Resources
Fire Protection Strategies for New School Buildings
This is a BSc (Hons) Dissertation undertaken by Ian Moore, a serving fire officer. The abstract reads:
"The purpose of this research was to examine driving factors and stakeholder influence when selecting appropriate fire strategies for new school buildings. This is
against the backdrop of the Building Schools for the Future program and a government expectation that all new schools are protected by sprinklers.
An investigation into the scale of the problem using fire statistics has revealed asignificant problem with arson attacks on school buildings. There is a high economic
cost from such incidents and a much wider implication to the education of the pupils and to the local community.
A literature review of the legislation, standards and recommendations that can be
applied to new school buildings has revealed that there is no single standard and a wide range of documents justifying different levels of protection. This has lead to design teams being accused of ‘cherry picking’ fire strategies to fit the budget of the project and a degree of dissatisfaction amongst inspectors.
There is a drive to ensure that the design of schools contributes positively towards educational environment, improving the standard of learning. This research has
revealed a detachment between the so called design champions and the need to protect school buildings from arson and fire damage. The conclusions of this dissertation present suggested good practice in the design process for new school buildings when considering the most appropriate fire
strategy. It is hoped that this work will stimulate a debate that will see future school buildings afforded the best levels of life and property protection".
Posted on: Wednesday 3 June 2009