Fire compartmentation in buildings in the form of walls and floors is designed to protect the occupants in and around a building and fire and rescue service personnel from the spread of fire by containing it in the compartment of origin for a period. Compartmentation is a vital part of the fire safety design of a building and seeks to divide large spaces into smaller, more manageable ones should a fire occur. Fire compartmentation is also used in order to create a safe, protected means of escape for the building occupants.