Fire Prevention Coffee Break Training November 2015
Agenda Changes in the Pire Prevention Bureau FM Lund Tags FM Lund System priorities for the FD FM Lund Transmission Technologies- Phelan Questions and Answers Open Forum
Changes in the Fire Prevention Bureau Captain Brown is now District Chief Brown Lieutenant Dooley is now Captain Dooley Will be handling all fire protection system inspections and Certificate of Occupancy inspections What does this mean for you? Call 515-237-1367 to schedule ALL inspections Email mhdooley@dmgov.org
2016 Permits to inspect, test & maintain DMFD Tags are required for ALL fire protection systems This includes water based suppression systems! Tags will go on sale starting December 7 th, 2015 at 8 AM 2016 tags are NOT to be used until January 1, 2016 Renewing your permit in 2016? Make sure your state license is current on file with the DMFD If it expired within the last year or prior to you renewing with DMFD, you MUST bring a copy of your state license (front and back)
2016 Permits to inspect, test & maintain Testing is required every 3 years If you took the test for your discipline this year, you don t need to re-test until 2018 Have multiple employees that tested this year and just need to renew in 2016 Contact Deb Bruce 283-4240 and give her a list of names (email may be more efficient) and she will prepare all of the permits Then only 1 person needs to come down and pick them up
Priorities for Firefighting Fire Department Connection Must be labeled properly! Must be on the street side of the building Must have 3 clearance in ALL directions Must be visible
Priorities for Firefighting Fire Alarm Annunciator Must be near the main entrance Must provide accurate information device IDs must be logical for the building Will be tested during final inspections, test will NOT pass if information is wrong Lock Box Must be near the main entrance Preferably near FDC too
Priorities for Firefighting Standpipe Hose Valves Intermediate floor landings Sprinkler Control Valves Must be accessible Should located together when possible Rooms containing valves must be labeled Valve labels MUST match fire alarm annunicator ID
How Boring is This Going to Be? 18. Supervising station alarm systems transmission equipment (a) All equipment Test shall be performed on all system functions and features in accordance with the equipment manufacturer s published instructions for correct operation in conformance with the applicable sections of Chapter 26. Initiating device shall be actuated. Receipt of the correct initiating device signal at the supervising station within 90 seconds shall be verified. Upon completion of the test, the system shall be restored to its functional operating condition. If test jacks are used, the first and last tests shall be made without the use of the test jack. SORRY! (b) Digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) Connection of the DACT to two separate means of transmission shall be ensured. Exception: DACTs that are connected to a telephone line (number) that is also supervised for adverse conditions by a derived local channel. DACT shall be tested for line seizure capability by initiating a signal while using the primary line for a telephone call. Receipt of the correct signal at the supervising station shall be verified. Completion of the transmission attempt within 90 seconds from going off-hook to on-hook shall be verified. The primary line from the DACT shall be disconnected. Indication of the DACT trouble signal at the premises shall be verified, as well as transmission to the supervising station within 4 minutes of detection of the fault.
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The four legacy communications methods removed from the code include: active multiplex transmission systems, McCulloh systems, directly connected noncoded systems, and private microwave radio systems. These systems are no longer being actively installed. The use of some non-traditional telephone service can now be used in applications of digital alarm communicator systems (DACS). While the detailed requirements for these systems in 26.6.3.2 have not changed, the definitions for three key terms have been revised or added and have an impact on how the requirements are interpreted. These terms are linked to the requirement for a digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) to be connected to a "loop start telephone circuit" of a "public switched telephone network" in 26.6.3.2.1.1. These terms are defined in 3.3.273 and provide the link to a new term "managed facilities-based voice network" (MFVN) defined in 3.3.141. Collectively, these definitions take a broader view of the type of telephone service recognized for DACS applications. Service must be provided through a physical facilitiesbased network maintained by the service provider to ensure service quality and reliability. The essential expectations for these systems are detailed in A.3.3.141 and include the expectation that telephone service provider's communications equipment located at the premises or in the field include eight hours of standby power. Not all telephone service providers will meet the expectations for these networks. Twenty-four hours of standby power is not "expected" for premises and field installed MFVN equipment. However, the onceexpected capacity of 24 hours has not been provided for some time even by traditional telephone service providers except at their central facilities. The standby power capacity at the central facilities of MFVNs is still expected to be 24 hours. The use of IP communicators is more common for transmission of signals to a supervising station. This communications method uses the internet (or intranet) as part of the communications pathway. The requirements for these systems are found in 26.6.3.1, and were formerly contained in a section entitled "Other Transmission Technologies" that first appeared in the 1999 edition. Unlike DACSs, IP communicators do not require the use of a second communication channel (unless required as a part of the manufacturer's published instructions or the product listing). However they are "always on" and are required to indicate failure of the communications path at the supervision station within 5 minutes of the failure. (In contrast DACSs are not "always on" and are only required to initiate a test signal once every 24 hours.) New in the 2010 edition for IP communicators is a requirement for any associated communications equipment located at the premises or the supervising station to meet the secondary power capacity requirements of 10.5.6 which requires 24 hours of secondary power capacity. This requirement would apply to non-fire-alarm system equipment such as that included as part of a local area network or cable modem used to connect the IP communicator with the internet. IP communicators are available in versions that interface with a traditional DACT rather than directly with the fire alarm control unit. These versions are sometimes called IP DACTs and fall under the rules for IP communicators in 26.6.3.1, not the rules for DACTs.
NFPA 72-2010 Organization With the elimination of the four legacy methods, the organization of the transmission technologies section of NFPA 72 was changed to require compliance with Other Transmission Technologies (changed in 2010 to General), with exceptions for DACS and radio, which were found to be not in compliance with the performance requirements of Other Transmission Technologies. If DACS is selected as a transmission technology, the DACS section should be followed. If any listed radio technology is used, the radio sections (one-way and two way) should be consulted for the requirements. DACS Digital alarm communications systems were first introduced to the technical committee in the mid-1980s, and were rejected by the committee twice because it had been determined that using regular telephone lines was not reliable enough. This was the first time that any proposed communications method was not controlled end-to-end by the technical committee. Instead, it was proposed to be under NFPA jurisdiction only to the point of demarcation at the protected premises, and once through the phone company, back under NFPA jurisdiction from the point of demarcation at the supervising station. This was relatively radical thinking, and it took a leap of faith in the telephone system for DACS to be approved, finally, on the third attempt. However, the technical committee members asked for, and received, some modifications, specifically regarding redundancy. DACS is the only communications method ever allowed for fire alarm that requires redundant lines throughout the process. How DACS Work A digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) is required to be connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) ahead of any customer-owned equipment. The connection needs to be on loop-start POTS telephone lines. (POTS is a telephone company acronym meaning plain old telephone service; i.e., standard telephone numbers.) DACTs are required to seize the telephone line and disconnect any other use of the line using a RJ-31X jack provided by the telephone company. DACTs cannot be connected to party lines or pay-phone lines. DACTs need to get a dial tone, dial the digital alarm communicator receiver (DACR) at the supervising station, get verification that the DACR is ready to receive, transmit the signal, and receive acknowledgement that the DACR has received and understood the signal. Originally, the requirement for a DACS was that two telephone lines needed to be used. However, by 1996, the technical committee had changed that requirement so that only the primary means of communication needed to be a POTS loop-start telephone line. The secondary means of communication could be another phone line, a cellular phone, a oneway radio system, a derived local channel, a one-way private radio system, a private microwave radio system, or a two-way RF multiplex radio system.4 The traditional way of connecting a DACT to the fire alarm control panel uses two endto- end copper POTS loop-start telephone lines, connected to the fire alarm system via an RJ-31X jack, as shown in Figure 1. With telephone companies in the United States rapidly replacing copper telephone lines with fiber optic lines, the infrastructure that existed when DACS were originally approved has changed. Use of telephone company fiber optic lines should cause no technical problems with signal transmission, but there is one drawback secondary power. Where standard copper telephone lines are powered by the telephone company central office (at least 96 hours of standby backed up by storage batteries, generators and sufficient diesel fuel supply), telephone fiber optic lines are powered by eight-hour standby batteries located in the field (on the poles or in the street pedestals), which is a problem because the telephone lines are only verified by the fire alarm control panel at 24-hour intervals. Figure 2, compared with Figure 1, shows that except for the transmission method off premises, there is no significant difference between telephone company copper and telephone company fiber optic. The third option today is to use cable company telephone service. When the cable industry first began providing voice telephone service, there was a technical problem with the CODEC used for voice compression by the cable industry. Since then, the major cable providers have modified their software to emulate the telephone company, so from a technical transmission viewpoint, there is no significant difference. The issues involved with cable company telephone service are essentially those of standby power. Like the telephone company fiber optic service, cable company standby power supplies are in the street pedestals, and are only sized for eight hours of service, so the line verification issues are the same. The added problem with cable company telephones, however, is that there is a cable box located at the protected premises that requires building power to operate. The loss of AC power at the protected premises may de-energize the cable box, leaving no telephone service. If there is a UPS connected to the box, the UPS is generally sized for less than eight hours of service, which exacerbates the line verification issue. In addition, there is a single point of failure between the cable box and the point of demarcation to the cable company, which, if compromised, takes out both telephone lines provided by the cable company.
NFPA 72-2010 Organization With the elimination of the four legacy methods, the organization of the transmission technologies section of NFPA 72 was changed to require compliance with Other Transmission Technologies (changed in 2010 to General), with exceptions for DACS and radio, which were found to be not in compliance with the performance requirements of Other Transmission Technologies. If DACS is selected as a transmission technology, the DACS section should be followed. If any listed radio technology is used, the radio sections (one-way and two way) should be consulted for the requirements.
DACS Digital alarm communications systems were first introduced to the technical committee in the mid-1980s, and were rejected by the committee twice because it had been determined that using regular telephone lines was not reliable enough. This was the first time that any proposed communications method was not controlled end-to-end by the technical committee. Instead, it was proposed to be under NFPA jurisdiction only to the point of demarcation at the protected premises, and once through the phone company, back under NFPA jurisdiction from the point of demarcation at the supervising station. This was relatively radical thinking, and it took a leap of faith in the telephone system for DACS to be approved, finally, on the third attempt. However, the technical committee members asked for, and received, some modifications, specifically regarding redundancy. DACS is the only communications method ever allowed for fire alarm that requires redundant lines throughout the process.
How DACS Work A digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) is required to be connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) ahead of any customerowned equipment. The connection needs to be on loop-start POTS telephone lines. (POTS is a telephone company acronym meaning plain old telephone service; i.e., standard telephone numbers.) DACTs are required to seize the telephone line and disconnect any other use of the line using a RJ-31X jack provided by the telephone company. DACTs cannot be connected to party lines or pay-phone lines. DACTs need to get a dial tone, dial the digital alarm communicator receiver (DACR) at the supervising station, get verification that the DACR is ready to receive, transmit the signal, and receive acknowledgement that the DACR has received and understood the signal. Originally, the requirement for a DACS was that two telephone lines needed to be used. However, by 1996, the technical committee had changed that requirement so that only the primary means of communication needed to be a POTS loop-start telephone line. The secondary means of communication could be another phone line, a cellular phone, a oneway radio system, a derived local channel, a one-way private radio system, a private microwave radio system, or a two-way RF multiplex radio system.4 The traditional way of connecting a DACT to the fire alarm control panel uses two endto- end copper POTS loop-start telephone lines, connected to the fire alarm system via an RJ-31X jack, as shown in Figure 1.
With telephone companies in the United States rapidly replacing copper telephone lines with fiber optic lines, the infrastructure that existed when DACS were originally approved has changed. Use of telephone company fiber optic lines should cause no technical problems with signal transmission, but there is one drawback secondary power. Where standard copper telephone lines are powered by the telephone company central office (at least 96 hours of standby backed up by storage batteries, generators and sufficient diesel fuel supply), telephone fiber optic lines are powered by eight-hour standby batteries located in the field (on the poles or in the street pedestals), which is a problem because the telephone lines are only verified by the fire alarm control panel at 24-hour intervals. Figure 2, compared with Figure 1, shows that except for the transmission method off premises, there is no significant difference between telephone company copper and telephone company fiber optic.
The third option today is to use cable company telephone service. When the cable industry first began providing voice telephone service, there was a technical problem with the CODEC used for voice compression by the cable industry. Since then, the major cable providers have modified their software to emulate the telephone company, so from a technical transmission viewpoint, there is no significant difference. The issues involved with cable company telephone service are essentially those of standby power. Like the telephone company fiber optic service, cable company standby power supplies are in the street pedestals, and are only sized for eight hours of service, so the line verification issues are the same. The added problem with cable company telephones, however, is that there is a cable box located at the protected premises that requires building power to operate. The loss of AC power at the protected premises may de-energize the cable box, leaving no telephone service. If there is a UPS connected to the box, the UPS is generally sized for less than eight hours of service, which exacerbates the line verification issue. In addition, there is a single point of failure between the cable box and the point of demarcation to the cable company, which, if compromised, takes out both telephone lines provided by the cable company. Figure 3 shows the typical installation of a cable telephone connection to the fire alarm control panel. There are two issues not present with the traditional telephone company installations. First, there is a power requirement for the cable box. Additionally, there is a single point of failure between the cable box and the demarcation to the cable company.
Radio There are currently several communication technologies listed to either the one-way or two-way radio legacy methods in NFPA 72.1 The most promising of these radio methods uses one of two technologies, which have been shown to be reliable and, since they provide heartbeats on a regular basis, will indicate loss of channel immediately. The two technologies are mesh radio and GSM cellular radio.
Transmission methods Historically, the requirements for off premises signaling in the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, NFPA 72, were based upon each specific technology.
Examples of transmission methods with technology specific requirements: Digital Alarm Communication Systems e. g. DACT/DACR Two-Way Private Radio Alarm Systems One-Way Private Radio Alarm Systems Direct Connect e.g. Reverse Polarity Active Multiplex e. g. Derived Channel
NFPA 72-1999 Added Other Transmission Technologies What are Other Transmission Technologies? Any transmission technology for which NFPA 72 (or UL 864) does not include technology specific requirements.
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-1999 Monitor integrity of the transmission technology and its communication path Failures annunciated at the supervising station with 5 minutes Annunciation at the protected premises if communication cannot be established with the supervising station. Redundant path required to be provided where portion of the path not monitored Redundant path to be monitored for integrity
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-1999 Failure of both primary and secondary path to be annunciated at the supervising station within 24 hours. Service provider diversity End to end communication not exceed 90 seconds Signal error and detection Signal priority fire top priority in shared networks Throughput probability
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-1999 Shared communications equipment on premises Listed for purpose. Supervising station and system loading: System units restored to service within 30 minutes of a failure Max 3000 transmitters per transmission channel Max 512 per single system receiver Signal priority Exception: maximum duration not to exceed 90 seconds
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-2007 Service provider diversity Both paths private, or Public: different than primary communications service provider
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-2010 Monitoring for integrity of the communication path(s) Single technology - 5 minutes Annunciation @ SS Multiple technologies 24 hours for each technology Annunciation @ SS and protected premise Exception: Specific technology requirements
Requirements for Other Transmission Technologies NFPA 72-2010 Service Provider Diversity - Removed Signal priority Removed Shared communications equipment on premises Listed Secondary Power Per 10.5.6 (Fire Alarm Equipment) Throughput Removed
10.5.6.3.1 The secondary power supply shall have sufficient capacity to operate the system under quiescent load (system operating in a nonalarm condition) for a minimum of 24 hours and, at the end of that period, shall be capable of operating all alarm notifica ion appliances used for evacuation or to direct aid to the location of an emergency for 5 minutes, unless otherwise permitted or required by the following: (1) Battery calculations shall include a 20 percent safety margin to the calculated amp-hour rating. (2) The secondary power supply for in-building fire emergency voice/alarm communications service shall be capable of operating the system under quiescent load for a minimum of 24 hours and then shall be capable of operating the system during a fire or other emergency condition for a period of 15 minutes at maximum connected load. (3) The secondary power supply capacity for supervising station facilities and equipment shall be capable of supporting operations for a minimum of 24 hours. (4) The secondary power supply for high-power speaker arrays used for wide-area mass notification systems shall be in accordance with 24.4.3.4.2.2. (5) The secondary power supply for textual visible appliances shall be in accordance with 24.4.3.4.7.1. (6) The secondary power supply capacity for central control stations of a wide-area mass notification systems shall be capable of supporting operations for a minimum of 24 hours. (7) The secondary power supply for in-building mass notification systems shall be capable of operating the system under quiescent load for a minimum of 24 hours and then shall be capable of operating the system during emergency condition for a period of 15 minutes at maximum connected load. 10.5.6.3.2 The secondary power supply capacity required shall include all power supply loads
Other Transmission Technologies Examples: Internet (broadband) Land based Cellular/wireless
Other Transmission Technologies Examples of typical systems utilizing IP transmission technologies
Other Transmission Technologies Assess inter-equipment compatibility Interoperability (end-to-end) Compatibility Electrical Functional Monitoring for integrity FACP to transmitter Transmitter to FACP Transmitter to fire alarm receiver
Testing NFPA 72 Table 14.4.2.2 18. Supervising station alarm systems transmission equipmentg (a) All equipment Test shall be performed on all system functions and features in accordance with the equipment manufacturer s published instructions for correct operation in conformance with the applicable sections of Chapter 26. Initiating device shall be actuated. Receipt of the correct initiating device signal at the supervising station within 90 seconds shall be verified. Upon completion of the test, the system shall be restored to its functional operating condition. If test jacks are used, the first and last tests shall be made without the use of the test jack. (b) Digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) Connection of the DACT to two separate means of transmission shall be ensured. Exception: DACTs that are connected to a telephone line (number) that is also supervised for adverse conditions by a derived local channel. DACT shall be tested for line seizure capability by initiating a signal while using the primary line for a telephone call. Receipt of the correct signal at the supervising station shall be verified. Completion of thetransmission attempt within 90 seconds from going off-hook to on-hook shall be verified. The primary line from the DACT shall be disconnected. Indication of the DACT trouble signal at the premises shall be verified, as well as transmission to the supervising station within 4 minutes of detection of the fault.
Testing NFPA 72 Table 14.4.2.2 The secondary means of transmission from the DACT shall be disconnected. Indication of the DACT trouble signal at the premises shall be verified as well as transmission to the supervising station within 4 minutes of detection of the fault. The DACT shall be caused to transmit a signal to the DACR while a fault in the primary telephone number is simulated. Utilization of the secondary telephone number by the DACT to complete the transmission to the DACR shall be verified. (c) Digital alarm radio transmitter (DART) The primary telephone line shall be disconnected. Transmission of a trouble signal to the supervising station by the DART within 4 minutes shall be verified. (d) McCulloh transmitter Initiating device shall be actuated. Production of not less than three complete rounds of not less than three signal impulses each by the McCulloh transmitter shall be verified. If end-to-end metallic continuity is present and with a balanced circuit, each of the following four transmission channel fault conditions shall be caused in turn, and receipt of correct signals at the supervising station shall be verified: (1) Open (2) Ground (3) Wire-to-wire short (4) Open and ground If end-to-end metallic continuity is not present and with a properly balanced circuit, each of the following three transmission channel fault conditions shall be caused in turn, and receipt of correct signals at the supervising station shall be verified: (1) Open (2) Ground (3) Wire-to-wire short (e) Radio alarm transmitter (RAT) A fault between elements of the transmitting equipment shall be caused. Indication of the fault at the protected premises shall be verified, or it shall be verified that a trouble signal is transmitted to the supervising station.
Coming Changes NFPA 72 2013 The NFPA 72 code was updated in 2013 and impacts the use of POTS lines in a fire alarm installation, as well as the supervision requirements for single or multiple path technologies. The 2013 version of NFPA 72 code includes some changes that will impact the primary and secondary POTS lines in an installation. If you have a primary POTS connection, you will be required by the code to seek out alternative communication methods as a backup to the POTS Lines. This could be a one-way private radio alarm system, a two-way RF multiplex system or any transmission means that comply with NPFA 72 version 2013, such as IP and cellular. A secondary POTS line is not permitted for multi-path communications unless there is no cellular, IP or radio available in the area. In addition, you will find that some of the supervision requirements have been changed in version 2013 of the code. Here s a summary of those changes. When using a single communication technology, the central station must annunciate a trouble within 60 minutes after loss of communication. When using multiple communication technologies, the central station must annunciate a trouble within 6 hours after loss of communication.
Questions and Discussion What situations didn t we clear up? What else do we need to talk (more) about?