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system types, cost and coverage? How far do our responsibilities in systems design extend? As cited in Home Insurance Co. of Illinois v. National Tea Co., a deli oven in one shopping mall store started a fi re that destroyed the store and caused water and smoke damage to other mall stores. T e trial judge concluded that the store in which the fi re originated was solely responsible for the damage. T e mall owners complied with all applicable building codes and, therefore, were not negligent. In "Premises Liability for Shopping Mall Fire Safety," John O. Hayward states that although tenants are liable in these cases, mall owners, who essentially act as landlords, should protect tenants from harm resulting from foreseeable activities taking place within these areas. As the uses and designs of large public facilities continue to evolve, fi re and life-safety system planners would be well advised to go beyond meeting code and protecting each party's legal obligations. By incorporating longer- term thinking for diverse uses and occupancies, engineers can help drive more thorough and responsible fi re and life-safety system designs. WHO'S THE CLIENT? Admittedly, making the case for a more technologically advanced system can be challenging, depending on a number of factors, not the least of which is the As the uses and de- signs of large public facilities continue to evolve, fi re and life-safety system planners would be well advised to go beyond meeting code and protecting each party's legal ob- ligations. Engineers should incorporate longer-term thinking for diverse uses and occupancies. client. When the client is a contractor in a design/build situation, cost is king, and the contractor may not appreciate any design that exceeds minimum code requirements. In that case, it may take some careful negotiation to convince the contractor to discuss with the building owners what levels of risk they may be exposed to with a minimum- code approach versus a more reliable or advanced fi re and life-safety system. Kevin Kimmel, a senior fi re protection engineer with architectural/ engineering fi rm, Clark Nexsen in Norfolk, Va., has designed safety systems for numerous occupancies and large, indoor structures. He says tuning in to building intent during the planning phase is key. If the architect and the client have spent hours in planning meetings talking about their design concepts and the beautiful interior for a new casino, then a design engineer needs to respect how important visuals are for the project. "T at's when you pull the architect off to the side and explain, 'We can do beam detection or discreet air sampling, and it will increase costs just slightly. Otherwise, you'll have this, '" he says, while showing a photo of the 20 highly visible white spot detectors that will clash with the interior fi nishes and overall design aesthetic. "You want to make sure when you're in those meetings that you're listening to their mission so your system doesn't interfere with that environment. " It makes good sense, then, to promote more technologically advanced systems while appealing to the goals and objectives of others involved in the decision-making process — even when it's a less critical safety design priority such as aesthetics. A fi re and life-safety system is just one component of a commercial property, however. "T e owner is not just sweating detectors and fi re alarm systems; he's looking at carpeting, furniture, lights, LEED points, all these other things that go into design," says Kimmel. "We're 30 seconds in a four- hour meeting. We have to understand our place as part of a huge system, and it has to all fl ow together. " Fire safety contractors must balance the sometimes confl icting needs of protecting occupants and building assets with a facility's main mission, be it entertainment, education, etc. PHOTOGRAPHY ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DWPHOTOS, ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/YMGERMAN For example, a fi re suppression system can limit the amount of damage a fi re causes, but if it activates in error, the suppression system itself can cause costly damage or interfere with mission- critical activities. In this case, fi re sprinkler monitoring devices are used to ensure fi re sprinklers work properly. OCTOBER 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM / 65 >>