Fire Protection Engineering and
“Green” Buildings

There is nothing “green” about a building that is on fire! Toxic, carbon-laden smoke and contaminated water run-off from firefighting operations have a dramatically negative impact on the surrounding environment. When the fire is finally extinguished, the remnants of the building have to be transported to landfills. This includes ash, partially burned wood, synthetic materials and plastics. These materials cannot be recycled. New building materials must then be produced to rebuild the lost building.

Properly designed, installed and maintained fire suppression systems can make all the difference in the world, regardless of whether code-required or voluntary systems. Buildings protected by automatic fire suppression systems (such as fire sprinklers) require significantly less firefighting water than unprotected buildings. This includes single family homes!