DENVER FIRE ALARM TESTFIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND FUNDAMENTALS

NFPA 72

• Numbering System• Does not use the NEC format• Uses the standard NFPA format for numbering

• Advantages and Disadvantages

• Key Chapters for the Test• Chapter 3 Definitions• Chapter 10 Fundamentals• Chapter 12 Circuits and Pathways• Chapter 14 Inspections, Testing and Maintenance• Chapter 17 Initiating Devices• Chapter 18 Notification Appliances• Chapter 23 Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems

• Chapter 26 Supervising Station Alarm Systems• Chapter 27 Public Emergency Alarm Reporting Systems

• Chapter 29 SFD and MFD Single and Multi Station Alarms

• What is a Fire Alarm System?• Must have all of the following:• FCU or FCP• At least one initiating device• At least one notification device• At least one signal circuit

Fundamentals

• Equipment• Equipment shall be listed for the purpose used• 10.3.1

• Equipment powered from the DC IDC or SLC shall be listed with control• 10.4.1

• Designer Qualifications• Designs shall conform to NFPA 72 and be done by a

qualified person

• Designer Qualifications• A qualified persons varies depending on the jurisdiction. • According to NICET it is• Factory Trained• NICET Certified• Locally Licensed

• Installer Qualifications• Installers shall be qualified or supervised by qualified

persons• Qualified varies by jurisdiction but NICET defines as:• Factory Trained• NICET Certified• Locally Licensed

• Inspection, Testing and Maintenance Qualifications• Inspection and Testing personnel shall be qualified• Qualifications vary by jurisdiction but NICET defines as:• Factory trained• NICET Certified• Locally Licensed• Employee of a NRTL

• Types of Systems• Protected Premises (Local) Fire Alarm Systems• Auxiliary Fire Alarm Systems• Remote Station Fire Alarm Systems• Proprietary Fire Alarm Systems• Central Station Fire Alarm Systems• Emergency Voice/Alarm Communication System

• History of Fire Alarm System Development• The Yell• The Fire Watch• The Municipal System• The Fire Alarm Box• Smell, see and run method

• The Local Fire Alarm• Smell, see and run method evolved slightly

• The Auxiliary Tie In• The don’t need to smell, see and most importantly run method

• The Evolvement• The Local to the Firehouse• The Local to the remote monitor• The Listed Central Station

• Protected Premises Fire Alarm System• Entire fire alarm system operates in the protected premises,

responsive to the operation of a manual fire alarm box, water flow in a sprinkler system or detection of a fire by smoke or heat detection.

• The main purpose of this system is to provide an evac/relocation alarm for the occupants of the building

• Someone must always be present to transmit the alarm to fire authorities. This can be a remote supervising station, a central station, a proprietary supervising station or auxiliary alarm system.

• 3.3.95.4

• Auxiliary Fore Alarm System• An alarm system utilizing a municipal coded fire alarm box

to transmit a fire alarm from a protected property to municipal fire headquarters (Public Emergency Alarm Reporting System)

• Alarms are received on the same municipal equipment and are carried over transmission lines as are connected fire alarm boxes located on streets

• Operation is initiated by the local fire detection and alarm system

• 3.3.23

• Remote Station Fire Alarm System• An alarm system connecting a protected premisis over

leased telephone lines to a remote station, such as a fire station, supervising system or a police station

• Includes separate receiver for individual functions being monitored, such as fire alarm signal or sprinkler water flow alarm

• Requires leased telephone lines into each premise• 3.3.221

• Central Station Fire Alarm System• An alarm system connecting protected premises to a

privately owned central station whose function is monitor the connecting lines constantly and record any indication of fire, supervisory, or trouble signals from the premises.

• Central has to be able to take action such as required• Must have ability to handle all types of signals• 3.3.268.1

• Proprietary Fire Alarm System• An alarm system that serves contiguous or noncontiguous

properties under one ownership from a central supervising station at the protected property

• Similar to a central or remote station but operated by the owner of the protected property

• Requires 24/7 staffing of the central supervising station• 3.3.267.2

• Public Type Systems• Auxiliary Alarm System• Local Energy Type Auxiliary Alarm System• Shunt-type Auxiliary Alarm System

• Type A System• Type B System

• Local Energy Auxiliary Alarm Systems• Employs a locally complete arrangement of parts and power

supplies to automatically activate a master box over circuits that are electrically isolated from the public emergency alarm reporting system circuits

• In other words: reports to the public/ municipal system through a set of independent lines by sending a signal to the master box and then through the public system

• Shunt Type Auxiliary Alarm Systems• Electrically connected to the public alarm system by

extending the wiring of the master box to the protected premises.

• Initiating devices when operated opens the public reporting circuit which is shunted around the trip coil of the master box which energizes the master box without any assistance from a local source power.

• No power supply in the protected premises• Early type of auxiliary system

• Type A Public Systems• Alarm signals are transmitted to a central dispatcher

monitoring station and then retransmitted to appropriate fire houses

• Type B Public Systems• Alarm signals are transmitted directly to a municipal fire

alarm station

• Next Class• Power Supplies• Initiating Devices

Class after next

Notification Appliances

Signaling Circuits

Practice Questions