Control rooms in buildings house fire protection equipment, including alarms, sprinklers, and security systems. Building codes dictate their design and layout, and they may contain equipment for elevator operation, HVAC control, and safety measures. Control rooms also serve as a refuge during emergencies and are fitted with positive pressure ventilation and direct exits to ensure worker safety.
A control room is a dedicated room within a building used to house fire protection equipment. These rooms are found in both large commercial and residential structures and are designed to maximize how quickly emergency personnel can contain or control a fire. A control room houses many types of equipment, including building control systems, fire alarms, sprinklers, and security systems.
Many building codes contain sections relating to control room design and layout. In areas with no applicable building codes, builders can work with local fire departments to determine the most effective layout for this room. Specific requirements may vary by region, but many of these rooms must meet minimum size requirements to allow access for all firefighting equipment. Some codes may include information about specific features and items that should be placed in these rooms.
Many types of fire protective devices and other components can be found in a control room. These rooms house the building’s fire alarm panel, which can help emergency responders monitor fire and smoke within the building. The control room also houses the sprinkler control panel, which allows monitoring and control of the sprinkler system. This room may also have a special telephone line designed to operate even when the building’s telephone systems are not operational, as well as a public address system to warn occupants of danger. Some even include a key locker to allow maintenance and rescue workers to quickly locate the keys to any access point within the building during an emergency.
While electrical and heating equipment is often located in a dedicated room, some equipment beyond that required for the operation of fire protection systems can be found in control rooms. For example, in an elevator building, the control room will often contain equipment that allows workers to operate the elevator during an emergency or outage. These rooms may also include safety equipment that allows workers to unlock all doors in the building to allow all occupants to exit as quickly as possible. A control room may also contain controls related to the HVAC system, which allows workers to stop the spread of smoke through the building’s ventilation system.
A control room often serves as a point of refuge during a fire or other emergency. This means that workers must be able to use this room safely even if flames and smoke threaten spaces outside the room. To ensure worker safety, these rooms are often subjected to positive pressure ventilation, which helps keep smoke or other noxious fumes out of the room. They also feature extensive fire protection and seals and are usually fitted with a door that exits directly to the outside to maximize exit speed and safety.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
