Services

Services SFE

Fire services

Fire Fighting Design

Among the services offered by SFE, Fire Prevention Design plays an important role. The implementation of appropriate design choices represents the first step in starting an activity in compliance with current Fire Prevention regulations. Specifically, SFE's design includes, first and foremost, activities subject to the control of the Fire Department under Presidential Decree 151/2011 but also extends to other activities where a fire analysis is required.

This phase focuses on the use of ad hoc, unconventional solutions, such as the application of Fire Safety Engineering, which allows for optimizing adjustments and limiting constraints that would be required by the standard regulatory approach.

Thus, in developing the project, the company's primary goal is to reconcile customer needs with regulatory requirements.

SFE's strength can be traced to its early embrace of the innovative approach brought by the Fire Prevention Code Ministerial Decree 03/08/2015, which emphasized increasingly performance-based and less prescriptive design.

S.C.I.A.

The Fire SCIA is achieved by means of verification and application of regulatory methodologies that ensure the executive consistency of the implementation of the work in accordance with the Fire Department's Fire Protection Opinion.

This Instance constitutes the Fire Prevention procedure, which is mandatory for subject activities, sanctioning the start of the activity by the Manager and thus represents the final fire act for the purposes of the property's habitability. In addition, the SCIA is also the regulatory tool for reporting to the Fire Department modifications to an existing activity that are classified as "modifications not aggravating the fire risk" and that do not require the submission of a new project to the Fire Department.

At the Asseveration stage, SFE takes charge of the collection of certifications and safety documentation aimed at the submission of the SCIA and forms the technical fire file to be made available at the time of the Fire Department inspection.

The technical support that our company offers the client extends to the conclusion of the authorization process that ends with the issuance of the technical inspection report and/or fire prevention certificate.

SFE deploys its expertise, often assisted by preliminary sharing with the Fire Department, to limit the impact of any changes affecting a given activity, on fire risk, by proposing the appropriate technical solutions to make the authorization process as streamlined possible.

Fire Safety Engineering

Fire Safety Engineering consists of the application of engineering principles, rules and expert judgments based on scientific evaluation of the phenomenon of combustion, the effects of fire and human behavior, aimed at protecting the lives of people involved, protecting property and the environment.

From the regulatory point of view, the entry of the engineering approach took place with the Ministerial Decree 09.05.2007 -which was followed by Circular Letters- in fact, however, its official entry took place with the issuance of the Code in Ministerial Decree 03.08.2015.

The Alternative Solution to the Compliant Solution represents a more flexible design method that allows for the demonstration by means of design solutions identified with fire safety engineering-and requiring special technical evaluations-that the specific level of performance attributed to the particular fire safety measure (e.g., escape lengths, fire resistance, smoke disposal, etc.) has been achieved.

Evaluations carried out using the fire safety engineering method also make it possible to compare the effectiveness among the various fire risk compensatory measures to be taken, as well as to estimate the influence that certain parameters of the fire scenario have on the development of the fire itself.

The adoption in SFE of this innovative method enables the application of solutions best suited to design requirements in terms of flexibility and efficiency, achieving a high level of safety for fire safety purposes.

Fire Risk Management

The objective of Fire Risk analysis and management is to assess situations that may affect the actual risk and then propose an appropriate compensatory strategy. This activity, in addition to forming the basis of the daily work of the fire professional approaching a new project, is carried out whenever those responsible for the activity of the buildings, in a logic of change, require maximum flexibility of the spaces available to them.

The SFE team in order to validate the proposed fire strategy for risk compensation also uses the engineering approach. In fact, through fluid dynamic simulations, SFE is able to give the client in a short time a feedback as close to the reality of a fire scenario in reference to the situation analyzed.

Fire Protection Construction Management

The service with which SFE verifies the conformity and regularity of the execution of the works with reference to the approved VV.F. projects, the executive design and in general to the fire regulations is the Supervision of Works. This service also includes all the part inherent in the specialized testing that certifies the validity of the work performed.
The added value is represented by the fact that SFE, being a satellite company of the SFRE group and as is similarly the case for other services, can count on a continuous internal comparison on the various disciplines that come into play at this stage (electrical and mechanical installers, structural engineers, etc.). In addition, through SFRE offering in parallel other services on the individual project -such as Architectural construction supervision- it is able to guarantee a constant on-site presence of its technicians.

Fire Certifications

SFE also handles the drafting of certifications to be submitted at the SCIA VV.F..

They include:

CERT. REI: Fire resistance certification of load-bearing and/or separating elements;
DICH. PROD: Statement on products used for the purpose of reaction to fire and door opening devices along escape routes;
CERT. IMP: Certification of compliance and proper operation of the plant.

This aspect becomes crucial in the case of existing activities where, in the absence of documentation, it is necessary to certify construction elements or installations that have already been built.

Within the team, a dedicated staff is in charge of identifying specific technical solutions and drafting the related certificates that form the key part of the SCIA VV.F. technical documentation.

The added value that SFE offers for this service is represented by the analytical verification carried out through the use of software, the finite elements of fire resistance according to modern Eurocodes of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, steel, wood and masonry elements and the consequent drafting of the CERT. REI. Analytical.

Fire Audit

The Fire Audit service consists of a consulting activity carried out at the property to verify all aspects of fire safety.

The analysis is carried out through on-site inspections, functional tests of the systems, verification of safety devices and analysis of the documentation also found through access to the records. At the end of the aforementioned analysis, the final report is prepared indicating what is necessary to compensate for any critical issues. This is a necessary service, for the submission of periodic and strategic compliance renewals, in view of possible changes of activities. At least one annual inspection/audit is recommended in order to properly monitor and manage changes according to D.M. 07/08/2012

Periodic Renewal

The application for periodic renewal of fire compliance, referred to in Article 5 of Presidential Decree 01/08/2011, No. 151, must be made every 5 years for all activities subject to Annex I, with the exception of some activities where renewal is every 10 years.

It is carried out through a declaration by the owner of the activity attesting to the absence of variations to fire safety conditions and proper fulfillment of management and maintenance obligations related to the operation of the activity, and by an affidavit from a fire protection professional attesting to the efficiency of active fire protection systems.

The Periodic Renewal service offered by SFE includes an analysis of the state of the premises through Fire Audit and analysis of the submitted files to verify, for example, compliance with the maximum fire load quantities indicated by the latest VV.F. Project or the extent of any changes found since the previous VV.F. SCIA or periodic renewal.

Specifically, Changes to Existing Activity can be handled as below, in compliance with DM 07/08/2012:

Significant involving aggravation - re-evaluation project required
Significant that do not involve aggravation - a SCIA VV.F. can be submitted.
Non-significant (not considered substantial) - documented to the Command at the time of periodic fire compliance renewal attestation

Therefore, the SFE team recommends that during the 5-year period, at least annually, a Fire Audit should be conducted in order to keep abreast of the progress of the Activity and monitor safety requirements.

Application for Waiver

Among the services SFE provides is the submission of Waiver Applications under Article 7 of Presidential Decree 01/08/2011, No. 151.

An application for a waiver may be necessary in the case of constraints and features that do not allow compliance with "prescriptive" regulatory requirements for activities governed by specific technical fire prevention rules.

It is carried out through an assessment of the additional risk resulting from noncompliance with the provisions to be waived and the technical measures deemed appropriate to offset the additional risk.

The waiver is reviewed by the Provincial Command and the Regional Technical Committee for Fire Prevention, which make a decision within 90 days of the submission of the application.