My associate, Aaron Chusid, is fond of saying: "The green building movement is over; it won. We don't talk about a 'fire-safe building movement' anymore because fire-resistive design has become a regular part of construction. We have to start discussing sustainable design in the same way."Aaron's insights may be a bit premature, because a new report by the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) makes it clear that fire safety is also a green building issue.
Their report, titled Fire Safety and Green Buildings - Bridging the Gap is a free download. I recommend it as required reading for all building product marketing executives during their midwinter break. It is chock-full of issues and challenges to inspire fresh marketing strategies for the new year.
It points out that a single-attribute approach to sustainable product selection can produce unintended fire hazards. For example:
- Engineered wood systems may make efficient use of forest resources, but they may not provide the same fire safety.
- Photovoltaic panels on a roof provide renewable energy, but they can be a hazard to fire fighters.
- Some insulations with excellent thermal resistance also generate smoke that hinders fire fighting.
- Vegetative roofs have lots of environmental advantages, but shouldn't prevent fire department access.