Question.884 - Begin your essay with a brief introduction. Your thesis should establish your opinion regarding why these two types of construction projects present unique hazards. Next, in a well-organized discussion with strong evidence of critical thinking, you must accomplish the tasks listed below. Discuss the construction process that occurs in each project type (buildings under construction and buildings under demolition). Briefly explain the difference between fire code, building code, and construction standards regulation. Summarize two codes (fire or building) for each project that you feel most directly impact fire resistance and firefighting efforts. Determine the safety concerns unique to each project type. This should include firefighter safety as well as safety concerns that might affect firefighting strategy and operations. Finally, you must locate and identify two incidents involving a fire—one for a building under renovation and one under demolition, whose outcome directly led to a change in either fire code, building code, or construction standards. Briefly summarize each incident, and explain why the change in code was enacted.
Answer Below:
Essay 3 Tyler Ackley Columbia Southern University FIR 2301: Principles of Fire and Emergency Services Professor Paul HasenmeierMarch 14th, 2023 Essay 3 Construction projects such as buildings under renovation and buildings under demolition can present unique hazards to firefighters and fire operations. The construction process plays a vital role in buildings under renovation and demolition; some of the real-world examples have been discussed at the end of the essay in order to depict the importance of safety measures while having the scope to adapt to the dynamic construction trends in accordance with the development of the technological advancements and incorporate them to the codes and regulations. That could range from the removal of load-bearing walls during the renovations, the addition of new floors, and the installation of new HVAC systems. On the other hand, buildings under demolition involve the complete or partial removal of a structure that should ensure explosion safety measures. The process may involve the use of heavy machinery to demolish walls and remove debris across the safety radius. Fire Code, Building Code, and Construction Standards Regulation Fire codes regulate the safety of the building's occupants and the emergency responders in the event of a fire. Considering the department of State (New York) that was updated in 2022 with a few amendments and updation on certain factors like transportation of hazardous materials, storage and handling, reporting fire incidents, and emergency preparedness. Building codes set the standards for the construction of new buildings, while construction standards dictate the materials, methods, and safety requirements for construction projects – the Fire code of New York Local Law no. 47 of 2022 included more robust measures to combat fire during renovation and demolition. Fire and Building Codes for Buildings under Renovation and Demolition For buildings under renovation, the International Fire Code (IFC) and the International Building Code (IBC) are two codes that directly impact fire resistance and firefighting efforts. The IFC regulates the installation of fire protection systems, such as automatic sprinklers, alarms that are adaptive to mishaps and fire incidents, and extinguishers that technological advancement to compromise the spread of fire blazes when high-rise buildings are involved which are subjected to variations from wind and elevation (Corbett & Brannigan, 2021). The IBC sets the standards for the construction of new buildings, including the use of fire-resistant materials and structural integrity. For buildings under demolition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provide guidelines and regulations for firefighter safety (Corbett & Brannigan, 2021). OSHA sets safety standards for the use of heavy machinery during the demolition process, while the NFPA regulates the safe removal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos. Safety Concerns Unique to Each Project Type In buildings under renovation, the safety concerns include the potential for structural collapse due to the removal of load-bearing walls and the presence of hazardous materials during the renovation process (Corbett & Brannigan, 2021). Firefighters must also be aware of the location of fire protection systems and potential fire spread due to the use of flammable materials during the renovation process. In buildings under demolition, the safety concerns include the presence of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, during the demolition process, as well as the potential for structural collapse due to the use of heavy machinery. Firefighters must also be aware of the potential for a sudden collapse of the structure during firefighting operations. Considering the scenarios being discussed in the light of incidents involving a fire incident for buildings under renovation and demolition: In the year 2007, the incident fire at the Deutsche Bank Building in New York, when a fire broke out within the building (“Firefighters still seeking justice 10 years after Deutsche Bank fire,” 2017). The bank was undergoing renovation since it was one of those buildings that were damaged during the 9/11 attacks that happened across the street. The fire broke out on the 17th floor due to certain factors like the materials used during the renovations in addition to the fire exits that were blocked, which caused havoc to the firefighters who were trying to rescue, resulting in ending the lives of two firefighters while several others being injured (“Firefighters still seeking justice 10 years after Deutsche Bank fire,” 2017). The Three Ten firefighters suffered injuries even though the fire incidents could occur during the renovation phase when a 14 ft. pipe fell from the 35th floor that came crashing through the 2nd floor, causing the roof to collapse due to poor safety measures. This event was learning to the entire state, which led to the New York City council passing a local law 26, that demanded all the high-rise buildings to install a water sprinkler system to improve fire safety measures in addition to the development of a comprehensive fire safety plan for the high-rise buildings. Another, incidents one Meridian Plaza Fire in 1991 – before discussing the incidents, some of the contributing factors, according to the reports from the firerescue1 by Hensler (2022), claim that due to the delayed notifications from the incident location, similar to the example discussed above, the stairwell was locked due to the renovations impeding the access firefighters wanted, loss of the power supply that happened due to the inadequate safety measures to secure the power lines from fire incidents and even extended to causing negative impact to the pressure relief valves on the standpipe systems and dysfunction of automatic fire sprinklers. In order to understand the fire incident in 1991, a 38-story Philadelphia high-rise building named "One Meridian Plaza" caught on fire on the 22nd floor; the firefighters were not able to tame the incident under their control due to the above-discussed contributing factors (Hensler, 2022). This event was one of the massive firefighting events that demanded over 300 firefighters to the assemblage and took the lives of three firefighters. Due to this tragedy, the International Association of Fire Chiefs referred to as the IAFC, released a position statement in terms of the importance of automatic fire sprinkler systems in accordance with assessing how the high-rise buildings having a varied movement of fire and smoke called the stack effect can be brought into the existing fire and safety regulations (Hensler, 2022). These are some of the tragic events that demand and depict the importance of changes in building codes and construction standards to improve fire safety and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. References Corbett, G. P. &. Brannigan, F. L. (2021). Brannigan's building construction for the fire service (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284204834 Firefighters still seeking justice 10 years after Deutsche Bank fire. ABC7 New York. (2017, August 16). Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://abc7ny.com/deutsche-bank-building-fire-fdny-investigative/2310936/ Hensler, B. (2022, February 23). One Meridian Plaza: 3 firefighters killed during Unimaginable blaze. FireRescue1. Retrieved from https://www.firerescue1.com/firefighting-history/articles/one-meridian-plaza-3-firefighters-killed-during-unimaginable-blaze-vOsQ4mBwJMLDxiH4/More Articles From Research
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