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84 < m ETRO m AGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 metro-magazine.com iStock © Luca Luppi SP Fire Research is leading the way for more efective fre suppression systems by establishing a certifcation process and test method for testing fre suppression systems against known fre threats and environmental conditions specifc to bus engine environments. BY JOEY PEOPLES AND FREDERIK ROSÉN Bus Fires: Bus Fires: Best Practices for Best Practices for Reducing the Risk Reducing the Risk role in establishing effective stan- dards and best practices but are typically the responsibility of dif- ferent stakeholders in the devel- opment process. Buses pose many unique challenges in regards to fre risks. Te varying modes of opera- tion (city, highway, long distance), unique vehicle types (school, tran- sit, coach, demand-response), and design changes to meet new emis- sions standards provide the context for fre safety; but each fre hazard, whether it is an engine compart- ment, battery compartment, wheel well or luggage compartment, poses unique challenges in the way of geometry, air- fow, clutter, fame spread and evacua- tion. Tis can be summarized in a mod- ifcation of the traditional fre triangle to the specific situation for buses and coaches as shown in Figure 1. Bus transportation is regarded as one of the safest modes of public transportation. Millions of passen- gers r ide safely ever y day to and from work, school and for pleasure. The manufacturers and operators of buses have gone to great lengths to establish and maintain this safe- ty record. However, a fre resulting from a collision or failure of a com- ponent puts lives at risk and can have an enormous impact on op- erational costs, as well as customer confdence. Aircraft, trains and passenger ships all have well-established standards, regulations, and certifcation processes to ensure the maintenance of high lev- els of safety as new materials and con- structions are introduced. Buses on the other hand, mostly rely on the eforts of the OEM's, operators and suppliers of fire systems to ensure safety with few strict regulations. Bus fire safety encompasses many aspects of design, operation, mainte- nance, evacuation and even first re- sponders. All aspects play a cr itical Fig. 1: The fre triangle related to buses and coaches. FUEL OXYGEN HEAT