FIRE ALARM

SYSTEM
Thommy A. Purisima
Fire Alarm System
Fire alarm system is designed to detect the
unwanted presence of fire by monitoring
environmental changes associated
with combustion.
Fire alarm systems are intended to notify the
building occupants to evacuate in the event of
a fire or other emergency, report the event to
an off-premises location in order to summon
emergency services, and to prepare the
structure and associated systems to control the
spread of fire and smoke.
In general, a fire alarm system is classified as
either automatically actuated, manually
actuated, or both.

Fire Alarm System coverage
shall include:
All rooms
Halls
Storage areas
Basements, attics, lofts
Elevator shafts
Enclosed stairways
Fundamental configuration

Fire alarm control panel: This component, the hub of the
system, monitors inputs and system integrity, controls
outputs and relays information.




Primary Power supply: Commonly the non-
switched 120 or 240 Volt Alternating Current
source supplied from a commercial power utility.
In non-residential applications, a branch circuit
is dedicated to the fire alarm system and its
constituents. "Dedicated branch circuits" should
not be confused with "Individual branch circuits"
which supply energy to a single appliance.

Secondary (backup) Power supplies:
This component, commonly consisting of
sealed lead-acid storage batteries or
other emergency sources including
generators, is used to supply energy in
the event of a primary power failure.
Initiating Devices: This component acts as
an input to the fire alarm control unit and are
either manually or automatically actuated.
Examples would be devices pull stations,
heat detectors, or smoke detectors. Heat
and smoke detectors have different
categories of both kind. Some categories are
beam, photoelectrical, aspiration, and duct.


Notification appliances: This component uses energy
supplied from the fire alarm system or other stored
energy source, to inform the proximate persons of the
need to take action, usually to evacuate. This is done
by means of a flashing light, strobe light,
electromechanical horn, "beeper horn", chime, bell,
speaker, or a combination of these devices. The
System Sensor Spectralert Advance Horn makes a
beeping sound and electromechanical sound together.
Building Safety Interfaces: This interface allows
the fire alarm system to control aspects of the
built environment and to prepare the building
for fire, and to control the spread of smoke
fumes and fire by influencing air movement,
lighting, process control, human transport and
exit.

Initiating devices

Manually actuated devices; Break
glass stations, Buttons and manual
fire alarm activation, are constructed
to be readily located (near the exits),
identified, and operated.

Automatically actuated devices can take many
forms intended to respond to any number of
detectable physical changes associated with
fire:
convected thermal energy; heat detector

products of combustion; smoke detector

radiant energy; flame detector

combustion gasses; fire gas detector


release of extinguishing agents; water-flow detector.

The newest innovations can use
cameras and computer algorithms
to analyze the visible effects of fire
and movement in applications
inappropriate for or hostile to other
detection methods.
There are many types of fire alarm
systems each suited to different
building types and applications.
A Fire Alarm System can vary
dramatically in both price and
complexity, from a single panel with
a detector and sounder in a small
commercial property to an
addressable Fire Alarm System in a
multi-occupancy building.
Fire Alarm System Types

Non-Addressable (Conventional)
NonAddressable fire alarm systems use simpler
technology and are suited to smaller applications
where they are more cost effective than an
addressable system.
A non-addressable system may use fire detection zones,
which are usually represented by LEDs on the control
panel. Each zone identifies a specific area of the building
in order to speed up the location of a fire.

Each zone is made up of a group of Automatic
Fire Detectors and Manual Call Points. In the
event of a fire being detected either
automatically or manually, the system control
panel will then operate the alarm.
In this type of system the physical wiring
dictates the zoning and the detector decides if
its a fire condition or not.

Addressable
Addressable fire alarm systems, and
their corresponding control panels, are
more advanced than their conventional
counterparts and offer a higher degree of
programming flexibility and single point
detection.
The system can be configured to provide a wide range of
flexibility, with components controlling a variety of
devices. This works by each device in the system having
its own address, allowing the control panel to monitor
and control the state of each individual device connected
to it.
Common addressable input (initiating)
devices include:
Smoke detectors
Heat Detectors (Rate of Rise and Fixed
Temperature)
Manual call points or manual pull stations
Notification appliances (Simplex systems
with TrueAlert signals only)
Responders
Fire sprinkler system inputs
Switches

Addressable output devices (relays) can
include
Fire alarm sounders and beacons
(Warning System/Bell) Relays
Door Holder Relays
Auxiliary (Control Function) Relays

Relays can be used to control a wide range of
functions such as:
Switching fans on or off
Closing/opening doors
Activating fire suppression systems
Activating notification appliances
Shutting down industrial equipment
Recalling elevators to a safe exit floor
Activating another fire alarm panel or
communicator

The brief guide below details
classifications for commercial
systems
The categories of fire alarm
systems are "L" if they are
designed to protect life, "P" to
protect buildings and "M" if they
are manual systems.

M Fire Alarm System

Manual systems e.g. hand
bells, gongs etc, may be
purely manual or manual
electric, the latter may have
call points and sounders.
They rely on the occupants
of the building discovering
the fire and acting to warn
others by operating the
system. Such systems form
the basic requirement for
places of employment with
no sleeping risk.
P1 Fire Alarm System

The system is installed
throughout the building
- the objective being to
call the fire brigade as
early as possible to
ensure that any
damage caused by fire
is minimised. Small low
risk areas can be
excepted, such as
toilets and cupboards
less than 1m.
P2 Fire Alarm System

Detection should be
provided in parts of
the building where the
risk of ignition is high
and/or the contents
are particularly
valuable. Category 2
systems provide fire
detection in specified
parts of the building
where there is either
high risk or where
business disruption
must be minimised.
L1 Fire Alarm System

A category L1 system is
designed for the protection
of life, which has automatic
detectors installed
throughout all areas of the
building (including roof
spaces and voids) with the
aim of providing the earliest
possible warning. A
Category L1 system is likely
to be appropriate for the
majority of residential care
premises. In practice,
detectors should be placed
in nearly all spaces and
voids. With category 1
systems, the whole of a
building is covered apart
from minor exceptions.

L2 Fire Alarm System

A category L2 system designed
for the protection of life, which
has automatic detectors installed
in escape routes, rooms adjoining
escape routes and high hazard
rooms. In a medium sized
premises (sleeping no more than
ten residents) a category L2
system is ideal. These fire alarm
systems are identical to an L3
system but with additional
detection in an area where there
is a high chance of ignition (e.g.
kitchen) or where the risk to
people is particularly increased
(e.g. sleeping risk).

L3 Fire Alarm System

This category is designed
to give early warning to
everyone. Detectors should
be placed in all escape
routes and all rooms that
open onto an escape route.
Category 3 systems
provide more extensive
cover than category 4. The
objective is to warn the
occupants of the building
early enough to ensure that
all are able to exit the
building before escape
routes become impassable.

L4 Fire Alarm System

Category 4 systems cover
escape routes and
circulation areas only.
Therefore, detectors will be
placed in escape routes,
although this may not be
suitable depending on the
risk assessment or if the
size and complexity of a
building is increased.
Detectors might be sited in
other areas of the building,
but the objective is to
protect the escape route.

L5 Fire Alarm System

This is the all other
situations category e.g.
computer rooms, which
may be protected with
an extinguishing
system triggered by
automatic detection.
Category 5 systems are
the custom category
and relate to some
special requirement
that cannot be covered
by any other category.