What to Know Before Charging your Dry Pressurized Construction Standpipe
What is it?
Many construction sites are provided with dry pressurized, manual standpipes to afford first responders a means to attack a fire. In certain jurisdictions, said systems require a permit for installation, as it differs from the contract documents. Boston, for one, outlines expectations for these standpipes by way of the Boston Fire Department Requirements for Air Pressurized Standpipes memorandum. Though the permanent standpipe(s) are most often utilized, there is no prohibition to use temporary piping in part or in entirety.
When do I need to transition?
There will eventually come a time where the dry-manual, pressurized standpipe will need to be transitioned to a wet-automatic standpipe to facilitate at the design intent as you approach Certificate of Occupancy. As this temporary system was permitted and approved, you must put the fire department on notice of any changes before any modifications take place. The best way to communicate/document the reasonableness of this change is by way of an Impairment Plan, which can be an amendment to your site NFPA 241, Construction Safety Plan.
What Goes into An Impairment Plan?
The impairment notification to the local fire department must address the following standard sequences:
- Shutdown of the temporary standpipe;
- Removal of standpipe air pressurization pack units where applicable;
- Removal of temporary fire department connections where applicable;
- Installation and connection of the permanent fire department connections and associated distribution piping;
- Filling of the standpipe/fire protection distribution system (perhaps exclusive of individual sprinkler systems) with municipal water pressure; and
- Supplemental signage that may be provided to assist in notification to the responding FD as to what is/isn’t in service during the transition.
If you have any other questions related to Construction Project NFPA 241 Construction Fire Safety Impairment Plans, please contact us at info@crcfire.com. For additional information about required construction standpipes, click here.