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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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The_Epic_Interactive_Encyclopedia_97.iso
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1992-09-03
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Methods available for fighting fires. In the
UK, a public fire-fighting service is
maintained by local authorities, and similar
services operate in other countries.
Industrial and commercial buildings are often
protected by an automatic sprinkler system:
heat or smoke opens the sprinkler heads on a
network of water pipes and immediately sprays
the seat of the fire. In certain
circumstances water is ineffective and may be
dangerous; for example, for oil and petrol
storage-tank fires, foam systems are used;
for industrial plants containing flammable
vapours, carbon dioxide is used; where
electricity is involved, vaporizing liquids
create a nonflammable barrier; and for some
chemicals only various dry powders can be
used. In Britain, fire protection has always
depended on a combination of public service
and private enterprise. Acts of 1707 and 1774
required every parish to provide engines
(horse-drawn), hoses and ladders, but
insurance companies established their own,
more efficient brigades for the benefit of
buildings bearing their own firemarks. The
latter amalgamated in the 19th century to
form the basis of the present-day service,
which is run by the local authorities in
close cooperation.