For this assignment, you will submit Part 3 of the scenario-based case study course project, which is due in Unit VIII. You should evaluate and revise the recommendations as needed during the process for each previous unit as you learn more during the progression of this course. Please continue to draw upon your imagination to think creatively on potential concerns with fire and explosive hazards, fire controls, and fire and emergency management. Look at fire protection technology in a holistic way that is significantly different from what was previously designed by thinking in isolation. You will evaluate and develop recommendations to resolve potential fires in the future.

Section I

As you make suggestions to improve fire detection and alarm systems, refer back to the background information, if needed, to provide you with the necessary material to identify the basic components common to fire protection for the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse.

This assignment is not looking for compliance with building codes nor expecting you to be a fire protection system designer. However, the purpose of this assignment is for you to apply the concepts and knowledge you learned in this unit as you begin writing your final project, which will cover protection systems that will detect, contain, control, and extinguish a fire. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response.

Prepare a well-organized narrative addressing the fire detection and alarm system, and provide your recommendations after reviewing the background information and information above. Your discussion will consist of your evaluation of the previous fire detection and alarm system. In addition, from reading the textbook chapters and any additional research you conduct about detection and alarm systems, discuss your recommendations for the rebuild of the warehouse. Be sure to include the information below.

• Briefly explain the function of a fire alarm control unit.
• Categorize the types of audible notification appliances.
• Discuss the three types of specialty signals.

Section II

As we saw in the unit lesson, written plans, procedures, and work practices are needed in any organization, no matter how large or small they may be. Written plans and procedures point out unforeseen hazards or emergencies to the organization, employees, or even the public. Based on the scenario in the unit lesson and the information above, discuss what is an emergency action plan. What are procedures and work practices? Describe the designated actions employers and employees should take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies after the warehouse is rebuilt.

For this assignment, you will write a two-page narrative (one page per section) supporting your position. Use APA level one headings for each section. The heading should be indicative of the major section to follow. You must have a title page and references page. You may use information from reputable, reliable journal articles, case studies, scholarly papers, and other sources that you feel are pertinent. You should use at least three sources, of which one must be your textbook. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations following proper APA style.

Case Study below:

Points to Ponder Scenario At 1:17 p.m., the fire alarm monitoring company received a report of a water flow alarm at 44614 Mays Street West. The FACU-initiating devices did not sense the presence of the products of combustion and smoke conditions through the multi-criteria devices throughout the warehouse. The only notification received was the signal for a water flow-initiating device in the warehouse. A few minutes later, the monitoring company received notification of a pull station activation in the warehouse near the loading docks. The monitoring company notified the City of Washington Fire Department, and a first-alarm assignment was dispatched. The first company arrived shortly thereafter and reported seeing the dense black smoke issuing from the roof area of the City of Washington Distribution Warehouse. Workers stated that after pulling the manual pull stations, there was no audible alarm notification. Those in the office area and other parts of the warehouse were unaware of the fire and were not evacuated until the fire department arrived. After investigating, it was found Examples of fire alarm notification system MOS 5301, Fire Protection Technology 3 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title that the alarm notification system on the older part of the warehouse and office was a pre-signal service with an integral delay, and someone in the office concerned about another false alarm cleared the notification. However, the sprinkler system and manual pull station were tied to a newer FACU and sent a signal to the monitoring company. The audible notification of the fire alarm pull station and the water flow detection[1]initiating device were wired into the pre-signal system, and when the system was silenced, the audible notification did not sound. The pre-signal was allowed by the previous business because they had written plans, procedures, and work practices concerning fire and evacuation as well as a trained fire brigade for a quick response until the fire department could arrive. Why was there only a water flow alarm and not a smoke or heat detection alarm in the scenario? Why was there a pre-signal system in the warehouse? What is a pre-signal system? Gagnon (2008) described a pre[1]signal system as a fire alarm system that sends a signal to a control room, front desk, or security workstation. The signal has a delay, and someone must manually activate a public alarm. Pre-signal systems are undesirable in many locations and must be approved by the authority having jurisdiction before installation. Most pre-signal systems have 24-hour supervision. Written Plans, Procedures, and Work Practices Is it important to have written plans, procedures, work practices, or even an emergency action plan with the advanced fire detection and fire alarms that we have today? Are these a thing of the past when systems were simple? Should workplace emergency be identified in advance? How do you protect employees and visitors in the workplace? Written plans, procedures, and work practices are needed in any organization, no matter how large or small they may be. Written plans and procedures point out unforeseen hazards or emergencies to the organization, employees, or even the public. These written plans and procedures identify multiple hazards or emergencies ranging from natural events to manmade. Even the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, 2001) suggests that these events were unforeseen threats and listed them as "floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, toxic gas releases, chemical spills, radiological accidents, explosions, and workplace violence resulting in bodily harm and trauma" (p. 1). The best time to prepare for an event is before it happens, and the emergency action plan must be comprehensive and deal with specific hazards found in the workplace. Not all workplaces are the same, and each workplace has its unique hazards. Every emergency action plan consists of the following components: a way to report fires and other emergencies; strategies and processes for evacuation; emergency procedures for escape and assigned routes, such as maps of floor plans and designated safe areas; contact information of individuals inside and outside the company who know the details of the duties and responsibilities of individuals during the emergency plan; measures for employees who stay to perform or shut down crucial company operations or maintain services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm; and rescue and medical responsibilities for workers (OSHA, 2001). Without clear and concise written plans, procedures, and work practices during an emergency, confusion and chaos can result in injury, damage to property, and possibly death. These written documents need to identify someone who will be the incident commander or person in charge who can follow procedures using some type of command structure. Someone needs to be familiar with the procedure who can determine if the written plan needs to be activated; evacuate personnel; know the exact location and any known hazards present to communicate to emergency medical services, fire services, or both; and terminate plant operations when needed. Written plans, procedures, and work practices are aimed at minimizing the causes of fire and prevent injury and the loss of life to employees and visitors through written guidelines. These guidelines should identify potential fire hazards as well as address the proper storage and handling of combustible or hazardous materials. In addition, they should identify persons or positions responsible for the housekeeping procedures and the segregation and separation of combustible materials. The written plans should address training of employees for any hazards that they may be exposed to during their daily activities. MOS 5301, Fire Protection Technology 4 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Conclusion Fire detection and fire alarm systems are the first defense against the spread of fire through detection, whether by simple or complex systems. Fire detection and fire alarm systems utilize FACUs to receive the activation signal from the initiating device and transmit a signal to the monitoring company in order to reduce fire damage or the loss of life. Systems have transitioned from bells, buzzers, or horns to a more complex electronic alerting system that does not blend into the background. In addition to an audible notification to save lives and reduce damage, written plans, procedures, and work practices are needed to ensure the risk of fire has been reduced or eliminated as much as possible.