We can all agree that fire alarm systems using smoke detectors spaced throughout a building provide the building occupants with a certain degree of life safety. And in fact, that is why the codes and fire protection engineers require and promote these systems. As you must already know, if you are in the business of installing fire alarm systems, you must follow the application, installation, and inspection, testing and maintenance requirements of both the manufacturer and NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.

What do NFPA 72 requirements give you? The code requirements provide you with a minimum level of reliability to help ensure the fire alarm system will work as the engineer designed it and meet minimum operational requirements.

Acceptance testing of a fire alarm system

However, once you have installed the fire alarm system correctly (assuming you use trained, certified technicians) the next most important part of the installation is the testing of the installed system. The purpose of the initial acceptance test is to both ensure compliance with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) approved design documents and to ensure the installation is in accordance with NFPA 72 and manufacturer installation requirements. The tests performed by your technicians are required to ensure the system operation is in accordance with the design documents. Always have a test plan in place to clearly establish when and how the tests will occur. Section 14.2.10.2 requires that the test plan and tests conducted by you are documented with the testing records.

The acceptance tests help to ensure that the correct equipment has been used and is properly located and installed. Obviously, ensuring compliance helps to assure both operational reliability and mission reliability. At this stage of a system’s life, the responsibilities for such inspections rest with the designers of the systems, the system installers and with the various applicable AHJs.

As stated in Annex A of Chapter 14, “Acceptance testing includes proper operation, and non-operation, of the fire alarm or signaling system’s ability to properly interface to other systems. The best way to ensure a proper interface operation is to observe the actual operation of the interfaced system. However, exercising an emergency control function every time a related initiating device is actuated might not be desirable or practical, or in some cases may not even be permitted. NFPA 72 permits testing of the fire alarm or signaling system up to the end point connection to the interfaced system or emergency control function. Refer to A.14.4.3.2 Table 14.4.3.2 Item 24.”

Table 14.4.3.2 contains the testing requirements for the fire alarm control unit and all devices that make up a fire alarm system.

In addition to testing all devices such as manual pull stations and smoke detectors, you must also test the audible and visual notification appliances. For nonvoice systems, there are requirements for each type of appliance.

Testing requirements for audible notification appliances

The sound pressure levels that must be produced by the audible appliances in the coverage areas to meet the requirements of NFPA 72 must be documented by the system designer during the planning and design of the notification system. To comply with this requirement, an understanding of the ambient noise level expected in the building must be determined and documented. If there is uncertainty about what ambient sound level to follow for new construction, NFPA 72 Table A.18.4.4 “Average Ambient Sound Level According to Location” can serve as a guide.

Additionally, to ensure the signals will be heard by all occupants, the design sound pressure levels to be produced by the notification appliances for the various coverage areas must be documented for use during acceptance testing of the system.

Public vs. private mode signaling

There are two modes of audible signaling, public mode and private mode. For our purposes, we will discuss public mode only. If installing a fire alarm system in a healthcare occupancy, refer to the code for the requirements for private mode signaling.

For public mode signaling, and to ensure that audible public mode signals are clearly heard, and using the using the A-weighted scale (dBA) on the sound level meter, the audible appliances must have a sound level at least 15 dB above the average ambient sound level, or 5 dB above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60 seconds, whichever is greater, measured 5 feet above the floor in the area required to be served by the system.

If you are not the designer, then your only concern should be measuring the sound levels as they were installed in accordance with the designer’s plans. If the sound levels of the audible appliances do not meet the code requirements, the AHJ will likely require you to install additional appliances to be code compliant. Of course, this causes several problems. First, you will want to be paid by the client for the extra work. Second, the project will not be approved by the AHJ, and the building occupancy may be delayed. Third, you may have to alter the wiring configuration. Lastly, the additional appliances’ power consumption will require additional power supplies.

Once you have tested all the alarm signals and recorded their sound level readings as required by Chapter 7, you can silence the audibles for the remainder of the fire alarm system testing.

Audible notification appliances in residential settings

If you are installing a system in a residential occupancy such as an apartment building, there are additional requirements for audible signals.

For example, where audible appliances are installed to provide notification in sleeping areas, they must have a sound level measurement as described above for public mode or meet a minimum of 75 dB, whichever is greater, measured at the pillow level in the area required to be served by the system, again using the A-weighted scale (dBA) on the sound level meter. Also, if there is any barrier, such as a door, curtain or retractable partition, located between the notification appliance and the pillow, the sound pressure level shall be measured with that barrier in place between the appliance and the pillow. Finally, all audible appliances provided for the sleeping areas to awaken occupants must have a low-frequency alarm signal that complies with the code.

Voice intelligibility of EVACS

The discussion so far contemplates nonvoice notification appliances, for example a horn. When voice is involved for alarm signaling, such as with in-building fire emergency voice/alarm communications systems (EVACS), then the notification appliance will be a loudspeaker. With this type of system, in addition to complying with the audible signaling discussed above, you now must determine voice intelligibility (in other words, the message must be understandable).

Voice communication using prerecorded messages and manual voice announcements must be verified as being intelligible in accordance with the requirements of the code.

Intelligibility is not required to be determined through quantitative measurements, although quantitative measurements as described in Annex D are permitted. What this statement means is that you and the AHJ must walk the building with the system in alarm and listen to the message. If the message is understandable, then you are code compliant.

Testing requirements for visual notification appliances

In addition to the audible notification appliances in your system, you will have visual notification appliances installed throughout the building. Again, assuming you did not design the system, you simply have to test them for operation and determine, along with the AHJ, whether the installed visual appliances are correct for the spaces where they are installed. This is another area where the AHJ may require additional appliances, and the same issues described above for additional audible appliances would apply here.

Table 14.4.3.2 also contains the testing requirements for the visual appliances.

A Caution is given in the Annex A material for Chapter 18: “Testing should be performed in such a way that testing personnel can promptly respond to signals as they are initiated during testing and can ensure that devices are reporting with the correct locations and addresses, programming errors are not overlooked, ground faults are acknowledged promptly, and fire and trouble/supervisory signals are responded to immediately when signals are not related to the testing taking place.” 

Pre-acceptance testing

Acceptance testing is probably the most important part of completing a fire alarm system installation. This is where you will be meeting with the AHJ, and you obviously want to demonstrate that you are a professional and impress them with a smooth acceptance test. To ensure you will meet this goal, I strongly recommend conducting a “pre-acceptance test” before calling the AHJ to witness the final acceptance test. If the AHJ determines you are using them to help you establish a punch list of items to be fixed, they may walk off the job with the admonition to never waste their time again, and they may require an additional fee to get them back. You can also expect they will delay their return, and in the future will not give you any priority for new system acceptance tests.

You will almost always have emergency control functions, and other equipment interfaced with the fire alarm system and the correct operation of that equipment by the fire alarm system must be tested. It is also important that testing personnel be qualified and experienced in the arrangement and operation of any interfaced equipment as well as all emergency control functions operated or monitored by the fire alarm system.

I also recommend your testing personnel review Chapter 14, “Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance.”

Acceptance testing is a time-consuming effort, and if you do not estimate the hours you need to complete it as outlined above (including a pre-acceptance test), then your fire alarm system installations will never be profitable. Build your reputation on doing what is right and as someone who knows the code and ensures his team understands its requirements. Doing so will bring more work along with recommendations from the AHJs you work with.