APTIM Service Spotlight – Fire Protection Engineering

APTIM understands the importance of protecting people, assets, and business continuity from fire. Protection from fire and its effects often begins with regulation, but also economics, the environment and business disruption must be considered. Our services include support for managing established facilities, constructing new, and assessing existing, where fire protection engineering is a critical component in preventing interruption and unexpected costs.

Services range from planning and assessment through construction, commissioning, and operation. Our engineering team can produce assessment reports, conceptual designs for procuring design/build or complete designs for construction, depending on our client’s needs. We can also act as the owner’s representative for construction and code compliance as these are often critical to on-time project delivery.

APTIM provides a complete range of fire protection engineering services for facilities. We specialize in fire suppression, fire alarm, mass notification, and life safety systems. Our extensive experience in high challenge fire environments allow us to manage risk to our client’s projects and processes in the most cost-effective manner.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

• Fire protection system assessment, design, and engineering services
• Construction oversight, system acceptance, and commissioning
• Fire protection condition assessments/due diligence
• Fire hazard analysis
• Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) transition to fluorine free alternatives
• Building and fire code consulting
• Third party peer review services
• Qualified Fire Protection Engineer (QFPE) Services for DOD

SYSTEMS:

• Water-based fire suppression systems
• Clean agent suppression systems
• Fire foam systems – high, medium, and low expansion
• Fire detection, alarm, mass notification and signaling systems
• Smoke control and management systems
• Passive fire protection systems
• Life safety and egress systems

EVALUATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS

Even fire protections systems that are in perfect working order may still “age” out of compliance or adequacy to protect as intended. This may happen due to changes in use, process, or changes in regulations. APTIM can assess the compliance and adequacy of fire suppression, fire alarm, mass notification or life safety systems to determine if they can perform as needed in an emergency. For example, changes in material handling and storage aids in warehousing may lead to inadequate suppression systems jeopardizing millions of dollars’ worth of material. APTIM has broad experience in high challenge fire environments and can help our clients protect their people and property.

AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM (AFFF)

AFFF is a firefighting foam used to combat liquid fuel fires (Class B) since the 1960s. It has been proven very effective in the role of suppressing these fires. Unfortunately, AFFF contains Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) which are under increasing restrictions and bans due to toxicity concerns. APTIM has helped our clients in the transition from the longer chain AFFF (C8) to the shorter chain AFFF (C6) as the first step away from conventional AFFF. APTIM is a leader in the detection, removal, and destruction of these substances in the environment, and in the transition away from AFFF to fluorine free foam (F3) alternatives. While there currently are no drop-in replacements for AFFF, we can work with our clients to determine how to transition to F3 in an environmentally compliant manner while maintaining fire protection.

FIRE CODE CONSULTING

APTIM provides consulting services related to building and fire code requirements; we are experts in applying and interpreting NFPA and ICC Codes. Misapplication of fire codes by designers or enforcing authorities can be costly to projects with potential delays and redesigns. Reach out today for more details on our fire protection engineering services.