FIRE
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
TRANSFORMING ANCIENT PRINCIPLES Peter Geale*, Marketing Manager, FireMate
Do we have Emperor Nero to thank for modern-day fire protection? Core principles of contemporary fire protection standards can be traced to efforts in Ancient Rome, and through technological innovation, the fire protection systems we rely on today have been transformed.
T
he origins of the fire protection industry are frequently traced back to the Ancient Romans more than 2000 years ago. After a multi-day fire destroyed large parts of Rome in 64 AD, Emperor Nero ordered it to be rebuilt using new building and construction rules. This included using fire-retardant building materials and increased separation between buildings. Fast forward to the early years of the 20th century, and fire engineering had emerged from the Industrial Revolution alongside civil, mechanical and chemical engineering as a separate discipline. In the last 50 years or so, the advent of electronics, computers and software and the development of the internet have combined to offer the modern-day fire protection industry a stack of building blocks to elevate the safety of people and property to new levels.
Did Nero get it right?
©stock.adobe.com/au/Ruslan Gilmanshin
The design and construction of a new building or the renovation of existing buildings always includes extensive consideration of passive and active fire protection systems in alignment with regulations and best practices. Nero’s team had it correct when they chose appropriate building materials and designs as they rebuilt Rome.
www.safetysolutions.net.au
NOVEMBER 2021 - SAFETY SOLUTIONS 35
