Drastic Changes Have Come To San Francisco Fire Sprinkler Systems Since 1906 Earthquake

Drastic Changes Have Come to San Francisco Fire Sprinkler Systems since 1906 Earthquake

by

NFP

PLACENTIA AND SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA It has been 104 years since the San Francisco earthquake and a great deal has changed in the way of building codes since then.

Because of the fires that burned out of control after the earthquake, it may come as no surprise that the face of

San Francisco fire sprinkler systems

also began to change in the years following the earthquake.

It needed to, said Massoud Farazandeh, the general manager of Nationwide Fire Protection Corp., a Placentia and San Francisco fire system company.

When you have a natural disaster that is remembered as being among the worst in the nation s history and resulted in the most deaths from any natural disaster in California s history, it gets people thinking about safety in the years that follow, Farazandeh said.

The earthquake occurred at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website (earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/index.php).

Although the earthquake and its aftershocks caused a great deal of damage, it was the fires that burned out of control for three days following the quake that proved even more devastating.

Nearly five square miles burned and more than 28,000 buildings were destroyed.

Lessons Learned

Much has been learned about the effectiveness and demands of fire systems from the earthquakes in San Francisco and elsewhere since 1906.

We ve learned a lot about the best materials to use when manufacturing systems, Farazandeh said. And although no system is earthquake-proof, technology continues to evolve and newer, better systems continue to be developed.

Among the changes that have occurred through the years are the materials used in manufacturing fire sprinkler systems. Years ago, many

San Francisco fire protection

in restaurants and commercial kitchens were made from cast steel. Wet systems depend on piping pressure integrity and the fusible links to control spray activation, but corrosion in cast steel had adverse effects on those components when the system activated. As a result, cast steel has been replaced with stainless steel, which is used today.

Farazandeh argues that when it comes to fire safety in commercial buildings, it is most important in restaurants because restaurant kitchens always have the potential to create a fire hazard. Gas lines could break, electrical sparks could occur and a fire easily could start in a kitchen.

Modern

fire systems

aren t designed for earthquakes, but they are much more easily set off than systems from 30 years ago, he said.

For example, earthquakes have been known to cause gas lines to break, which can be a tremendous fire hazard. Today s San Francisco fire suppression systems are designed to set off in the event of a gas line break under a kitchen hood because the systems are more sensitive than they used to be.

There is a link that runs across the entire kitchen and if it is torn anywhere along that line, it will be set off, Farazandeh said. You can assume that would be a strong possibility in the event of an earthquake.

Read the full article titled

Drastic Changes Have Come to San Francisco Fire Protection since 1906 Earthquake

.

About Nationwide Fire Protection Corp.

Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh founded Nationwide Fire Protection Corp. in 1989 and grew the business into a national leader in fire protection and hood cleaning of restaurants and facilities. In August 2009, he opened a satellite location in Placentia, CA. The company s comprehensive service offerings enable businesses to do what they do best, which is to focus on their customers and their business. In turn, NFP focuses on what it knows best- keeping businesses in compliance and ensuring the safety of restaurants, staff and patrons.

NFP prides itself on providing exemplary service, offers a quality guarantee and maintains a dependable and highly qualified staff. All crew members are professionally trained to comply with the (www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=96) National Fire Prevention Association Standards and state and local codes.

Nationwide Fire Protection is fully insured and bonded. It is licensed in fire protection contracting in addition to our licensure in the mechanical and electrical fields.

2010 Sinai Google SEO Marketing and Nationwide Fire Protection Corp. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this press release is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

If you would like to learn more about the

fire suppression system

services offered by Nationwide Fire Protection Corp. or you want more information about the company, call (800) 750-7055, or visit the company s Web site:

nationwidefireprotection.com/

.

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