An Overview of Fire Risk Analysis and Cost Evaluation for Fire Protection Systems

SPEAKER:

Calvin Gray, P.Eng.
Chief Building & Plumbing Inspector
City of Victoria

Calvin Gray has been a consulting structural engineer since 1990. He has been licenced to practice from BC to Ontario and has designed a wide range of structures with the majority being industrial, institutional, and large residential buildings. Calvin has also worked as a structural engineer in New Zealand during the Christchurch re-build. More recently and in a new capacity, Calvin worked for the Office of the Fire Commissioner (Manitoba) as a Fire Safety Engineer, where he provided training to fire inspectors and building officials. Calvin presently works for the City of Victoria as the Chief Building & Plumbing Inspector. Calvin is a past member of CCBFC and currently is an executive member of the SFPE BC Chapter. Calvin is active with the Building Officials Association of BC where he is especially interested in education and professional development for new members.

SYNOPSIS:

Using prescriptive-based building code solutions to determine the fire protection systems for buildings have been instrumental in keeping Canadians safe. However, a fire risk analysis allows flexibility to assess other fire protection system solutions which maybe more appropriate or less expensive. But determining the fire risk for a building is an elusive and daunting task for any fire protection engineer. A practical approach to determine the fire risk will be demonstrated. As well as being useful to qualitatively rank fire protection systems, a fire risk analysis can be used to economically evaluate fire protection system options beyond simply comparing the capital costs. Although there are many guidance documents on fire risk, a common guidance document for Canadian Fire Protection Engineers would establish an agreed-upon scientific approach whereby the results would be both reasonable and consistent. Thus, setting a standard for Canadian Fire Protection Engineers as well as for AHJ’s and building owners were selecting the fire protection systems is both performance and economic based.

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