Paper Title
RELIABILITY OF FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS: CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract
Reliability of the fire suppression system is a very critical aspect of fire safety engineering, since these systems serve as the first line of defense in controlling and extinguishing any fire to protect lives, environment and property. Reliability refers to the system's ability to perform its intended function effectively and consistently under specified conditions (ASQ, n.d.). It includes system design, maintenance and operational performance to ensure that it will activate & operate as intended during an event of fire. Due to the increase in the complexities of fire &occupancies, it is day by day becoming even more critical & challenging to ensure reliability of the fire suppression system. A reliable fire suppression system not only reduces the potential for catastrophic losses but also enhances the safety of first responders and occupants. Evaluating and improving system reliability requires an in-depth understanding of risk factors, failure modes and the effectiveness of various suppression technologies. Technical limitations, regulatory issues, human behavior & environmental factors are few of many other challenges which arise during reliability analysis of the fire suppression system. The aim of this paper is to highlight main difficulties encountered in analyzing the reliability of fire suppression systems and discuss strategies for addressing these issues to enhance system performance and safety. Keywords - Fire suppression Systems, Reliability, Challenges