What distinguishes active fire protection from passive fire protection?

Active fire protection refers to systems and devices that are designed to take action during a fire event, typically responding in real-time to the presence of fire or smoke. For instance, sprinklers, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers are key components of active fire protection. They are designed to detect a fire and respond to it, often automatically. This distinguishes them from passive fire protection systems, which are designed to contain the fire or slow its spread without requiring action during the fire event.

While it is true that passive measures do not act actively to suppress a fire, they are usually built as part of the structure, such as fire-rated walls, doors, and materials that resist combustion. Consequently, active measures rely on detection and response, effectively activating only once a fire has been detected, which is why this is the defining characteristic.

In contrast, passive fire protection systems are always in place and function without any manual intervention or reliance on detection since they are built into the building design itself. The notion that passive measures are more expensive is not universally true; costs can vary widely depending on design and materials used. Therefore, the key distinguishing factor of active fire protection is its necessity for activation upon fire detection.