Fire protection code compliance verification system and method

• US 5,680,329 A
• Filed: 07/05/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John P. Couch, Steven J. Lloyd
• Original Assignee: John P. Couch, Steven J. Lloyd
• Inventors: Lloyd, Steven J., Couch, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Application Number:
  US08/677,581
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 364/509, 364/510, 364/551.01, 364/579, 364/580, 364/550, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/23, 340/825.36, 340/606, 340/607-611, 340/506, 340/505, 340/507, 340/514-517, 417/63, 239/71, 137/551-559
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 35/60 wet, i.e. containing extinguishing material even when not in use
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/50 Testing or indicating devices for determining the state of readiness of the equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

A verification system which will help ensure compliance with water-based fire protection system testing and maintenance standards and codes set forth by recognized fire protection authorities. The system comprises at least one sensor for sensing at least one parameter of one or more water-based fire protection system components pertinent to code compliance verification, a recorder for recording and date/time stamping data from at least one sensor, a method for verifying code compliance, and a method for generating a code compliance verification report based upon the sensor data. The system provides documentation of "everyday" system conditions and requisite periodic testing will enhance preparedness and performance of the water-based fire protection systems. The report can be electronically forwarded to the owner, insurer, or management company at any time, or automatically forwarded on a scheduled basis for "normal" reporting. In the event of "trouble" conditions requiring immediate resolution, real-time notification to appropriate entities can also be accomplished.

Claims

1. A system for verifying code compliance of at least one water-based fire protection system component whose operation and maintenance are based upon fire protection codes and associated industry standards, the system comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing at least one of a parameter of said at least one water-based fire protection system component and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to code compliance verification;

means for date/time stamping data from said at least one sensor;

means for storing date/time stamped data;

means for verifying code compliance of said at least one water-based fire protection system component based upon said data; and

means for generating a code compliance verification report based upon said sensor data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for forwarding said code compliance verification report to at least one predetermined entity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said forwarding means is automatic.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating means comprises means for automatically generating said code compliance verification report.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes a fire pump.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed further includes a pressure maintenance pump driven by an electric motor and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, motor current, motor voltage and controller power.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed further includes a fire pump controller and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of fire pump controller power, pump room temperature, mode selector switch status, pressure switch status, minimum run timer status, weekly program timer status, battery voltage, and battery current.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein several parameters are sensed, said sensed parameters including fire pump suction pressure, fire pump discharge pressure, system pressure, pressure sustaining pump discharge pressure, one of pressure sustaining pump current and voltage, fire pump controller power, and at least one parameter relating to pump driver activation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one parameter relating to pump driver activation is selected from the group consisting of motor current, motor voltage, exhaust stack temperature, exhaust stack oxygen level, steam pressure, steam temperature and turbine speed governor.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said fire pump is driven by a diesel engine and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, battery amperage, exhaust stack temperature, and exhaust oxygen level.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said fire pump is driven by an electric motor and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, motor current, motor voltage and controller power.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein said fire pump is driven by a steam turbine and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, controller power, steam pressure, steam temperature and turbine speed governor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes an automatic sprinkler system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, air pressure, nitrogen pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of air pressure maintenance device, status of dry pipe valve, status of deluge valve, specific gravity of antifreeze solution, remote sprinkler pressure and control valve room temperature.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes a standpipe and a hose and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve and control valve room temperature.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes a water storage tank system component and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of water temperature, water level, system pressure, air pressure, status of air pressure maintenance device, status of control valve, status of alarm valve, status of tamper switch, status of temperature alarm, status of water level alarm and control valve room temperature.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes an automatic water spray system component and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of heat detectors, status of flammable gas detectors, status of smoke detectors, discharge time, remote nozzle pressure and control room temperature.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-based fire protection system component being sensed includes an automatic foam-water discharge system component and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of foam concentrate supply, status of proportioner, response time, discharge time, remote discharge device pressure, status of heat detectors, status of flammable gas detectors, status of smoke detectors, status of foam concentrate pump and control room temperature.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for sensing at least one of an additional parameter of said at least one water-based fire protection system component and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to component maintenance, and means for forwarding maintenance information to at least one predetermined entity based upon said sensing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said additional parameter is selected from the group consisting of pump oil level, RPM, Hobbs hours, alternator voltage, engine temperature, pump housing temperature, and pump bearing temperature.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for sensing at least one of an additional parameter and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to system problem identification, and means for notifying at least one predetermined entity of problem information in real-time based upon said sensing.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said problem identification is selected from the group consisting of low suction pressure, low discharge pressure, low system pressure, excessive pressure sustaining pump run time, excessive fire pump run time, excessive pressure sustaining pump activations in a given time period, and no activation of fire pump system during given reporting period.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for archiving said data and said code compliance verification report as a permanent record.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for analyzing said archived data for statistical analysis.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said analyzing means utilizes the analyzed data to provide maintenance and troubleshooting information based on said data.

25. A system for verifying code compliance of at least one water-based fire protection system component whose operation and maintenance thereof are based upon fire protection code and associated industry standards, the system comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing at least one of a parameter of said at least one water-based fire protection system component and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to code compliance verification;

means for date/time stamping data from said at least one sensor;

means at a site of said fire protection system for storing said date/time stamped data;

means at a location remote from the site of said fire protection system for generating a code compliance verification report based upon said sensor data; and

communication means for conveying said stored sensor data to said remote means for generating said code compliance verification report.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising means at said remote location for forwarding said code compliance verification report from said remote location to at least one predetermined entity.

27. A method for verifying compliance of at least one water-based fire protection system component whose operation and maintenance thereof are based upon fire protection code and associated industry standards, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing, at a site of the water-based fire protection system, data comprising at least one of a parameter of said at least one water-based fire protection system component and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to code compliance verification;

storing said sensed data along with associated date/time data in a recorder;

accessing said sensed data and verifying code compliance/non-compliance based on said sensed data on a periodic basis; and

generating a code compliance verification report based upon said sensed data on a periodic basis.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of forwarding said code compliance verification report to at least one predetermined entity.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of report generating is performed from a location remote from said fire protection system site.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of accessing includes storing the data in a database and said step of report generating includes accessing said data in said database and performing computational manipulations to said data, including computational comparisons with predetermined acceptable values, and generating a report indicating compliance/non-compliance.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said step of report generating generates a code compliance verification report comprising:

a report period;

fire protection system location information;

fire protection system normal parameters;

date/time stamped parameter data; and

a compliance/non-compliance summary.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of forwarding is performed automatically.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said step of forwarding forwards the report by one of E-mail, electronic transfer and facsimile.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of accessing is performed automatically.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of generating is performed automatically.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of verifying is performed automatically.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein said at least one fire protection system component being sensed includes a fire pump system comprising a fire pump, a pressure maintenance pump, a pressure maintenance pump controller and a fire pump controller.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said fire pump is driven by a diesel engine and said step of sensing senses at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, battery current, exhaust stack temperature, and exhaust oxygen level.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said fire pump is driven by an electric motor and said step of sensing senses at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, motor current, motor voltage, and controller power.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said fire pump is driven by a steam turbine and said step of sensing senses at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of pump suction pressure, pump discharge pressure, system pressure, controller power, steam turbine pressure, steam turbine temperature and turbine speed governor.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said pressure sustaining pump is driven by an electric motor and said step of sensing senses at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of pressure sustaining pump suction pressure, pressure sustaining pump discharge pressure, system pressure, motor current, motor voltage, and controller power.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein said fire protection system being sensed is selected from the group consisting of automatic sprinkler systems, standpipes and hose systems, water tank systems, automatic water spray systems and automatic foam-water systems.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of sensing senses at least one component of an automatic sprinkler system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, air pressure, nitrogen pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of air pressure maintenance device, status of dry pipe valve, status of deluge valve, specific gravity of antifreeze solution, remote sprinkler pressure and control valve room temperature.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of sensing senses at least one component of a standpipe and hose system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve and control valve room temperature.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of sensing senses at least one component of a water storage tank system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of water temperature, water level, system pressure, air pressure, status of air pressure maintenance device, status of control valve, status of alarm valve, status of tamper switch, status of temperature alarm, status of water level alarm and control valve room temperature.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of sensing senses at least one component of an automatic water spray system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of heat detectors, status of flammable gas detectors, status of smoke detectors, discharge time, remote nozzle pressure and control room temperature.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein said step of sensing senses at least one component of an automatic foam-water discharge system and said parameter is selected from the group consisting of system pressure, status of flow switch, status of pressure switch, status of tamper switch, status of alarm valve, status of control valve, status of foam concentrate supply, status of proportioner, response time, discharge time, remote discharge device pressure, status of heat detectors, status of flammable gas detectors, status of smoke detectors, status of foam concentrate pump and control room temperature.

48. The method of claim 27, wherein said method further comprises the steps of sensing at least one of an additional parameter of said equipment and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to equipment maintenance, and forwarding maintenance information to at least one predetermined entity based upon said sensing.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said maintenance information comprises a part of said code compliance verification report and said step of forwarding said maintenance information and said step of forwarding said code compliance verification report are the same.

50. The method of claim 27, wherein said method further comprises the steps of sensing at least one of an additional parameter of said at least one fire protection system component and a resultant indicator thereof pertinent to component problem identification, and notifying at least one predetermined entity in real-time of the problem information.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said problem information comprises a part of said code compliance verification report and said step of notifying is additionally performed with forwarding of said code compliance verification report.

52. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of archiving said data and said code compliance verification report as a permanent record.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising a step of analyzing said archived data for statistical analysis.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising a step of utilizing said analyzed data to provide maintenance and troubleshooting information.