Why have internal FLS consultant ( NFPA) in Hotel design, hotel is not located in America

Question

Why have internal FLS consultant ( NFPA) in Hotel design, hotel is not located in America

hoangvhuy (Structural)

(OP)

8 Oct 23 03:58

hi everyone,
I am work in a design hotel prject, at Indochine ( Southern East Asia)
Owner is local investor, Hotel brand is internal (a famous hotel french brand)
In this project, there are 02 FLS consultants.( Fire life safety consultant)
1. Local consultant: review design base on local firefighting code to ensure design follow local regulations, to submit the document to local authority/government
2. Internal FLS: Review design base on American firefighting code ( NFPA). ensure to follow NFPA. and rule in NPFA make cost increase a lot.
My question is: why the Owner have to hire Internal FLS to review because that make increases cost for hotel.
Any know about that, please share for me. thank a lot

MintJulep (Mechanical) · Answer 1 · 2023-10-08 07:28:53

Probably because the owner doesn't think the local codes are good enough.

Alistair_Heaton (Mechanical) · Answer 2 · 2023-10-09 08:35:15

Insurance and client base.

If they want US government contracts one of the bidding tick boxes is this type of exercise.

The local fire fighting methods won't link in with alot of it. And they won't have the fire fighting hardware or volume of water to connect into it.

There is zero point arguing about it. A UN or government contract which is awarded because they have it and other local hotels don't very quickly covers the cost even if practically it's pointless. Unless the locals are trained up and equipped to fire fires the USA way.

LittleInch (Petroleum) · Answer 3 · 2023-10-09 08:55:44

I agree with Alastair.

For any foreign, especially US company or gov't or UN type agency to get onto their approved list, they will do a due diligence exercise on the hotel and having a fire safety design compliant to NFPA will be one of those Yes/No tick boxes.

Not quite sure how your hotel brand is both "internal" and "a famous French brand" though....

You also need to get local approval as sometimes they want strange things as well. I recall in one of the "stans" you needed to have a certain number of sand fire buckets.... and axes.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

Alistair_Heaton (Mechanical) · Answer 4 · 2023-10-15 06:56:46

"Not quite sure how your hotel brand is both "internal" and "a famous French brand" though...."

Its the likes of Radisson. They are owned locally but have the branding.

pierreick (Chemical) · Answer 5 · 2023-10-16 03:14:01

Hi,
This has to do with Insurance Broker. Most probably local requirement is not sufficient enough to welcome foreigners.
Make sense to me! The reason why they hire 2 consultants on the matter.
Your comment about cost is irrelevant, it's the one who pay decision.

Pierre

Artisi (Mechanical) · Answer 6 · 2023-10-17 06:49:52

It is probably a directive of the insurance company, they have the say on what standard is to be used - they are underwriting the risk.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

MedicineEng (Industrial) · Answer 7 · 2023-10-18 03:10:51

We have the same situation in the property where I work and the main reason is that it is a requirement from the insurance broker.
As far as I know, we don't have any US or UN contracts.

And yes, NFPA consultants are extortionately expensive as they use this leverage to overcharge anything that they do...

Alistair_Heaton (Mechanical) · Answer 8 · 2023-10-18 11:33:41

There are some funny rider's in hotel bidding for those two. Which is why I mentioned them as it's personal experience base.

One hotel even had 1 wing with 110v 60 Hz in it.

What's the major differences usually?

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Why have internal FLS consultant ( NFPA) in Hotel design, hotel is not located in America