In January, I answered questions often raised by those in the field trying to understand the requirements that affect their fire alarm system installations. Let’s continue with more answers to your questions.

Note: An asterisk after a code section number indicates additional information regarding the requirement is in Annex A.

UL or FM can choose to interpret NFPA 72 in different ways. Do either of these agencies have to answer to NFPA when constructing standards (UL 864, as an example) or when testing to their own standards?

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Factory Mutual (FM) are listing agen­cies that publish product performance standards and provide product testing services to manufacturers for a range of products, including fire protection equipment. When it comes to fire alarm systems, the relationship these two organizations have with NFPA is typi­cally complementary. For example, UL 864, Standard for Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems, is specifically written around the per­formance requirements for fire alarm systems defined in NFPA 72, which implicitly recognizes this by requiring related products to be “listed.”

In some listing categories, compli­ance with UL or FM might require ad­ditional performance criteria than those defined in NFPA 72. An example of this is the requirements for battery backup of fire alarm systems interfaced with pre-action/deluge systems where FM would require 90 hours of battery backup.

To understand the relation­ship testing laboratories such as UL and FM have with the NFPA codes and standards, it is helpful to understand the terms “listed” and “labeled” and the requirement of fire protection equipment to conform to the requirements embodied in these terms.

NFPA 72-2025 states:

10.3.1 Equipment. Equipment constructed and installed in conformity with this Code shall be listed for the purpose for which it is used.

10.3.2 System components shall be installed, tested, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s published instructions and this Code.

Under the definition for “listed” we find:

3.2.5* Listed. Equipment, materials, or services included in a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials or periodic evaluation of services, and whose listing states that either the equipment, material, or service meets appropriate designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.

A.3.2.5 Listed. The means for identi­fying listed equipment may vary for each organization concerned with product evaluation; some organizations do not recognize equipment as listed unless it is also labeled. The authority having jurisdic­tion should utilize the system employed by the listing organization to identify a listed product.

Organizations like UL or FM that evaluate products typically require that a label be affixed to the product so an AHJ, or other entity, can confirm its listing status.

3.2.4 Labeled. Equipment or materials to which has been attached a label, symbol, or other identifying mark of an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with product evaluation, that maintains periodic inspec­tion of production of labeled equipment or materials, and by whose labeling the manufacturer indicates compliance with appropriate standards or performance in a specified manner.

So, neither agency has to “answer” to NFPA, but both agencies interface with NFPA 72 Technical Committees to ensure that the requirements of the code will correlate with their product standards and vice versa.

In a public school, some students with disabilities are disturbed by audi­ble signal appliances in the classroom and corridor. Any suggestions?

Locations with students with certain disabilities should consider using “private mode” notification. In addition to permitting a lower dB level for notifica­tion appliances, this method is designed to notify staff members only, as opposed to all the building occupants. As such, audible devices need be deployed only in those areas where staff are located.

3.3.206.1 Private Operating Mode. Audible or visible signaling only to those persons directly concerned with the implementation and direction of emer­gency action initiation and procedure in the area protected by the fire alarm system. (SIG-NAS)

Another option would be the use of a chime tone for the alarm signal, which may have less effect on those sensitive to loud sounds and is less frightening.

Alternatively, you could eliminate the audible devices entirely in accor­dance with Section 7.4.3.2

18.4.5.2* Where approved by the author­ity having jurisdiction or other governing codes or standards, the requirements for audible signaling shall be permitted to be reduced or eliminated when visible signaling is provided in accordance with Section 18.5.

A. 18.4.5.2 For example, in critical care patient areas, it is often desirable to not have an audible notification even at reduced private mode levels. Each case requires consideration by the governing authority. Another example would be high noise work areas where an audible signal needed to overcome background noise at one time of day would be ex­cessively loud and potentially danger­ous at another time of lower ambient noise. A sudden increase of more than 30 dB over 0.5 seconds is considered to cause sudden and potentially dangerous fright.

Is the central station required to notify the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) that a contract agreement has been terminated?

This may depend on local ordi­nance or policy requirements of the AHJ. However, NFPA 72-2025 does require in 26.2.7.1* that “Supervising station customers or clients and the authority having jurisdiction shall be notified in writing by the new supervising station within 30 calendar days of any change of service provider that results in signals from the client’s property being handled by a new supervising station.”

Although the code does not specifically require supervising stations to report termination of a monitoring contract, it probably is good practice, for reason of limiting liability, for a supervising station to do so.

A.26.2.7 Changing where signals go from an existing to a new or different supervising station facility is sometimes done simply by changing a call-forward phone number. Or, within a supervising station, a new receiving computer and software can be constructed and lines changed over. Often, the account data are manually entered into the new system. Sometimes the data are transferred electronically. Errors can be made, causing the supervising station to get undefined alarms or incorrect account data, resulting in incorrect response by the supervising station. When such changes are made, the only viable way to ensure correct operation is to conduct an end-to-end test.