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A fire control room is a dedicated room or area that serves as the hub for directing emergency response and firefighting operations inside a building.
According to the National Construction Code (NCC) of Australia, a fire control room:
“Provides an area from which fire-fighting operations or other emergency procedures can be directed or controlled.”
So in simple terms, the fire control room is the nerve center from which fire crews carry out their firefighting game plan when an emergency occurs. These rooms contain equipment like fire alarms, sprinklers, pumps, annunciators and controls to unlock doors. They also have phones, maps and status displays to coordinate response efforts.
Think of it as mission control for building fires!
Now you might be wondering – why do we need dedicated fire control rooms?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just have all that equipment scattered throughout the building?
Well, consolidating these systems in one location provides some major benefits when it comes to occupant safety and effective emergency response:
By locating all the fire protection equipment like alarms and sprinklers in one spot, firefighters have a comprehensive view of what’s happening inside the building.
The other advantage is that first responders can control things like ventilation, power, locked doors or even elevators from a single place instead of having to run around finding all those systems separately.
Fire control rooms also serve as a dedicated line of communication between emergency crews and the “outside world”.
Landline phones allow coordination between firefighters, incident command and even public officials. Radios provide point-to-point contact within the building and to apparatus outside.
This streamlines sharing situation updates, requesting additional personnel or equipment and managing overall emergency strategy.
In addition to technology, fire control rooms also utilize good old-fashioned maps and status boards.
By posting printed schematics and using dry erase boards, command teams can visually track fire progression and personnel location in real time.
This information all feeds into determining and directing tactical decisions as an incident evolves.
As the hub for all things emergency response, fire control room equipment itself also needs protection. Critical systems must keep running even if areas around them are compromised.
That’s why fire codes mandate enclosed, fire-rated construction for these rooms along with independent ventilation and backup power sources.
Redundancies like these allow fire control rooms to direct and monitor response efforts even under extreme conditions.
Now that you know why we need dedicated fire control rooms, let’s look at what’s actually inside them.
While requirements can vary slightly depending on the building and jurisdiction, most fire control rooms contain the following core components:
The fire control room will include annunciator and transponder panels for all active fire protection systems in the building including:
In addition to fire-specific equipment, fire control rooms can also contain controls or displays for other major building systems including:
To manage information and coordinate response efforts, fire control rooms utilize things like:
Now that you know the purpose and contents, let’s look at some best practices for designing and building proper fire control rooms.
Like many fire and life safety systems, fire control rooms are governed by building codes and standards. These help ensure rooms are designed and built to adequately perform their vital role.
Some of the key codes and documents covering US and international best practices are:
Major requirements enforced by codes such as minimum room size, fire rating, protection of openings or layout all aim to ensure functionality, availability and surviveability.
Getting familiar with the specific edition used in your jurisdiction is important for both design and ongoing maintenance.
Now that you know what goes inside these specialized rooms, you may be wondering – how is a fire control room different than a fire command center?
While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, fire control rooms and fire command centers are actually two distinct spaces:
Fire Control Room
Fire Command Center
So in summary – all fire command centers meet the requirements of a fire control room but also take capabilities to the next level.
No matter what you call it, properly designing and maintaining these specialized facilities is critical for occupant safety as well as effective emergency response.
After reading this guide, I hope you’ve gained valuable insights into what fire control rooms are along with their importance.
To wrap things up, I wanted to share some professional recommendations when it comes to properly incorporating fire control rooms:
For Architects and Designers
For Building Owners and Managers
For Contractors and Installers
For Inspectors and Code Officials
Properly designing and installing these specialized facilities takes coordination between multiple trades and disciplines. Following best practices guidelines helps set facilities up for ongoing safety and emergency response success.
So there you have it – everything you need to know about the form and function of fire control rooms. I hope this guide brought these often overlooked but critically important spaces to light!
Have experience with fire control rooms you want to share? Any insights or questions? Let me know in the comments below!
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Police Station
World Meteorological Center Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Branch Center
Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Command Center
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