Good communication skills are a must for success. I wrote about this five years ago (see “Be Like Mike,” ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, January 2021), and I feel it is a subject that should be brought up again. It doesn’t matter if it relates to construction projects, design, periodic tests and inspections, or your personal life.
I have always felt that life is easier when you communicate with others. No one likes not knowing what is going on. Communicating with others improves relationships and job success rates while giving you the satisfaction that you did all you could to make everyone’s lives easier.
Reviewing project requirements
If you are the project manager, knowing and discussing the project with other stakeholders is essential. Review the specifications, and if you have questions about the design, talk it over with the designer. Your job is to install a system that matches the design. That is one of the requirements for new systems in NFPA 72.
In 14.2.1.1, it reads, “The purpose for initial and reacceptance inspections shall be to ensure compliance with approved design documents and to ensure installation in accordance with this code and other required installation standards.”
The best time to start is before the installation. Be sure you understand the design requirements and, if necessary, offer suggestions to improve the system through communications with the designer.
If you have a code-related question about the design, discuss it with the fire marshal’s staff. It is much better to clear up any gray areas before the work begins.
If you have questions regarding interfacing the fire alarm with other systems, talk to the contractor(s) responsible for the other system. It is best to work out these issues early. It may save you the trouble of having to redo something later.
Be sure to attend and document all construction meetings. Discuss any concerns with timelines. You can’t install your fire alarm devices on unfinished walls. Discuss what must be done before the final acceptance test can be scheduled.
In the past, I have invited local fire inspectors to attend meetings with me. The general contractor will listen to them a lot more than they will listen to you. Remember, your job is to deliver a reliable, problem-free system on time. Know that if there are problems with the system after turnover, you will be the one blamed, not the general contractor. This approach will show you take pride in your work and are trying your best to provide the best system you can for the owner.
Communication wins the day
Good communication is also important. NFPA 72 requires a test plan. This is how you let the owner know what you are going to test on each assessment, how you are going to do it, plans for notifying the occupants and what will not be tested, if applicable.
On the day of the testing, start by meeting with the owner or their representative when you get to the job site to discuss any issues that may have occurred since your last visit. Then proceed with the testing. Once completed, discuss the results of the test, any equipment that may have failed and needs to be replaced and any suggestions you may have to improve their fire safety.
I have always found that owners would much rather know the facts, even if it is bad news. I remember a job I had testing the fire alarm system in a high-rise hotel that had a pretty obsolete system. Since parts were no longer available for the existing system, I met with the owner to discuss starting to budget for a new system before the existing one failed.
A few months later, the building was struck by lightning, and it took out the fire alarm and other electrical equipment. The fire marshal told them they would have to have fire watches if they were to remain open until the fire alarm equipment could be replaced. Because I knew the fire marshal quite well, I was able to get him to approve a plan to just install a system to monitor waterflow switches until we could replace the rest of the equipment. Thankfully, they did have a voice alarm communication system in the building that was still operational.
As it turned out, everyone was happy. Good communication helped make this project go much smoother. The property was able to remain open, and it saved the owner a lot of money.
The bottom line is that if you communicate with others and work through any issues before they become a problem, everyone is better off in the end.
stock.adobe.com / DIMA RYKOV
About The Author
HAMMERBERG, SET, CFPS, is an independent fire alarm presenter and consultant currently residing in The Villages, Fla. Tom represented the Automatic Fire Alarm Association on multiple NFPA technical committees as well as actively participating in the ICC code making process for many years. He is NICET Level IV certified in fire alarm systems and a Certified Fire Protection Specialist. He can be reached at [email protected].
