Why do you have fire alarms?

Answer 1

Fire doors may serve more than one purpose.

Many fire doors are part of a fire escape route, arranged so that in the event of a fire you can get out. Such exit fire doors may be a special kind of door that automatically unlocks when there is a fire.

As a general rule, however, fire doors are designed to prevent or slow the spread of fire so that people can escape from a burning structure.

For example, in a multi-story building it would not be safe to have open stairwells through which fire can easily spread from lower levels to higher levels, so engineers and architects specify self-closing fire doors for protection of stairwell access. The doors may be used for ordinary daily access to the stairs, or for access during an emergency evacuation, or both.

Industrial fire doors, on the other hand, may be designed to slam shut during a fire and cannot be marked as a fire exit or used as a fire exit. Other fire doors serving as exits would also be provided.

Answer 2

A fire door (actually a "fire door assembly") protects an opening in a fire wall or fire barrier so that fire and fire products (smoke and heat) do not travel from one side of the partition to the other, at least for the rated time for which the fire door is rated.

A fire door must close automatically (if it is ever opened), thus delaying the spread of fire.

Answer 3

Fire doors, where required, prevent or slow the passage of smoke and fire for a limited time calculated to allow safe evacuation and to limit spread of the fire to reduce damage and permit safer operations for firefighters.

Answer 4

Fire doors are installed in buildings to provide a barrier between two or more sections of a building to prevent a fire from spreading from one portion of the building to another. They are often installed in conjunction with smoke control systems to isolate the paths of egress through a building to provide a safe path for people to evacuate the building.

Answer 5

Because I would be notified of the fire and I could do something about it, and not let it destroy everything.

Answer 6

Fire exit signs are intended to provide guidance for emergency exits to occupants who may be unfamiliar with the available alternatives.