol in a tank in the 
basement. You dont want to be sitting on top waiting for the fire to get 
to it.

   Also in emergency planning evacuation speed is the key factor. 
Planners signpost fire escapes and do drills in one direction with one 
purpose. They dont want people making desisions on weather to go up or 
down or left or right. They want you to all go the same way. Out to the 
street to safety. The Building materials that make up the fire escape 
have been designed to be fireproof with enough time to let you escape. 
The fan pressurization system is to keep smoke out. All you have to do 
is not think and leave.

2) It's a common misconception that sprinklers are there to put out the 
fire. They are not. They are to prevent a situation called flash over. 
Where gasses in the  air becomes combustible and a large flash of flame 
fills an open space like an apartment when it's ventilated.  Sprinklers 
prevent this by cooling the air and making the gas mix less volatile 
again giving you time to escape.  Those sprinkler heads (red) only 
activate normally at ~68 degrees you want to be long gone from a room of 
that temperature and the ones positioned outside on the balcony's are i 
think yellow they are 75 degree heads. Again you want to be long gone 
before they go off.

If you have further queries I suggest you contact the NSW Fire & Rescue 
(the old NSW Fire Brigade) on 0297427400 and ask to speak to the duty 
manager.

Kind Regards

Matt



Begin forwarded message:

> *From:* "Craig Laforest" <cscl at optusnet.com.au 
> <mailto:cscl at optusnet.com.au>>
> *Date:* 19 June 2012 9:38:26 AEST
> *To:* "'George Ziri'" <Georgeziri at bfms.com.au 
> <mailto:Georgeziri at bfms.com.au>>, "'Dave Petschack'" 
> <dave at oneforall.com.au <mailto:dave at oneforall.com.au>>, "'Tony 
> Araujo'" <tony at cityviewrealestate.com.au 
> <mailto:tony at cityviewrealestate.com.au>>, "'Rob Willett'" 
> <rob at oneforall.com.au <mailto:rob at oneforall.com.au>>, "'Shane Ellis'" 
> <shane at ellisconstructions.com.au 
> <mailto:shane at ellisconstructions.com.au>>, "'Diana Dennison'" 
> <didee.cd at gmail.com <mailto:didee.cd at gmail.com>>, "'Matt Perkins 
> google'" <mattaperkins at gmail.com <mailto:mattaperkins at gmail.com>>, 
> "'Matt Perkins google'" <mattaperkins at gmail.com 
> <mailto:mattaperkins at gmail.com>>, "'Barney Kitay'" <barnet at kitays.com 
> <mailto:barnet at kitays.com>>, <rowanholloway at gmail.com 
> <mailto:rowanholloway at gmail.com>>
> *Cc:* "'Maxine Wickey'" <mwickey at stratatitle.com.au 
> <mailto:mwickey at stratatitle.com.au>>
> *Subject:* *RE: Message from Craig Laforest re Marquis Apartments*
>
Hello George,

Thank you for the copy of the response from Newsound Fire Services.  As 
you would have noted, the email states:
"egress from each storey served and discharge directly (or by way of its 
own fire-isolated passageway) to a road or open space"

This clarifies that the door at the top of the fire exit, on level 7, 
should _not_ have a lock on it.
Two important things to note, that we are all aware of:

1)Smoke rises and

2)We do not have a sprinkler system in each apartment nor on each level.

If there was a fire on the lower floors of Marquis and smoke gets into 
the fire escape stairs, occupants on the higher floors need to be able 
to make a decision as to which floor they believe it is safer to exit 
from (ground floor or level 7).  If occupants head upstairs to the deck 
area of level 7, they would be trapped behind the fire exit door, 
because it is permanently locked.

  Thank you.

Craig Laforest

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