All new buildings must have approved radio coverage for emergency responders inside based on coverage levels of the public safety communication systems outside the building. Emergency responder radio communication systems...
Anyone who has ever serviced a fire alarm system knows that ground faults can be quite a challenge, especially if the fault is intermittent. Many don’t realize the importance of testing the ground-fault feature and the effect...
There is a functional test for smoke detectors that essentially allows an installer to pretest the circuits and ensure the smoke detectors will report to the fire alarm control unit when they go into alarm or trouble. There...
It is difficult to know where to start to explain some of the important and often misquoted sections of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. I will start with two important items relating to proper code use. I...
The cost of materials is up, so availability is down. The cost of labor is up and availability is down. How can you plan for 2022 with these factors working against you? First, let’s look at the root cause. We are in this...
Let’s kick off the new year by reviewing changes in the 2022 edition of the NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. While most jurisdictions won’t adopt this for a while, it’s good to know what’s coming. Let’s start...
A county fire inspector and a city fire inspector disagreed about the proper spacing and locations of system smoke detectors in a residential building. They questioned whether the spacing should be from center to center or...
Why do I have to follow the code for a nonrequired fire alarm system? I often receive this question or a similar one from installation contractors. Specifically, the question centers around the installation of smoke detectors...
We all know the importance of testing fire alarm systems, so this is a good time to review some recent changes in the NFPA 72 testing requirements and discuss some best practices. While teaching seminars, I always used to say...
The Great Chicago Fire started on Oct. 8, 1871. One of the most significant fires of its time, it left around 300 dead and 100,000 people homeless. The fire occurred in a mostly residential area, destroying over 17,000...
In my July column, I reviewed the reason and importance for performing battery calculations. In this article, I will continue the conversation and review voltage-drop calculations. There has been some confusion about what...
When are duct smoke detectors required and by which codes? Who must supply and install them, and how they should be connected into the fire alarm system? The ICC Mechanical Code, Section 606, states, “Air distribution systems...
Knowing how to perform battery and voltage drop calculations is essential to ensuring an installed system will operate properly, and especially important in the plan review process. Battery and voltage drop calculations are...
Upgrading aging infrastructure seems to be on everyone’s minds in the post-COVID world we are moving toward. Many contractors will be called on for their recommendations for upgrading building fire alarm systems in their...
In the 2018 edition of the International Building Code, the documentation information in paragraph 907.1.2 on fire alarm shop drawings was deleted. A statement was added telling users to prepare the shop drawings per NFPA 72...
When I hear “NFPA 72 requires smoke or heat detectors to be installed throughout a space,” I immediately know the fire alarm system installer has not read the entirety of the code, nor do they understand the code process...
Because March is still winter, the weather can be very cold and stormy or it can be nice and warm. Since a lot of people will be staying inside with the heat on, this seems to be a good time to review the carbon monoxide...
Designers and installers tend to fall into the same four traps when working on new fire alarm system installations. The first is not understanding NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, and the code process. The...
How well do you understand the NFPA 72 requirements for pathway survivability? Like many other fire alarm applications, the code is not always clear, and there are quite a few different interpretations on this subject. Having...
Your life could depend on being able to hear and understand emergency messages broadcast from an emergency voice alarm system. Originally, NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, only stated that the message had to...
