Fire Alarm basics
Fire Alarm Basics
Fire Alarms save lives
Fire Alarm systems monitor smoke detectors, heat detectors, fire sprinkler flow valves, tamper shut off valves, low air, low pressure, duct detectors, beam detectors, pull stations (The small red square boxes that they pull for fire on them ) CO detectors and more.
Fire Alarm systems can sound horns, strobes, speakers for voice evacuation and more.
Johnson Controls Fire Protection also sells Area of Refuge systems which are the small call boxes that you activate to call for help on landing, by elevators in parking areas and more.
VESDA systems sample the air through a tubing system and it is a very fast reacting system to detector fires and smoke.
Smoke Control systems allow you to control the flow of air in a building.
In Hotels and other R-2 buildings in the past they have used smoke alarms that are 120V with battery backup although now code requires that the alarms have low frequency sounders and currently there is not a manufacturer that makes smoke alarms or CO alarms with low frequency sounders and ADA rooms will need low frequency sounders and strobes as well as strobes in the restrooms so that being the case SMOKE DETECTORS tied to a fire alarm system are required.
IBC IFC code tells you when a fire alarm system is needed and NFPA 72 code tells you how to put it in such as distances, positions, types etc…. NEC code which is NFPA 70 tells you the code about the wire and wiring and conduit. Lifesafety 101 or the ADA code deals with those requirements needed for ADA or when you have people that are disabled in some form, with the fire alarms often it deals with those that are hearing impaired or visually impaired. This means if someone cannot hear well then the strobes will alert them and if they cannot see then speakers with a voice message or horn strobes will sound.
Duct Detectors are installed in the duct work to detect smoke and shut down Roof Top Units or other air handlers so as to not feed the fire air and to shut down the unit if the unit is burning up or if the belts are burning or other items that cause smoke. If the RTU units are over 2000 cfm a duct detector that is monitored by the fire alarm is required and if the RTU unit is over 15,000 cfm then you will need duct detectors installed in the supply and return ducts.
Code requires that fire alarm systems have at least one pull station
Code normally requires that a smoke detector be installed at the fire alarm panel location and at the location of any NAC power supplies or the dialer location.
Code requires smoke detectors outside the elevators, in the shaft if the shaft is sprinkled and depending on the height of the building a heat next to the fire sprinkler heads in the shaft and in other areas such as the elevator equipment room.
Often when you have maglocks that hold open fire doors they will automatically shut or release when there is a fire so we use relays to do this and if there is an access control or keyless entry system in the building, we can release the doors when there is a fire alarm making sure people can get out in the event of a fire and they are not locked into the building.
NFPA 72 will give you the specific distances and requirements for how bright the strobes need to be as far as candela and how loud the horns need to be so when a fire alarm is designed to code it is not done by just saying you want a few here an there, there are specific requirements for counts and distances.
To find out exactly what a building will need you will need to look up the IBC International building code in section 907 and depending on the size, occupancy and type of building the code will tell you when a fire alarm system is required.
Often cities will require that a third party review be done to check the fire alarm design prior to installation and that is a separate company that has no ties to your fire alarm design engineer or fire alarm company. Sometimes cities will review their own when the fire marshal has enough knowledge and experience to do so.
Fire Alarm systems are not normally installed quickly so you can meet the code, the design takes time, the review process takes time, the installation of the conduit and wire takes time and then the system has to be programmed and tested so make sure you plan ahead when you need a fire alarm system.
Utah LAW requires that all commercial fire alarm systems be tested and certified at least once a year and tagged by a professional that is certified by the State Fire Marshal. If the system has not been tested and you have an incident sometimes the insurance companies will not want to pay the claim and the same goes with if the system was not monitored by a UL listed Central Station. We can help with this.
Call Shandie Gorney for MONITORING or to switch your old phoneline monitoring to CELLULAR if you have a COM FAIL on the system. Call Shandie at 801 214 5668 and her email is Shandie.a.gorney@jci.com
The Utah office service phone number is 801 262 9406 option 1 for service.
Call Larry Love for bids see number below.
Johnson Controls Fire Protection can assist you with designing projects since we have a full staff of NICET technicians and CAD designers.