Project Fail-Safe: 2014-2017 NASFM Fire Research & Education Foundation

Project FAIL-SAFE, under the direction of the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research & Education Foundation, will examine the value of safety layering in buildings in a multi-step, multi-year study. In the context of building/fire safety and community resiliency, this project will investigate the value of safety layering, or reliability enhancement, in a building that has been impacted by a natural or man-made disaster and has been subjected to a fire due to the disaster. The study will investigate whether a sprinklered building, including all trade-offs, can perform its pre-incident function without successful sprinkler operation, even if there was no building collapse.

FSNA, working with Jim Narva, Executive Director and Jon Narva, Director of External Relations of NASFM, was instrumental in the development of the details of Project FAIL-SAFE, including the framework, funding initiatives, reviewing proposals, as well as the preparation of multiple informational documents for distribution to prospective contributors.

Because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback following the June meeting, a Summit meeting was held on October 29, 2015, in Denver. Presentations at the Summit provided the answers to requested information on test scenario planning and project management. Shared with prospective financial sponsors who attended the meeting was the research plan and budget prospectus for Project FAIL-SAFE.

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REPORTS:

• Project FAIL-SAFE Research Summary Infographic
  
  
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute; A Literature Review of Sprinkler Trade-Offs
  
  
• Risk Evaluation MATRIX: Analysis of the Impact of Trade-offs of Passive and Active Building Safety Features
  
  
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Fire Modeling Results