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A Brief Discussion on the Problems and Countermeasures of Automatic Fire Protection Systems in Buildings Author: Wang Tailin Abstract: This paper analyzes the problems existing in all aspects related to automatic fire protection systems in buildings, including the production, sales, and maintenance of fire protection products, as well as the design, construction, testing, and daily management of such systems. It proposes methods to improve the management of each aspect involved in these systems, with the aim of improving their operational efficiency and enhancing their role in fighting fires. Keywords: Automatic fire protection systems in buildings, Fire protection product design, Construction, Maintenance, Management. The emergence and development of automatic fire protection systems in buildings in China are closely related to the development of the social economy, and they reflect the needs arising from that ongoing economic progress. With the rapid development of China’s economy and the continuous expansion of urban construction, the technical standards for the design and installation of various automatic fire protection systems in buildings have also been gradually improved. As a result, there are an increasing number of construction projects that incorporate automatic fire protection facilities such as automatic fire alarm systems and automatic extinguishing systems, in accordance with relevant technical specifications. To date, the automatic fire protection systems in our country can be roughly divided into the following categories based on their functions: fire detection systems, fire confirmation systems, communication and alarm systems, systems for preventing the spread of fires, evacuation guidance systems, smoke control systems, early-stage fire extinguishing systems, as well as systems for formal fire extinguishing and maintenance management. The automatic fire extinguishing systems specifically include nearly ten types such as the automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing system, halon 1211 and 1301 fire extinguishing systems, high-, medium-, and low-expansion foam fire extinguishing systems, carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems, water spray fire extinguishing systems, and gas fire extinguishing systems. As China’s urbanization process accelerates further, various types of buildings—new, large-scale, high-rise, and underground—emerge in large numbers, leading to an increasing scale of storage facilities. And these places often have a large number of people, plenty of materials, and high-value assets, resulting in a high risk of fire. The traditional human-centered fire management approach and the fire-fighting tactics that rely on external rescue are completely inadequate to meet the fire safety requirements of these locations. Under such circumstances, automatic fire protection systems in buildings play a crucial role in quickly detecting and extinguishing fires, enhancing a building’s resistance to fires, ensuring fire safety in buildings, and protecting people’s lives and property. Achieving the widespread use of automatic fire protection systems in buildings, that is, \"automation of building fire protection,\" will be an important strategic task for the development of fire protection in China in the 21st century. However, due to quality issues with building automatic fire protection systems, as well as poor design, installation, and maintenance, failures occur, which prevent these systems from functioning properly. This delays the optimal timing for extinguishing fires, and ultimately leads to tragedies. I. Main problems with automatic fire protection systems in buildings (1) The installation and use of such systems are carried out without approval or inspection by fire supervision authorities, which leads to various problems. Some units, in order to complete the fire protection works specified in the blueprints, have people assemble centralized alarm systems without authorization ； Some organizations, in an effort to cut down on infrastructure costs or for personal reasons, choose low-quality and inexpensive fire protection products whose quality cannot be guaranteed ； Some units still have problems even after installation and commissioning; they cannot be put into operation, and may not be usable for several years ； In some cases, the entire system shuts down after being in use for only a short period of time, requiring redesign and model replacement, which results in significant waste. (II) Design and construction units engage in deception, resulting in \"inherent\" problems with the building’s automatic fire protection systems. Although certification management for the design and construction units of automatic fire protection systems in buildings exists, a period of vacuum occurred during the transition of certification management from the fire department to the construction department. Even under the current certification system, some entities and individuals without the necessary design and construction qualifications can temporarily assemble a team; by paying certain management fees, they can affiliate themselves with companies that do have such qualifications and thus undertake fire protection projects without any qualms. This results in a large number of cases where there is an excessive variety of design and construction firms, many of which fail to act with diligence and responsibility. For example, in some automatic sprinkler systems, the main pipe has a diameter of 100 mm, while the inlet pipe has a diameter of only 50 mm ； Some are poorly designed, using smoke sensors in the kitchen and heat sensors in the guest rooms ； Some are installed with smoke detectors in summer retreats where temperatures remain low, humidity is high, and the altitude is significant throughout the year ； Some construction companies blindly cater to the requirements of the project owners, choosing an inappropriate location for the fire control room ； Some control systems are designed in multiple locations, resulting in a failure of coordinated operation and difficulties in unified management when there are personnel on duty in various places. (III) Main problems in the management of production, sales, and maintenance units: During the development of the fire protection industry, due to imperfect market regulation measures and an unreasonable industrial economic structure, as well as the high technical complexity of fire protection products which often remain unused, it is difficult for ordinary users to carry out consumer oversight. As a result, there are serious issues with the quality of counterfeit and substandard building automatic fire protection systems in some areas, which directly affects the quality of these systems. In some places, local protectionism exists, leading to the mass production of fire protection products without obtaining a \"Fire Protection Product Production License\". Especially after the management of certification for the sales and maintenance of fire protection products was abolished in previous years, in addition to a surge in stores dealing with the sale and maintenance of such products, many stores that sell decoration materials, lighting fixtures, and plumbing supplies have also begun to offer fire protection products. Not only that, but there are also a large number of \"itinerant workers\" who lack business premises and maintenance equipment; they move around in facilities equipped with automatic fire protection systems, engaging in business and maintenance activities through improper means. This causes great chaos in the market for the production and distribution of fire protection products, thereby having a significant impact on the quality of such automatic fire protection systems. (IV) Issues related to usage management: First, there is a lack of awareness. In terms of automatic fire protection systems in buildings, people are satisfied with simply having such systems in place, leaving them unmanaged or without proper oversight, which results in these systems serving only as a superficial formality. The second is the issue of duty shifts. Building automatic fire protection systems require technical supervisors and round-the-clock duty personnel to conduct regular inspections, tests, management, and maintenance, so that problems can be identified and addressed promptly. However, at present, the vast majority of units responsible for automatic fire protection systems in buildings rely on doormen and security personnel to monitor the control rooms of these systems on an ad-hoc basis; such personnel are frequently transferred, and thus lack the capability to handle emergencies. Thirdly, irregular inspections, tests, maintenance, and cleaning often lead to false alarms and failures to report fires; numerous \"fault\" indications in the control room go unaddressed, and when there is a leak in the pipelines, the main valve is simply turned off. Fourth, employees and the general public do not pay enough attention to and take proper care of building automatic fire protection systems; they intentionally or unintentionally damage these systems or equipment, preventing them from functioning properly. (5) Problems with intermediary testing agencies: Before building automatic fire protection systems are inspected and approved by the fire supervision authorities, they must be tested by intermediary testing agencies. However, at present, these agencies that conduct tests on such systems also undertake the work of installing them, which results in a situation where everyone seems to be satisfied, but in reality the intermediary testing agencies serve only as a formality. Due to the statement on its inspection report stating that it was only responsible for the conditions at the time of the inspection, it escaped any subsequent scrutiny, resulting in serious defects in the building’s automatic fire suppression systems right from the time they were put into use. The above issues clearly demonstrate that there are many shortcomings in the automatic fire protection systems in some buildings, and it is imperative to strengthen the management of such systems. II. Countermeasures to address the above issues (1) Ensure strict control over the design review, construction supervision, and completion inspection of automatic building fire protection systems. Firstly, it is necessary to ensure proper design review for automatic fire protection systems in buildings. The design drawings for building automatic fire protection systems provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of such systems within a building. The quality of these designs has a direct impact on the functionality of the automatic fire protection systems, and even affects the building’s safety in case of a fire. Therefore, it is essential to strictly control the design review of automatic fire protection systems in buildings. During the design review, fire supervision departments shall, in accordance with the requirements of relevant standards and taking into account specific circumstances, put forward targeted review opinions and suggestions to ensure that the automatic fire protection systems in buildings are designed in compliance with regulations. Key points of the inspection: First, it is to check whether the corresponding automatic fire protection systems in the building have been installed in a comprehensive and reasonable manner in accordance with relevant standards, and whether there are any cases of missing installations, insufficient installations, or no installations at all ； Second, it is to verify whether the product selection for building automatic fire protection systems is appropriate, whether their performance is reliable, and whether the technology used is advanced ； Third, it is to check whether the corresponding auxiliary requirements for building automatic fire protection systems are met and whether the necessary conditions are satisfied. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure proper supervision of the construction of automatic fire protection systems in buildings. Construction supervision allows for the timely detection and correction of errors that affect the functionality of building automatic fire protection systems; it also serves as a further review of the design of such systems. Fire supervision departments must urge construction units to carry out work in strict accordance with relevant standards and drawings. Two main aspects need to be addressed: first, ensuring the qualifications of the construction and installation units as well as the quality of fire protection products; second, ensuring the quality of construction work related to automatic fire protection systems. Regular or irregular inspections should be conducted to oversee various stages of construction and the implementation of fire safety requirements, with particular attention paid to concealed works sowie certain construction and installation standards and debugging processes, so as to ensure that the installation of automatic fire protection systems meets the design specifications. Third is to ensure proper completion acceptance. Completion inspection is a comprehensive assessment of the functionality of automatic fire protection systems when the building is placed under simulated fire conditions. Fire supervision authorities require that building automatic fire protection systems must first pass inspection before acceptance. At the time of completion inspection, the fire supervision department shall conduct a thorough and careful examination and evaluation of the building’s automatic fire protection systems in accordance with the relevant acceptance standards for such systems and the design requirements. Any issues identified must prompt efforts to determine their causes and to rectify them completely. If an inspection is not passed in one attempt, it is essential to stick to the principles, make the necessary corrections as required, and organize another inspection until everything passes. (II) Strengthen the regulation of units involved in the production, sales, and maintenance of fire protection products for automatic building fire protection systems, as well as units responsible for the design, construction, and testing of such systems. Firstly, it is necessary to take advantage of the special campaign against substandard fire protection products that is being carried out jointly by the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. This campaign aims to crack down on fake and inferior fire protection products used in building automatic fire protection systems, thereby stabilizing the market order for such products and ensuring that only qualified fire protection products are used in these systems. Efforts should be made to eliminate a number of counterfeit and substandard fire protection products through targeted rectification actions, remove a range of fire hazards, bring to account illegal manufacturers, and assist and urge enterprises that have legal qualifications but whose product quality is unstable to improve it. It is necessary to raise awareness of the quality of fire protection products across society, thereby significantly curbing the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard automatic fire protection systems and products in buildings, cleaning up and regulating the market for such products, and promoting an improved fire safety environment in society. Second, it is necessary to work closely with the construction and design management departments to strengthen the supervision of the design and construction units of building automatic fire protection systems. The transfer of the authority for certifying the design and construction of building fire protection systems to the construction departments a few years ago does not mean that fire supervision agencies are powerless to oversee the design and construction firms involved in such systems. In addition to supervision and management in accordance with the Fire Protection Law, cooperating with the construction and design management departments for lawful oversight can also yield good results. The design of automatic fire protection systems in buildings is of great importance. It is essential to strictly ensure that the design teams comply with relevant technical standards such as the \"Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings.\" All areas where automatic fire protection systems are to be installed must be designed in accordance with these standards. It is not acceptable to cater to the wishes of the project owners by omitting or underdeveloping such systems on the grounds of budget constraints or financial difficulties, in order to meet their desire to save costs or that of certain officials. Fire protection products designed should be those with advanced technology, reliable performance, and effective functionality. At the same time, great attention should also be paid to the suitability of the products for the local area; appropriate products should be chosen based on the local climate. The construction and installation of automatic fire protection systems in buildings is also an important aspect. First, the project owner should select engineering teams with the appropriate qualifications to carry out the construction and installation work, avoiding the use of unqualified installation teams for these tasks. In particular, it is important to be vigilant and identify those makeshift teams that use someone else’s qualification certificates. At the same time, construction and installation firms that lend out their qualification certificates for profit must also be firmly cracked down on. Secondly, the construction and installation units must adhere to the relevant specifications for the construction and installation of automatic fire protection systems in buildings, as well as the design drawings approved by the fire supervision authorities; they must carry out construction in strict accordance with these standards. Any changes to the design drawings must be approved by the fire supervision department. Third, the construction party and the supervision party should promptly contact the fire supervision authorities to strengthen inspections during the construction process, in order to ensure the quality of installation of the building’s automatic fire protection systems. Third, strengthen the regulation of testing agencies for building automatic fire protection systems, and develop a market for the maintenance of such systems. Inspecting building automatic fire protection systems is like a doctor examining a patient; the patient is clearly sick, yet the diagnosis states that they are healthy, which of course leads to endless problems. A test report on building automatic fire protection systems serves as the basis for acceptance by the fire safety supervision authorities. Since, according to the regulations regarding fire safety inspections, only sample checks are conducted, the test reports issued by specialized testing agencies on such systems are of great importance. The key to solving this problem is for the project owner to randomly select an intermediary testing agency, thereby changing the traditional practice of having the construction and installation unit arrange such agencies, with fire safety inspectors overseeing the process. The maintenance of building automatic fire protection systems is an ongoing task that requires persistent effort and continuous attention in order to keep these systems in good technical condition over the long term. It is rare for ordinary companies to have professionals in this field, and the construction and installation firms that do have such experts are unwilling to take on tasks that offer little profit but require significant effort. As a result, problems arise with building automatic fire protection systems; in some cases these problems are severe enough to cause the systems to stop functioning, leaving no one available to carry out repairs. To develop a market for the maintenance of automatic fire protection systems in buildings and to address the difficulties associated with such maintenance, it is possible to start by addressing the bidding process for related projects. In addition to the **specified warranty period, maintenance services for subsequent periods should also be included in the bid documents. This approach can help eliminate the imbalance where there is intense competition to undertake fire protection projects, while maintenance work is neglected, thereby ensuring that automatic fire protection systems remain in proper working condition at all times. (III) The fire prevention officers and security departments of units that use automatic building fire protection systems shall strengthen the management of such systems and the personnel on duty. First, establish a management responsibility system. Once the equipment is put into operation, it must run continuously day and night; no unit or individual shall shut it down arbitrarily, interrupt its operation, modify it, or damage it. The automatic fire protection systems in buildings should be managed in accordance with the principle of \"whoever is in charge is responsible,\" with clear designated persons for accountability. The legal representative of the organization is the primary person responsible, the relevant supervisor is the specific person responsible, and those who manage and use these systems are the direct persons responsible. By signing responsibility agreements, responsibilities are clarified and implemented, ensuring that each level oversees the one below it, with each level taking responsibility and fulfilling its duties. Second, establish a system of one register, two records, and three inspections for automatic building fire protection facilities. The first category refers to fire protection records; in accordance with the management practices for key facilities, fire protection records for building’s automatic fire suppression systems are established. The two registers refer to the daily check register and the monthly check register; each unit should conduct checks on a daily basis and fill in the registrations carefully, which also serve as duty records. The monthly inspection register is prepared in two copies: one is sent to the local fire supervision department for record-keeping, and the other is submitted to the unit’s management for review. Three types of inspections: daily inspections, weekly inspections, and monthly inspections. For automatic fire protection systems of different scales and types, the person in charge of fire safety at the facility shall establish corresponding procedures and methods for daily, weekly, and monthly inspections, and implement them. Third is to assign a specific person to be responsible for the operation and monitoring of building automatic fire protection systems. The personnel on duty in the fire control room should remain relatively stable. Those who carry out this work must receive specialized training from the fire department, possess a high level of education and professional knowledge, be familiar with the overall structure of the system as well as the structure and usage of the building interior, master the operation methods of the equipment and emergency response procedures, and remain at their posts to fulfill their duties diligently. (IV) Fire supervision departments should strengthen the supervision and management of entities responsible for building automatic fire protection systems. Units equipped with automatic fire protection systems are typically found in important buildings such as high-rise buildings, underground structures, and large-scale facilities; they are also a focus of supervision by fire safety authorities. Fire departments must devote considerable effort to monitoring the management of these automatic fire protection systems in various buildings. First, it is necessary to raise awareness and take responsibility seriously, elevating building automatic fire protection systems to a level that ensures the fire safety of key locations, and to supervise the use of such systems with a high degree of commitment. In the process of carrying out supervision, fire safety oversight agencies should proceed based on practical realities and adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts. They must enforce laws strictly while providing enthusiastic service, focusing on improving fire prevention conditions. It is important to strike a balance between the speed and intensity of supervision; one should not pursue speed at all costs by relaxing requirements and issuing approvals carelessly, thereby creating inherent risks. Nor should power be delegated excessively under the pretext of simplifying procedures and handling special cases in an ad-hoc manner, as this would result in a lack of supervision and lead to serious consequences. Secondly, it is necessary to actively and proactively acquire new knowledge and master new technologies through various channels, striving to improve one’s professional skills in order to lay a solid foundation for strengthening the supervision of automatic fire protection systems. While overseeing automatic fire protection systems, fire supervision agencies must also provide targeted training and guidance to the relevant maintenance personnel. Through training courses and fire protection technical seminars, they aim to build a team of professionals who understand how to manage such systems and know how to operate them, ensuring that only those with the necessary qualifications are involved in their operation and maintenance. Third, supervision must be carried out in accordance with the law; one must dare to act according to the law, enforce the law impartially, and show no favoritism. For those units that produce and sell counterfeit or substandard fire protection products for automatic building fire protection systems, as well as those that engage in illegal design or construction, as well as individuals and units that have potential hazards related to such systems yet refuse to make corrections, it is necessary to fully carry out supervision duties. By relying on facts and in accordance with fire protection regulations and relevant provisions, strict penalties should be imposed to ensure the reliable performance and proper operation of automatic building fire protection systems.