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INS emits a fire protection manual
by Olga Caledonia

The National Insurance Institute of Costa Rica has published a manual that contains the standards to which all public works construction projects, existing buildings, and buildings designed for temporary or permanent occupancy must comply. The manual was published as part of the regulation to guarantee life safety and fire protection.

INS’ fire department has also adopted the complete set of NFPA codes and standards, which are mandatory in the construction of new buildings, remodeling of buildings, construction and installation of fire protection systems, safety inspections, and events with more than 50 attendees.

The document, approved by the INS’ Board of Directors, takes into account several scenario,s including the relative danger during the beginning and propagation of a fire, the danger of smoke or gases generated and the probability of explosion, and other events that could potentially threaten the lives of occupants.

This regulation was set forth in accordance with Article 34 of Law 8228, National Insurance Institute’s Fire Department Law, published in Newsletter No. 78 on April 24, 2002.

Engineer Héctor Cháves, general director of the fire department, says that, although he has contributed to important developments in fire protection in Costa Rica since 1990, the fire department did not rely on their own legal framework to establish the regulations in this matter.

“Nowadays, Law 8228 does not support our actions,” he says. “Nevertheless, it is important to note that the work done over approximately 15 years has created awareness in the consultants, constructors, and proprietors of the buildings of the great importance of incorporating elements of fire protection necessary to prevent the types of disasters that can cause death and pain in the buildings of Costa Rica .”

NFPA has maintained a cooperative relationship with the fire department since 2002, the first year a Fire Forum wa held in the country, attended by several authorities.

“I remember very clearly the active participation of Engineer Esteban Ramos during conferences and the eagerness to establish relations with the speakers and expert engineers,” says Cháves. “INS has been working with NFPA standards for several years.

“On behalf of NFPA, we are dedicated to offering all the support necessary for the implementation of this new law,” says Olga Caledonia, director of NFPA’s Latin American programs. “In addition to our relationship with INS, we have friends and colleagues at the College of Electrical , Mechanical, and Industrial Engineers (CIEMI) and their current president Engineer Rodrigo Acuña. CIEMI has been using NFPA 70, National Electrical Code®, as a reference for several years.”

Among the referenced standards in Law 8228 are NFPA 101, Life Safety Code®; NFPA 13, Installation of Sprinkler Systems; NFPA 20, Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection; NFPA 24, Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances; and NFPA 14, Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems. Currently, NFPA counts on Spanish-language professional development programs to train attendees to interpret and apply the standards, and help local authorities implement them. NFPA is dedicated to working with INS to find the best way to put the legislation into practice and to ensure compliance.

By applying these standards, the National Insurance Institute seeks to equip Costa Rica with specialized technicians who can advance the application of mechanisms that contribute to the improvement of life-safety and fire-protection systems. The fire department is authorized to carry out adjustments for the suitable application of the regulation in the published manual.

The New Reference Guide I, Fire Alarms
The work of the fire alarm work group [of what entity?], led by Eng. Yosti Méndez and Eng. Antonio Macías, was incorporated into the reference guide of the official Mexican standard NOM-002-STPS-2004, Safety—Prevention, Protection and Fire Fighting Conditions in the Workplace. This guide is based completely on NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code^TM, making its incorporation the most important step in the adoption of NFPA codes and standards into official and general knowledge Mexican documents to date.