There are two ways of thinking about fire protection — there are measures that you take when a fire breaks out in a building, which is called active fire protection (such as the use of a fire extinguisher or sprinkler system to help put out the flames). Another important type of fire protection is “passive” fire protection — this is fire protection that has already been built in to the materials and structure of the building. And an important aspect of passive fire protection is fire rating, or fireproofing of a building. It is called “passive,” because, in the event of fire, this level of protection is provided for you, without the need for you to do anything.