NFPA Journal - May/June 2012 - (Page 74)

— . CODES IN REVIEW . — NFPA 150 LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS & CHICKENS The initial focus of NFPA 150 was on protecting horse stables, but the document has been revised and expanded to include life and fire safety requirements for any structure that houses animals, from scientific research facilities to barns. q ratories, pet shops, and more—to be sprinklered will be presented and voted on by the NFPA membership. ‘Staggering losses’ The 2009 edition of NFPA 150, Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities, requires sprinklers in facilities housing Category A animals, which are defined as those that are dangerous or cannot easily be moved, such as bears, elephants, or poisonous reptiles. All other animals are considered Category B animals. The CAM seeks to expand the sprinklering requirements to include Category B animals as follows: “9.8.1 Sprinkler Systems. Animal housing facilities with Category A animals or Category B animals shall be sprinklered throughout in accordance with Section 9.2.” Sprinklering requirements were not always based on animal categories. In 1979, the first edition of NFPA 150 was created in response to a series of disastrous racetrack stable fires. This edition was intended primarily for stables, and sprinklering requirements were based on the construction type, area, and number of horse stalls in the facility. In 2004, the document was revised and expanded to include life and fire safety requirements in all animal housing facilities, not just stables. NFPA 150 now applies to any structure that houses animals, ranging from scientific research facilities to pet stores, zoos, and barns. The current standard is referenced by NFPA 1, Fire Code, and NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code®, and has been adopted in many jurisdictions. Fires in all types of animal housing facilities in the U.S., including barns, have declined steadily for three Despite the Decline in the number of fires over the past 30 years, the losses of animals to fire can still be every bit as staggering today as they were decades ago. decades, according to NFPA statistics, from more than 14,000 reported structure fires in 1980 down to about 740 in 2010, with an average of around 800 such fires a year since 2005. Direct property damage in recent years has averaged around $30 million annually, or about $40,000 per fire. Despite the decline in the number of fires, the losses of animals can be every bit as staggering today as they were decades ago [see “Animals at Risk,” previous page]. According to Laurie Loveman, who runs the advocacy website firesafetyinbarns.com, six separate fires in April 2011 alone killed eight lambs, 20 cattle, 31 horses, and 300,000 chickens. Her records for the year include information on more than 80 fires that killed 200 horses, 850 cattle, 15,000 sheep, 461,000 chickens, and 18,500 other fowl. Sprinkler proponents cite numbers like these as part of their argument for requiring sprinkler systems in all animal housing facilities, and as part of a larger call for the humane treatment of all commercially-raised animals. At the same time, others argue against sprinkler systems because of the cost; some frame the question 74 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2012 PHOTOGRAPH: CORBIS http://www.firesafetyinbarns.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2012

Nfpa Journal - May/june 2012
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzz Words
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Signal Concern
Giant Steps
13^3
Sprinklered Menagerie?
Free Samples
Eye on Health Care
Membership: The Sections
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2012