BKFRPRSY.RVW   20081203

"Fire Protection Systems", A. Maurice Jones Jr., 2009,
978-1-4018-6262-6
%A   A. Maurice Jones Jr.
%C   5 Maxwell Dr., Clifton Park, NY   12065-2919
%D   2009
%G   978-1-4018-6262-6 1-4018-6262-4
%I   Delmar Cengage Learning
%O   800-354-9706 www.cengage.com
%O  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401862624/robsladesinterne
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401862624/robsladesinte-21
%O   http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401862624/robsladesin03-20
%O   Audience i- Tech 2 Writing 1 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
%P   502 p.
%T   "Fire Protection Systems"

The preface states that the book is addressed to fire departments and
academies, colleges, architects, and engineers, providing an in-depth
review of fire protection systems, components, and characteristics. 
There is a correlation chart referencing the Fire and Emergency
Service Higher Education (FESHE) curriculum.

Section one establishes a relationship between fire behaviour, codes,
and protection systems.  Chapter one outlines the basics of fire
behaviour, dealing with fire, combustion, the fire triangle and
tetrahedron; classes, types, and stages of fires; and extinguishers. 
The model code process is reviewed in chapter two (model codes being
private guideline documents).

Section two looks at water-based fire protection systems.  Chapter
three examines water supplies, distribution systems, valves, hydrants,
and pumps.  Some of this material is repeated when chapter four talks
about standpipe and hose systems.  The discussion of effectiveness of
automatic sprinkler systems, in chapter five, is uncompelling, but
there is coverage of standards and discrete components (down to the
level of elbow joints).  Chapter six looks at specialized types of
water-based systems, such as mist and foam.

Section three notes fire alarms and detection systems.  Chapter seven
lists fire alarm system components and functions.  Types of alarms and
detection systems are catalogued in chapter eight.

Fire suppression agents (and systems) that use materials other than
water are described in section four.  Chapter nine examines wet and
dry chemical extinguishing systems.  Gaseous agent extinguishing
systems are dealt with in chapter ten, and, for once, the Halon
numbering system is explained (numbers of atoms of carbon, fluorine,
chlorine, and bromine in the molecule).  (There is a brief mention of
the Montreal Protocol.)  Portable fire extinghishers are in chapter
eleven.

Section five is a bit of a grab bag.  Chapter twelve looks at smoke
control and management systems.  Property security and emergency
response, in chapter thirteen, emphasizes exit systems and fire
department access.  Emerging technologies are minimally noted in
chapter fourteen.

The book does a decent job of describing the technologies and
standards, but there is very little comparison or discussion of
relative strengths and weaknesses of the various systems.  This is
disappointing in a work supposedly aimed at "higher education."

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2009    BKFRPRSY.RVW   20081203