Fadedawg
Well-Known Member
For those of ya'll romancing a fire marshal, it may help to look at things from his perspective, to understand his motives and what he will be considering.
Starting with motives, he is an official paid to protect people and property, and keeps his job if he does a reasonable job of doing so, regardless of any deep love of mankind he embraces as a bonus.
Besides citizens and property, he also has to be concerned with the safety and welfare of his own men fighting a fire, should one occur, as well as traffic snarls and repercussions.
I retired about a decade ago from working regularly with fire marshals and permiting officials, but what I found is that they are trained to find what is wrong with this picture, and know the regulations chapter and verse.
There will always be some pathology amongst the populous, some of which will seek employment in an empowering position, but by the time a person reaches the status of fire marshal, they usually have the experience and respect of their men and superiors, as opposed to being a clerk, who will never rise above being in charge of the front thwart-the-public-desk.
I personally found that turning into a friendly ghost is always the best policy.
Friendly means treating them/their position with respect and not losing your cool when they thwart you, and turning into a ghost means not trying to outsmart them, so they don't trust you and put you under a microscope as a snake.
Lots of snakes, so with them under the microscope, brothers and sisters doing what they say they are going to do, fall out of focus and slide smoothly through.
I also found that if you use them as a resource, by involving them early on with a quick conceptual plan review, that there were fewer surprises later on, when changes are expensive to fix.
At any rate, here is a partial list of the NFPA standards worthy of reading, to better understand where the fire marshal will be coming from:
Code No**Code Name
NFPA 1 Fire Code
NFPA 3 Recommended Practice for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems
NFPA 4 Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System Testing
NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
NFPA 12 Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 12A Standard on Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
NFPA 13 E Recommended Practice for Fire Department Operations in Properties Protected by Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems
NFPA 14 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems
NFPA 15 Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection
NFPA 16 Standard for the Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems
NFPA 22 Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection
NFPA 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances
NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
NFPA 45 Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals
NFPA 55 Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code
NFPA 56 Standard for Fire and Explosion Prevention During Cleaning and Purging of Flammable Gas Piping Systems
NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code
NFPA 59A Standard for the Production, Storage, and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
NFPA 67 Guide on Explosion Protection for Gaseous Mixtures in Pipe Systems
NFPA 69 Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems
NFPA 70 National Electrical Code®
NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®
NFPA 77 Recommended Practice on Static Electricity
NFPA 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery
NFPA 91 Standard for Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible Particulate Solids
NFPA 220 Standard on Types of Building Construction
NFPA 221 Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls, Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls
NFPA 290 Standard for Fire Testing of Passive Protection Materials for Use on LP-Gas Containers
NFPA 329 Recommended Practice for Handling Releases of Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases
NFPA 386 Standard for Portable Shipping Tanks for Flammable and Combustible Liquids
NFPA 496 Standard for Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment
NFPA 497 Recommended Practice for the Classification of Flammable Liquids, Gases, or Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas
NFPA 791 Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation
Starting with motives, he is an official paid to protect people and property, and keeps his job if he does a reasonable job of doing so, regardless of any deep love of mankind he embraces as a bonus.
Besides citizens and property, he also has to be concerned with the safety and welfare of his own men fighting a fire, should one occur, as well as traffic snarls and repercussions.
I retired about a decade ago from working regularly with fire marshals and permiting officials, but what I found is that they are trained to find what is wrong with this picture, and know the regulations chapter and verse.
There will always be some pathology amongst the populous, some of which will seek employment in an empowering position, but by the time a person reaches the status of fire marshal, they usually have the experience and respect of their men and superiors, as opposed to being a clerk, who will never rise above being in charge of the front thwart-the-public-desk.
I personally found that turning into a friendly ghost is always the best policy.
Friendly means treating them/their position with respect and not losing your cool when they thwart you, and turning into a ghost means not trying to outsmart them, so they don't trust you and put you under a microscope as a snake.
Lots of snakes, so with them under the microscope, brothers and sisters doing what they say they are going to do, fall out of focus and slide smoothly through.
I also found that if you use them as a resource, by involving them early on with a quick conceptual plan review, that there were fewer surprises later on, when changes are expensive to fix.
At any rate, here is a partial list of the NFPA standards worthy of reading, to better understand where the fire marshal will be coming from:
Code No**Code Name
NFPA 1 Fire Code
NFPA 3 Recommended Practice for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems
NFPA 4 Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System Testing
NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
NFPA 12 Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 12A Standard on Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
NFPA 13 E Recommended Practice for Fire Department Operations in Properties Protected by Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems
NFPA 14 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems
NFPA 15 Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection
NFPA 16 Standard for the Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems
NFPA 22 Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection
NFPA 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances
NFPA 25 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
NFPA 45 Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals
NFPA 55 Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code
NFPA 56 Standard for Fire and Explosion Prevention During Cleaning and Purging of Flammable Gas Piping Systems
NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code
NFPA 59A Standard for the Production, Storage, and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
NFPA 67 Guide on Explosion Protection for Gaseous Mixtures in Pipe Systems
NFPA 69 Standard on Explosion Prevention Systems
NFPA 70 National Electrical Code®
NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®
NFPA 77 Recommended Practice on Static Electricity
NFPA 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery
NFPA 91 Standard for Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible Particulate Solids
NFPA 220 Standard on Types of Building Construction
NFPA 221 Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls, Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls
NFPA 290 Standard for Fire Testing of Passive Protection Materials for Use on LP-Gas Containers
NFPA 329 Recommended Practice for Handling Releases of Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases
NFPA 386 Standard for Portable Shipping Tanks for Flammable and Combustible Liquids
NFPA 496 Standard for Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment
NFPA 497 Recommended Practice for the Classification of Flammable Liquids, Gases, or Vapors and of Hazardous (Classified) Locations for Electrical Installations in Chemical Process Areas
NFPA 791 Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation
