What is the Difference Between Active and Passive Fire Protection?

If you are responsible for fire safety within your business or simply just exploring the many aspects of fire safety, you have likely come across the terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ fire protection. But what do they mean?

In simple terms, active fire protection entails detecting and stopping the fire, whereas passive fire protection involves containing a fire to prevent further spread.

To have a successful fire safety system, you will need both active and passive fire systems working in tandem together.

Let us take a closer look at what each system means.

Active Fire Protection 

An active fire protection system means the system itself requires action to be taken to detect or stop a fire. This can be either an individual taking a manual action such as using a fire extinguisher or an electrical system such as a smoke detector triggering an alarm.

Active Fire Protection Systems include but are not limited to:

• Fire alarm systems
• Emergency lighting
• Sprinkler Systems
• Foam and gas suppression systems
• Smoke ventilation
• Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs)
• Disabled refuge areas
• Dry and wet risers
• Hydrants
• Emergency Voice Communication Systems (ECVS)
• Fire hoses
• Fire extinguishers

Passive Fire Protection

Where active fire protection requires an action, passive fire protection only needs to be installed correctly. However, that does not mean it can be installed and left! Passive fire protection requires regular testing and maintenance to ensure that it is still compliant.

Passive fire protection systems are integral to a building’s fire safety plan as they could be the difference between protecting lives, premises, and business assets.

Passive Fire Protection Systems include but are not limited to:

• Fire doors
• Fire compartmentation
• Cladding 
• Fire and smoke dampers
• Fire curtains

To summarise:

• Both active and passive fire protection are vital parts of your fire safety strategy.
• Even though they play different roles, they inevitably work together to prevent and contain fires.
• You must ensure that your contractors install your fire safety systems correctly and comply with the latest regulations. Regular testing and servicing of these systems are vital to containing and stopping a fire in an emergency.

If you have questions regarding fire safety and compliance or want to discuss your current fire safety strategy, please do not hesitate to contact us.