Building Mangement Systems - Essay Example

BUILDINNG MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Student Name Institution Date Introduction The efficient management of facilities such as buildings requires close and continuous interaction between both the facility managers and the security managers. Facility management involves the incorporation of the different activities within the built environment and the effective management of their effects on the people and the workplace in general (Atkins and Brooks, 2009). It is a sustainable way of ensuring high business performance by conducting a whole life management of the workplace as well as the business supports services. Although facilities management inculcates the costs and efficiencies, its main aim is the provision of a comfortable working environment. Among the roles played by facilities managers are; ensuring the proper maintenance of premise, negotiating contracts with vendor’s working on a company’s property and management of operational costs. Although facilities management is considered as an important part of building management, the security of any given building is also an issue of concern. Security management involves the identification of the possessions of an organization and devising methods of protecting the assets (Sennewald, 2011). In high rise buildings for instance, security management is extremely important due to the high number of occupants. Also, high rise buildings can also be affected by such security threats as vandalism, disturbances and the occurrence of fires. Among the roles played by the security managers are; maintenance of a secure environment by ensuring building security, increasing the awareness of staff on security issues, conducing security trainings within the organization and identifying areas of security risks such as fires and vandalism and preventing them from occurring. Although security management and facilities management are two different disciplines, they are linked to each other. It is, therefore, important for both departments to work together for efficient building management since their roles and responsibilities overlap. This paper examines the relationship between security management and facilities management, while giving reasons why they should appreciate each other’s roles. Discussion One such security risk that can compromise this is the occurrence of fires within a building (Meacham, 2013). Many buildings, specifically high rise buildings are commonly at the risk of fire scenarios due to various reasons such as the large number of occupants, the presence of vertical shafts which increase the chances of vertical spread of the fire, little means of escape and the risks posed by the buildings to fire-fighting operations. With all these considerations, it is important for both the facility and the security managers to work together in ensuring the safety of the people as well as the property within such buildings. The development and implementation of the fire and life safety is important in ensuring improved fire security hence better building management. Fire and life safety refers to the degree of fire safety provided to a facility and its occupants. These include; means of fire detection, prevention, protection and response measures (Craighead, 2009). The proper management of a building requires specific knowledge in the building codes and standards, the basic chemistry of fire, the various fire detection and suppression manuals as well as the warning and communication systems. Detectors for instance, are used in anticipating the events and characteristics of fire thus helping the building occupants, fire management systems that can be used in controlling fires when they occur. In offering the protection to occupiers of buildings and their property against fires, it is important for the security managers and the facilities managers to work hand in hand. This is because, the security management will identify the fire security threats that occur in a building and propose ways of improving security through the installation of fire alarms and detectors. However, it is the role of the facilities manager to ensure that all the equipment required for the safety of the building as per reports from the security managers are properly installed within the facility (Hirst and International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2006). This way, they both ensure that the security standards of facilities are updated. Another important component of the building management that requires the collaboration between the facility managers and security managers is fire suppression. Fire suppression systems are designed to control and extinguish fires. The fire suppression systems that are used within a facility depends on the occupancy of the facility, the fuel type and load and environmental considerations such as water availability. Fire suppression systems in a facility can either be manual or automatic. Such systems comprise of water supply systems, pumps and valves, sprinkler heads and detectors. Depending on the facility, the fire suppression systems can either be in liquid or gaseous form. Proper building management requires that the facility managers ensure that the fire security systems within the building are installed efficiently and are functioning properly. For this to be properly implemented, there must be a close interaction between the facilities managers and the security managers. Fire suppression systems such as the heat and smoke venting systems are used in reducing the spread of smoke from fire in a facility, reducing the build -up of smoke within the building and helping in the evacuation of the building occupants in the event of a fire. Other strategies of fire suppression in a facility such as compartmentation of the building, which is a fire security strategy, helps in reducing the spread of fire within the building as well as in the control of smoke (Nolan, 2010). Another area of concern in facility management that requires the attention of both facilities managers and the security managers in a facility is the standards and codes. The fire standards and codes are important in ensuring that the facility complies with the set standards and codes which differ from one country to another. The knowledge for instance, on how to keep the various codes for the different fire control components of the building such as the sprinklers, the elevator integration systems and the fire alarms depend on the security management of the building. However, ensuring that the facility complies with the set standards requires the keenness of the facility manager. Therefore, the proper coordination of these departments is important in the provision of an enabling working environment. It is important, therefore, during the design of facilities for the facility managers’ to work together with the security personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the business through the protection of the occupants of the building and their property. Smoke and fire control within facilities is important in enabling evacuation and reducing the number of fatalities that may occur in the event of fire. In most workplaces where the facilities managers and the security managers appreciate their roles, the result is an effective control of the fire occurrences thus the improved building and occupant security. Technologies used in high rise buildings High rise buildings are described as the buildings or structures with heights higher than the reach of the fire fighting equipment. The normal heights of high rise buildings ranges from 75 to 100 feet, but others can exceed these heights. High rise buildings pose negative effects on the occupants of such buildings requiring the development of the strategies to prevent their occurrences (Dunn, 2010). In high rise buildings different technologies are used in preventing the occurrences of fires and in controlling and containing fires when they occur. The incorporation of the fire protection systems within an organization are important for both facilities managers and security managers in ensuring early identification of fire risks, determining the actions that should be taken, communicating these actions to the response teams, responding and providing audible or visual alerts. One of the technologies used in controlling fires in high rise buildings is the installation of fire control systems (Great Britain, 2010). Fire control systems in high rise buildings comprise of different elements such as the detectors and the fire indicator panels. Detectors are designed to detect and respond to the presence of fires or smoke within a facility. In high rise buildings, the devices installed detect the looming danger of smoke or fore are the fire alarms and smoke alarms. These devices provide warnings to the occupants of a building prior to the fire occurrence, thus enhancing building safety by protecting property and people against the negative effects of fire. Apart from the fire detectors, another major component of the fire control system in high rise buildings is the fire indicator panel (Giesler, 2011). The controlling constituent of the fire alarms is the fire indicator panel. It comprises of diallers, which are telecommunication which automatically dials a preset number and transfers the alarm details to the monitoring station. Another component of the fire indicator panel is the HVAC fire integration. HVAC systems are defined as the combination of both active and passive systems that work together in the provision of life safety to the occupants of high rise buildings. The systems provide active smoke control and smoke removal, hence acting as fire security control mechanisms. The HVAC integration consists of air ducts and vents, smoke vents and ducts that help in smoke extraction and positive pressure fire routes, thus helps in containing fire in the event of occurrence (Klinoff, 2012). Another method of fire integration is the Access Control System with power supply from the fire panel. The access control system is important because it acts as a fire outlet, thus allowing increasing the safety of the occupants of the building (Benantar, 2006, Norman, 2011). The elevator fire integration powered by the fire panel. The loss of voltage thus results in a fire mode. The other important component of the fire control systems in the high rise buildings are the fire safety compartments. The compartmentation of a high rise building involves dividing the building into different rooms with the aim of reducing the spread of fire, smoke and flue gases. Compartmentation of a structure is important since it helps in increasing life safety, protection of property and ensuring the continuity of activities within the building. Since both the facility managers and the security managers value the provision of a comfortable environment to the occupants of the buildings in which they are in charge and the property therein, they often work together in ensuring the provision of improved safety against fires hence the effective management of the building. Apart from the technologies used in the control of fire, there are also different technologies that can be used in supressing the fires once they occur. Among the technologies used for fire suppression in the high rise buildings are the fire suppression systems. An important component of the fire suppression system is the water supply system or the tank. Efficient suppression of fire in a high rise building depends on the presence of a water reserve within the facility. Fire fighting in the high rise buildings mainly depend on the availability of water. Among the factors that are considered are the availability supply and the supply pressure. Low water availability results in reduced water pressure thus making fire extinguishing process difficult. Other factors to consider are the position of the water reservoir, either at the top or at the ground level of the building and whether the water is pumped or depends on the gravitational force. Another important component of the automatic fire suppression system is the water flow switches. A water switch alarm is a conservatively wired fire alarm. A water flow switches is the boundary between the fire suppression system and the fire alarm system of a building. The water flow system has three main functions including giving notification for the building occupants to evacuate, alerting the fire department of the impending fire occurrence and helping fire fighters in detecting the use of water as a fire control mechanism in a building. Other components of the fire suppression systems in a high rise building include the reticulation systems that are used in water reticulation. It is composed of several types such as the wet, dry and limited supply. Sprinkler heads are use in the injection of the suppressant being used such as water into the fire to help in extinguishing the fire (McGrail, 2007). The other fire suppression technologies that are applied in the high rise buildings are the stand alone fire suppression systems (Curtis, 2011). These systems comprise of the gas based systems, aqueous film forming form systems, dry chemical systems and the water based limited supply systems. The gas based systems comprise of gas that is contained in a pressurized cylinder. These systems are excited by the signals from the fire panel. For the purpose of fire suppression, the gas is released under pressure or directly from the cylinder. The gas based systems should, however, be handled with care because they can cause explosions. Examples of the gas based systems include the carbon dioxide systems which remove oxygen, the halogen systems which absorb oxygen. Halogen systems are, however, not convenient to use in the cases where materials already have oxygen (Ronchi and Nilsson, 2014). Installation and the efficient management of these systems in high rise buildings is important in ensuring that both the facilities managers and the security managers provide efficient life safety of the occupants as well as the protection of property in the event of fire. Conclusion. From the above discussion, it is evident that facility managers and the security managers have a vital role in ensuring the proper management of buildings and providing the occupants of the building with the necessary fire safety requirements. Although facility managers are responsible for the daily operations of the buildings, it is important for them to work hand in hand with the security managers to help them in understanding the different fire safety equipment, thus improving the overall management of the buildings. References Atkin, B., & Brooks, A. (2009). Total facilities management. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell. Benantar, M. (2006). Access control systems: Security, identity management and trust models. New York: Springer Science Business Media. Craighead, G. (2009). High-rise security and fire life safety. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier. Curtis, P. M. (2011). Maintaining mission critical systems in a 24/7 environment. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Dunn, V. (2010). Collapse of burning buildings: A guide to fire ground safety. Tulsa, Okla: PennWell. Giesler, M. P. (2011). Fire and life safety educator. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. Great Britain. (2010). Fire Control: fifth report of session 2009-10: report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence. London, Stationery Office. Hirst, B. A., & International Association of Fire Chiefs. (2006). Exam prep fire and life safety educator I & II. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Klinoff, R. W. (2012). Introduction to fire protection. Clifton Park, N.Y: Delmar/Cengage Learning. Meacham, B. J. (2013). Fire safety challenges of green buildings. McGrail, D. M. (2007). Firefighting operations in high-rise and standpipe-equipped buildings. Tulsa, Okla: PennWell Books. Nolan, D. P. (2010). Handbook of Fire and Explosion Protection Engineering Principles: For Oil, Gas, Chemical and Related Facilities. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Norman, T. L. (2011). Electronic Access Control. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Ronchi, E., & Nilsson, D. (2014). Assessment of total evacuation systems for tall buildings. Sennewald, C. A. (2011). Effective security management. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Read More

With all these considerations, it is important for both the facility and the security managers to work together in ensuring the safety of the people as well as the property within such buildings. The development and implementation of the fire and life safety is important in ensuring improved fire security hence better building management. Fire and life safety refers to the degree of fire safety provided to a facility and its occupants. These include; means of fire detection, prevention, protection and response measures (Craighead, 2009).

The proper management of a building requires specific knowledge in the building codes and standards, the basic chemistry of fire, the various fire detection and suppression manuals as well as the warning and communication systems. Detectors for instance, are used in anticipating the events and characteristics of fire thus helping the building occupants, fire management systems that can be used in controlling fires when they occur. In offering the protection to occupiers of buildings and their property against fires, it is important for the security managers and the facilities managers to work hand in hand.

This is because, the security management will identify the fire security threats that occur in a building and propose ways of improving security through the installation of fire alarms and detectors. However, it is the role of the facilities manager to ensure that all the equipment required for the safety of the building as per reports from the security managers are properly installed within the facility (Hirst and International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2006). This way, they both ensure that the security standards of facilities are updated.

Another important component of the building management that requires the collaboration between the facility managers and security managers is fire suppression. Fire suppression systems are designed to control and extinguish fires. The fire suppression systems that are used within a facility depends on the occupancy of the facility, the fuel type and load and environmental considerations such as water availability. Fire suppression systems in a facility can either be manual or automatic. Such systems comprise of water supply systems, pumps and valves, sprinkler heads and detectors.

Depending on the facility, the fire suppression systems can either be in liquid or gaseous form. Proper building management requires that the facility managers ensure that the fire security systems within the building are installed efficiently and are functioning properly. For this to be properly implemented, there must be a close interaction between the facilities managers and the security managers. Fire suppression systems such as the heat and smoke venting systems are used in reducing the spread of smoke from fire in a facility, reducing the build -up of smoke within the building and helping in the evacuation of the building occupants in the event of a fire.

Other strategies of fire suppression in a facility such as compartmentation of the building, which is a fire security strategy, helps in reducing the spread of fire within the building as well as in the control of smoke (Nolan, 2010). Another area of concern in facility management that requires the attention of both facilities managers and the security managers in a facility is the standards and codes. The fire standards and codes are important in ensuring that the facility complies with the set standards and codes which differ from one country to another.

The knowledge for instance, on how to keep the various codes for the different fire control components of the building such as the sprinklers, the elevator integration systems and the fire alarms depend on the security management of the building. However, ensuring that the facility complies with the set standards requires the keenness of the facility manager. Therefore, the proper coordination of these departments is important in the provision of an enabling working environment.

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