NFPA 1730 Overview: Fire

Prevention and
Deployment Activities
Presented to:

Alberta Industrial Fire Protection

Association
Presented by:
Michael Bodnar, M.Eng., P.Eng.

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Overview
Our Company
Safety Codes Act and Codes and
Standards
Codes and Standards for Industrial
Occupancies
The National Fire Protection
Association
History and background of NFPA
1710 and 1720
Overview of future of NFPA 1730

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Our Company
Established in Vancouver in 2003
Two companies in 2005 offering fire consulting
services
Senez Reed Calder Fire Engineering
Design applications complimented by practical
experience
Senez Reed Calder Forensic Engineering
Forensic applications complimented by design
theory

Singapore office opened in 2008

Reorganized as Sereca Fire Consulting Ltd. in 2008 /
2009
Calgary office opened in 2009
Sereca Fire Consulting integrates with Larden Muniak
Consulting in Calgary and Toronto in 2011
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Our Technical Team

Professional expertise based on:
Advanced Education
Masters degrees

Fire Protection Engineering (10)

Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Fluid Dynamics
Mathematics and Statistics

Engineering degrees

Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Materials
Mechanical

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Our Technical Team

Professional expertise based on:
Industry Experience
Fire Engineering
Building and Code Consulting
Building Design and Construction
Architectural
Electrical / Mechanical design
Regulatory Authority
Energy
Oil and Gas
Hydro
Mining

Pulp and Paper

Heavy Equipment
Fire Fighting
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Energy and Industrial Services

Building and fire code compliance

Performance based design
Fire and explosion investigation
Hazard identification and risk analysis
Loss prevention consulting
Fire modeling and egress analysis

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Codes and Standards

Where do Codes and
Standards come from?
What do they apply to?
How do they apply in
industry?

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Codes and Standards

Where do Codes and Standards
come from?
The Safety Codes Council develops
and recommends codes and
standards to the Minister of
Municipal Affairs, including the
Alberta Building Code and the
Alberta Fire Code
The Safety Codes Council gets it
authority from the Safety Codes
Act
Among other things, the Act
applies to fire protection and to the
design, manufacture, construction,
installation, operation and
maintenance of buildings

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What do the Building and Fire

To? comply with both the Alberta
ItCodes
is expectedApply
that all buildings
Building Code and the Alberta Fire Code. What is a building?

A building means any structure used or intended for supporting or

sheltering any use or occupancy. Occupancy means the use or
intended use of a building or part thereof for the shelter or
support of persons, animals, or property
Includes Industrial Occupancies, which use a building or part
thereof for the assembling, fabricating, manufacturing,
processing, repairing, or storing of goods and materials.

Seems pretty clear, but

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In applying the requirements of this Part, it is intended that they be applied with
discretion to buildings of unusual configuration that do not clearly conform to the
specific requirements, or to buildings in which processes are carried out which
make compliance with particular requirements in this Part impracticable. The
definition of building as it applies to this Code is general and encompasses most
structures, including those which would not normally be considered as buildings in
the laymans sense. This occurs more often in industrial uses, particularly those
involving manufacturing facilities and equipment that require specialized design
that may make it impracticable to follow the specific requirements of this Part.
Steel mills, aluminum plants, refining, power generation and liquid storage
facilities are examples. A water tank or an oil refinery, for example, has no floor
area, so it is obvious that requirements for exits from floor areas would not apply.
Requirements for structural fire protection in large steel mills and pulp and paper
mills, particularly in certain portions, may not be practicable to achieve in terms
of the construction normally used and the operations for which the space is to be
used. In other portions of the same building, however, it may be quite reasonable
to require that the provisions of this Part be applied (e.g., the office portions).
Similarly, areas of industrial occupancy which may be occupied only periodically
by service staff, such as equipment penthouses, normally would not need to have
the same type of exit facility as floor areas occupied on a continuing basis. It is
expected that judgment will be exercised in evaluating the application of a
requirement in those cases when extenuating circumstances require special
consideration, provided the occupants safety is not endangered. The provisions
of this Part for fire protection features installed in buildings are intended to
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provide
a minimum acceptable levelCalgary
of public
safety. It is intended that all fire

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Codes and Standards for

Industrial Occupancies
If the Alberta Building Code doesnt apply, what
does?
ABC does apply, and should be the starting point
ABC also adopts by reference several documents that
may be applicable
API / ANSI / ASHRAE / ASTM / CGSB / CSA / NFPA / ULC /
etc.
Industry has also created a variety of codes and
standards which are designed to address certain
hazardous areas within a facility, address hazardous
processes, and assist in other aspects of fire and life
safety

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Codes and Standards

There are still many,
many, many industrial
usesthat require
specialized design that
may make it
impracticable to follow
the specific
requirements of this
Part

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National Fire Protection

Association
NFPAs mission is to reduce the worldwide
burden of fire and other hazards on the quality
of life by providing advocating consensus codes
and standards, research, training, and
education.
As mentioned, several codes and standards are
adopted by reference in the ABC and AFC.
Including several NFPA documents
10, 11, 12, 12A, 13, 13D, 13R, 14, 15, 16, 17,
17A, 18, 20, 25, 30, 30B, 32, 33, 34, 37, 51,
68, 69, 72, 80, 80A, 82, 86, 91, 96, 101, 211,
214, 505, 664, 705, 750, 1142, 2001

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National Fire Protection

Association
NFPA Technical Committees produce one of four types of
documents:
Codes and Standards
Main text shall consist of all mandatory requirements
All nonmandatory text shall appear in an Annex

Recommended Practices
Main text shall consist of recommendations and
directly supporting text
All other informational text shall appear in an Annex

Guides
Guides shall be permitted to mix recommendations
and explanatory material in the body of the main text

Performance-Based Documents
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What about NFPA 1710, 1720, &

1730?
NFPA 1710 and 1720 are the Standard for the
Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression
Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special
Operations to the Public by Career and Volunteer Fire
Departments, respectively.
1710 and 1720 attempt to define levels of service,
deployment capabilities, and staffing levels for career
and volunteer departments
Arose out of the need to better substantiate and justify
funding levels
NFPA 1730 will do the same for fire prevention activities

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NFPA 1730
Current working title is:
Standard on the Organization
and Deployment of Code
Enforcement, Plan Review,
Fire Investigation, and Public
Education Operations for the
Public

Task Groups have been formed

for each category. Final
product will address staffing
levels and levels of service
1730 also arose from the need
to better substantiate and
justify funding levels

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Speaking of Provincial Fire

Legislation in Alberta
Where do 1710, 1720, 1730 (and others) fit?
The short answer is they dont.
Once again, it differs from province to province
Some have legislation for provisions/requirements
for Fire Departments
Fire Department Act BC
Fire Departments Platoon Act SK

There are no provisions in the Safety Codes Act in

Alberta for Fire Fighters or Fire Departments
There are provisions that allow for certification
requirements relating to anything to which the Act
applies
BC has committed to following the training
standards of NFPA
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Speaking of Provincial Fire

Legislation
Q: Why arent these Codes and Standards adopted through
legislation?
A1: Liability (responsible for meeting obligations of the document)
A2: The documents may be very applicable to many situations,
less applicable to some, and not applicable at all to others

Q: Does it matter if these documents dont have the force

of law?
A1: Yes
See Calgary Fire Department
A2: No
May soon have the force of an insurance requirement (e.g.
roofers)
A3: No
NFPA Codes, Standards, and Guides are consensus documents
developed by industry experts, in other words

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Speaking of Provincial Fire

Legislation
Anyone required to provide emergency services
(government, industrial, municipal, etc.) should
have a very well substantiated reason if they
choose NOT to follow recognized industry Codes
and Standards, even if they are not enacted
legislatively
Why?
Liability
E.g. Ontario
E.g. NFPA 921 (a Guide)

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Summary
The Province of Alberta expects that all buildings for all
occupancies comply with the its Codes and Standards.
ABC and AFC developed by the SCC under the authority of the
SCA
Various third party documents adopted by reference in the ABC /
AFC

Various other third party documents do not have the force of

law, but probably should have (e.g. 1710, 1720, 1730)
While not adopted legislatively, ignore these documents at your
peril!
Even if not breaking the law, may still be liable

What does the future hold?

Amend / update the SCA, or develop new legislation for fire
fighters and fire departments
For industry, insurance requirements may make the legislation
discussion moot
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Questions?
Thank you for your
time.

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