By Ryan Whiting
Residential Care and Lodging Team Supervisor
To quote a line from a popular movie, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Ask an arson investigator or prosecutor and they will be adamant that any report written must be without errors. Otherwise, an entire case could be thrown out based on that technicality. Fire inspection reports or speaking with architects, contractors and the general public are no different. You may know what you mean, but do others?
Common examples of this are the terms smoke “alarm" and smoke “detector." These two words have significantly different meanings. An alarm is a self-contained device containing the detector, processor and sounder. A detector, on the other hand, only detects the signature of a fire then sends that signal to a separate device for action.
While it may seem trivial, using the wrong term has profound repercussions. If your orders state “Replace the smoke detectors in the apartment units," you are giving a legal order to install NFPA 72 Fire Alarm System detection devices in each apartment unit. Is that what you really meant, or did you mean for them to install single-station smoke alarms?
A single word changes the context of the entire conversation: alarm/detector, smoke detector/fire detector, egress/escape, R-3/R-3 dwelling unit. Interchanging “R-3" with “R-3 dwelling unit" can have profound implications. An R-3 is built to the Minnesota Building Code, whereas an R-3 dwelling unit is built to the Minnesota Residential Code. Using the wrong term, thus using the wrong code, directly impacts construction requirements, fire system requirements and agency licensing regulations.
With all of the responsibilities and duties we attend to on a daily basis, swapping terms often seems minor in the grand scheme of things. However, switching a single term changes the entire context of the message.
Instead of the aforementioned quote – which, as you may know, is from 1987's “The Princess Bride" – we should all strive for “You keep using that word and I know exactly what you mean."
