Thomas P. Hammerberg

Life Safety Columnist

Thomas P. Hammerberg, SET, CFPS is president of Hammerberg & Associates Inc. Retired from the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA) after 23 years, he represents the AFAA on the NFPA 72 Technical Correlating Committee and Protected Premises Technical Committee and as a contract instructor. He can be reached at TomHammerberg@gmail.com.

Network Connections: Are Class N Pathways the Fire Alarms of the Future?

What will fire alarm systems of the future be like? Technology is changing rapidly, and historically, fire alarm systems have not kept up with these modifications. That is starting to change. In the 2016 NFPA 72, National...

Codes & Standards

Sep 2018

Update on Commissioning: The Latest on NFPA 3

Thomas P. Hammerberg

I have written a couple of articles about NFPA 4, Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System Testing, in the past. The last one in December was about getting it referenced in the model codes to make its...

Integrated Systems

Jul 2018

Fresh Off the Vote: Changes to 2019 NFPA 72

Thomas P. Hammerberg

The 2019 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, was voted on during the technical session at the NFPA Conference in Las Vegas in June. Only a few Certified Amending Motions were filed, none of which would...

Integrated Systems

May 2018

On Top of the Changes: Fire Alarm Power Supplies

Thomas P. Hammerberg

There have been a few changes to the requirements for fire alarm system power supplies, and more are coming. This is a good time to review the ones we have so far. Obviously, since a fire alarm system is a life safety system,...

Codes & Standards

Mar 2018

Codes They Are a-Changin': The 2018 NFPA 101, Life Safety Code

Thomas P. Hammerberg

In the January issue, we discussed changes to the fire alarm requirements in the 2018 International Building and Fire Codes. This month, let’s look at changes in the 2018 NFPA 101, Life Safety Code. First and foremost, it is...

Integrated Systems

Jan 2018

Building Code Resolution: Changes to the 2018 IBC

Thomas P. Hammerberg

Happy New Year to all of you! Each year, I like to start out with a column on fire alarm changes for new editions of the codes. We begin with the 2018 International Building Code (IBC). As a reminder, the fire alarm...

Integrated Systems

Dec 2017

Step Toward Better Fire Protection: NFPA 4 Finally Recognized in Model Codes

Thomas P. Hammerberg

In the last year or two, I have written a few articles about NFPA 3, Recommended Practice for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems, and NFPA 4, Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety...

Integrated Systems

Oct 2017

Elevating Safely: Interfacing Fire Alarm Systems With Elevators

Thomas P. Hammerberg

As I teach fire alarm seminars around the country, one of the greatest problem areas brought up is interfacing fire alarm systems with elevators. Elevator and fire inspectors do not enforce the same codes, and therein lies...

Integrated Systems

Jul 2017

Rude Awakening: Low-Frequency Sounders

Thomas P. Hammerberg

For years, there has been concern about the waking ability of fire alarm audible notification appliances. In general, they have gone through numerous changes since the 1980s. Back then, it was common to use bells to signal an...

Integrated Systems

Jun 2017

Changing With The Technology: New Fire Alarm Communications Methods 

Thomas P. Hammerberg

If you are like most people in the fire alarm industry, you struggle with what is and is not allowed for transmitting fire alarm signals to a supervising station. NFPA 72 has changed a lot in the last few code cycles, so let...

Integrated Systems

Apr 2017

Circuits and Pathways

Thomas P. Hammerberg

Beginning with the 2010 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, all of the “styles” of circuits were deleted, and four “classes” were added. A new chapter, Circuits and Pathways, was added during the...

Integrated Systems

Feb 2017

Unwanted Alarms

Thomas P. Hammerberg

There has been discussion about unwanted alarms in the last few years. The fire service says this is “an industry problem,” but is it? What can be done to improve the reliability of fire alarm systems so people stop ignoring...