Fire protection group seeks marina partners for research
WARREN, R.I. — The Fire Protection Research Foundation is looking for partners in the marina industry to assist with research to find cost effective fire protection solutions for drystack and other indoor boat storage operations, according to a release from the Association of Marina Industries.
The idea to conduct the research came from a session at last year’s International Marina Institute’s fall conference. Widely discussed were the hardships marina owners face in obtaining building and fire department approvals for drystacks. According to the release, some owners have spent thousands of dollars on fire consultants to perform studies to support fire suppression design concepts. Others have been denied projects and occupancies because the local fire jurisdiction could not find recognized standards for fire protection for indoor boat storage facilities. Often the only remedy has been to hire consultants and attorneys to resolve the regulatory issues.
To overcome these challenges, the foundation proposes to research fire suppression methods for indoor boat storage with the goal of creating a standard for sprinkler and fire suppression requirements that building and fire officials can use. The study’s focus will be on the unique issue to drystacks of water from sprinkler systems collecting in stored boats creating a risk of collapse to the structural system. Some research has been completed on the ability of boats to shed water and limit this risk, but additional testing could help resolve the issue for the marina industry.
To conduct this research the Fire Protection Research Foundation is seeking industry support in the form of financial contributions and/or in-kind donations, which may include:
Boats
Boat storage rack/facility
Boat transport
Boat handling
The total contribution needed for initial study is $150,000. A larger full-scale test program would cost $750,000.
If you are interested in assisting with this research and helping create a standard for fire suppression in drystacks, please Kathleen Almand, P.E., Executive Director, Fire Protection Research Foundation, 617-984-7282, kalmand@nfpa.org.
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