FIRE DETECTION, ALARM AND MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS Inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire detection, alarm and Mass Notification systems shall be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and NFPA 72 (latest edition). The following list highlights minimum requirements for the essential care of fire alarm systems. This list, however, is not meant to replace manufacturer's instructions and updated code requirements. This data is based on the 2013 edition. NFPA 72 Table 14.3.1: Visual Inspection All Equipment 1 Control Equipment (fire alarm systems monitored for alarm, supervisory, and 2 trouble signals) Fuses Interfaced equipment Lamps and LEDs Primary (main) power supply Trouble signals Supervising Station Alarm Systems - Transmitters Digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) Digital alarm radio transmitter (DART) McCulloh Radio alarm transmitter (RAT) All other types of communicators In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications 5 Equipment Batteries 9 Lead-acid Nickel-cadmium Primary (dry cell) 4 35-30
Sealed lead-acid NFPA 72 Table 14.3.1: Visual Inspection Remote Annunciators 11 Notification Appliance Circuit (NAC) Power Extenders 12 Remote Power Supplies 13 Transient Suppressors 14 Fiber-optic cable connections 16 Initiating Devices 17 Air sampling general Air sampling sampling system piping and sampling ports Duct detectors general Duct detectors sampling tube Electromechanical releasing devices Fire extinguishing system(s) or suppression system(s) switches Manual fire alarm boxes Heat detectors Radiant energy fire detectors Video image smoke and fire detectors Smoke detectors Project beam smoke detectors Supervisory signal devices Waterflow devices At time of installation At time of installation Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Combination Systems 19 Fire extinguisher monitoring devices/systems Carbon monoxide detectors/systems 35-31
Fire Alarm Control Interface and Emergency Control Function Interface NFPA 72 Table 14.3.1: Visual Inspection 20 Guard s Tour Equipment 21 Notification Appliances 22 Audible appliances Audible textual notification appliances Visible appliances general Visible appliances candela rating Exit Marking Audible Notification Appliances Area of Refuge Two-Way Communication System Supervising Station Alarm Systems Receivers Signal receipt Receivers Public Emergency Alarm Reporting System Transmission Equipment Publicly addressable alarm box Auxiliary box Master box manual operation Master box auxiliary operation Mass Notification System (monitored for integrity) Control equipment Fuses Interfaces Lamps/LEDs Primary (main) power supply At time of installation 23 25 Daily 27 28 30 35-32
Secondary power batteries Initiating devices NFPA 72 Table 14.3.1: Visual Inspection Notification appliances All Equipment At time of installation 1 Control Equipment and Transponder 2 Functions Fuses Interfaced equipment Lamps and LEDs Primary (main) power supply Fire Alarm Control Unit Trouble Signals 3 Audible and visual Disconnect switches Ground-fault monitoring circuit Transmission of signals to offpremises location Supervising Station Alarm Systems Transmission Equipment All equipment Quarterly 1 Digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) Quarterly 1 Digital alarm radio transmitter (DART) Quarterly 1 McCulloh transmitter Quarterly 1 Radio alarm transmitter (RAT) Quarterly 1 4 1 Testing frequency increased to quarterly due to history of trouble contacts being disconnected. 35-33
Performance-based technologies Quarterly 2 Emergency Communications Equipment 5 Amplifier/tone generators Call-in signal silence Off-hook indicator (ring-down) Phone jacks Phone set System performance Engine-Driven Generator 6 Secondary (Standby) Power Supply 7 Uninterruptible Powers Supply (UPS) 8 Battery Tests 9 Lead-acid type Battery replacement Charger test Discharge test Load voltage test Specific gravity Nickel-cadmium type Battery replacement Charger test Discharge test Load voltage test Sealed lead-acid type Battery replacement Charger test Discharge test Load voltage test Public Emergency Alarm Reporting Daily 10 2 Testing frequency increased to quarterly due to history of trouble contacts being disconnected. 35-34
System Wired System Remote Annunciators 11 Conductors Metallic 15 Stray voltage Ground faults Short-circuit faults Loop resistance Circuit integrity N/A N/A N/A N/A Conductors Non-Metallic 16 Fiber optics Circuit integrity N/A Initiating Devices 17 Electromechanical releasing device (nonrestorable-type link) Electromechanical releasing device (restorable-type link) Fire extinguishing system(s) or suppression system(s) alarm switch Fire-gas and other detectors Heat detectors Fixed-temperature, rateof-rise, rate of compensation, restorable line, spot type (excluding pneumatic tube type) Fixed-temperature, nonrestorable line type Fixed-tempertaure, nonrestorable spot type Nonrestorable (general) Restorable line type, pneumatic tube only 15 years (see method) 35-35
Manual fire alarm boxes Radiant energy fire detectors Smoke detectors functional test In other than one- and two-family dwellings, system detectors Single- and multiplestation smoke alarms connected to protected premises systems Air sampling Duct type Projected beam type Smoke detector with built-in thermal element Smoke detectors with control output functions Carbon monoxide detectors/carbon monoxide alarms for the purposes of fire detection Initiating devices, supervisory Control valve switch High- or low-air pressure switch Room temperature switch Water level switch Water temperature switch Mechanical, electrosonic, or pressure-type waterflow device Multi-sensor fire detector or multi-criteria fire detector or combination fire detector 35-36
Special Hazard Equipment 18 Abort switch (dead-man type) Abort switch (recycle type) Abort switch (special type) Cross-zone detection circuit Matrix-type circuit Release solenoid circuit Squibb release circuit Verified, sequential, or counting zone circuit All above devices or circuits or combinations thereof Combination Systems 19 Fire extinguisher electronic monitoring device/system Carbon monoxide device/system Interface Equipment See 14.4.4.4 20 Guard s Tour Equipment 21 Alarm Notification Appliances 22 Audible Audible textual notification appliances Visible Exit Marking Audible Notification Appliance 23 Emergency Control Functions 24 Area of Refuge Two-Way Communication System 25 Special Procedures 26 Alarm verification Multiplex systems 35-37
Supervising Alarm Systems Receiving Equipment All equipment Digital alarm communicator receiver (DACR) Digital alarm radio receiver (DARR) McCulloh systems Radio alarm supervising station receiver (RASSR) and radio alarm repeater station receiver (RARSR) Private microwave radio systems Performance-based technologies Public Emergency Alarm Reporting System Transmitting Equipment Publically accessible alarm box Auxiliary box Master box Manual operation Auxiliary operation Low-Power Radio (Wireless Systems) N/A 29 Mass Notification Systems 30 Functions Fuses Interfaced equipment Lamps and LEDs Primary (main) power supply Audible textual notification appliances (speakers and other appliances to convey voice messages) Visible 27 28 35-38
Control unit functions and no diagnostic failures are indicated Control unit reset Control unit security Audible/visible functional test Software backup Secondary power test Wireless signals Antenna Transceivers 35-39