Fire Alarm Systems
Neutrality remake campaign: from-scratch field derivation per authoring cheatsheet; project parameters and derived dispositions
Showing changes from Rev 6
to Rev 7
in Fire Alarm Systems.
---
title: Fire Alarm Systems
category: Fire Protection
−toc_depth: 3
description: >
− When to use: Addressable and conventional fire alarm and signaling systems for commercial, institutional, industrial, and multi-family residential buildings. Covers the fire alarm control unit (FACU), initiating devices (smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, waterflow switches, supervisory devices, and duct smoke detectors), notification appliances (audible, visible, and voice/alarm), signaling line circuits and notification appliance circuits, pathway survivability, primary and secondary power supplies, battery calculations, monitoring and transmission to a supervising station, wiring methods, sequence of operations, and acceptance testing per NFPA 72.
− Not intended for: Mass notification systems (in-building emergency communications for non-fire threats, including MNS per NFPA 72 Chapter 24) — see [[sync/mass-notification-systems]]; fire pump monitoring and supervisory circuits — see [[sync/fire-pumps]]; automatic fire sprinkler systems, including the sprinkler design itself — see [[sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems]]; raceway and conduit installation methods — see [[sync/raceways-and-conduit]]; wire and cable selection beyond the fire alarm circuit application — see [[sync/conductors-and-cables]]; standalone single-station or multiple-station smoke alarms in dwelling units where a full protected-premises fire alarm system is not required by the authority having jurisdiction.
+ When to use: Protected premises fire alarm and signaling systems for commercial, institutional, industrial, mercantile, assembly, healthcare, educational, and multi-family residential buildings. Covers the fire alarm control unit, annunciation, addressable and conventional architectures, automatic and manual initiating devices, waterflow and supervisory signal devices, audible and visible notification appliances, in-building emergency voice/alarm communications, circuit class and pathway survivability, primary and secondary power, off-premises signal transmission to a supervising station, fire alarm wiring, emergency control function interfaces, and acceptance testing.
+ Not intended for: Mass notification and in-building emergency communications addressing non-fire threats — see [[sync/mass-notification-systems]]; fire pump controllers and fire pump power — see [[sync/fire-pumps]]; sprinkler system design, piping, and the placement of devices within the piping — see [[sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems]]; raceway and conduit products and installation methods — see [[sync/raceways-and-conduit]]; building wire and cable outside fire alarm circuits — see [[sync/conductors-and-cables]]; grounding electrode system design — see [[sync/grounding-and-bonding]]; dedicated smoke control panels and the smoke control design itself; single- and multiple-station smoke alarms in dwelling units where no protected premises system is required.
---
# Scope {toc}
−## This specification covers the design, equipment, installation, wiring, testing, and commissioning of a protected-premises fire alarm and signaling system as defined in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. {note}
+## This standard covers the control equipment, initiating devices, notification appliances, circuits, power supplies, off-premises signal transmission, wiring, and acceptance testing of a protected premises fire alarm and signaling system as defined in NFPA 72. {note}
−## The system shall detect fire or fire conditions, alert occupants, transmit signals to a supervising station, and initiate emergency control functions in accordance with the sequence of operations established by the project Engineer of Record.
+## Much of a fire alarm design is fixed rather than chosen. The adopted building and fire codes decide whether a system is required and what it must cover, and NFPA 72 decides how detection, notification, power, and supervision perform. The decisions this standard exposes as datasheet fields are the ones the code leaves to the designer: how far coverage extends beyond the code minimum, which of several permitted architectures and communication technologies is used, and which of several permitted performance levels applies where the occupancy does not dictate one. {note}
−## The fire alarm system is a life-safety system and shall be treated as the highest-priority scope on the project.
+## Equipment and installation shall comply with the edition of NFPA 72 adopted by the authority having jurisdiction.
−## Every trade whose work intersects with the fire alarm system — including mechanical contractors installing duct smoke detectors and damper controls, sprinkler contractors whose waterflow and supervisory devices connect to the system, elevator contractors whose recall and shutdown sequences are driven by fire alarm outputs, and general contractors who affect finished ceiling heights and room geometry — shall coordinate directly with the fire alarm Contractor before rough-in begins.
+## The Contractor shall confirm the adopted editions of NFPA 72, the building code, and the fire code in writing with the authority having jurisdiction before preparing shop drawings.
−## Late coordination is the single largest generator of RFIs and change orders on fire alarm work. {note}
+## Where a datasheet selection in this standard is less stringent than the adopted code requires for the project occupancy, the code requirement shall govern.
−## System Classification {toc}
+## The following are outside this standard and are governed elsewhere. {note}
−### This standard addresses systems classified as protected-premises fire alarm systems per NFPA 72 Chapter 23, including single-building addressable systems, multi-building campus systems, and systems with in-building fire emergency voice/alarm communications. {note}
+- Mass notification and in-building emergency communications for non-fire threats — see [[sync/mass-notification-systems]]
+- Fire pump controllers, fire pump power, and fire pump equipment — see [[sync/fire-pumps]]
+- Sprinkler system design, piping, and the placement of devices within the piping — see [[sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems]]
+- Raceway and conduit products and installation methods — see [[sync/raceways-and-conduit]]
+- Building wire and cable outside fire alarm circuits — see [[sync/conductors-and-cables]]
+- Grounding electrode system design — see [[sync/grounding-and-bonding]]
+- Dedicated smoke control panels and the smoke control design itself
+- Single- and multiple-station smoke alarms in dwelling units where no protected premises system is required
−### Where the project requires a mass notification system that addresses non-fire threats in addition to fire, the MNS scope is covered in [[sync/mass-notification-systems]]; however, the fire alarm function of a combined fire alarm and MNS system is governed by this standard.
+## The fire alarm system interfaces with the sprinkler, air distribution, elevator, and door hardware systems, and each of those trades sets either a device location or an interface requirement that the fire alarm shop drawings depend on. Coordination that happens after those trades are roughed in is the most common source of fire alarm change orders. {note}
−### Where fire pumps are monitored, supervisory inputs for fire pump status connect to the fire alarm system covered here, but fire pump equipment and controls are covered in [[sync/fire-pumps]].
−
−## Code Edition {toc}
−
−### All work shall comply with the edition of NFPA 72 adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
−
−### Where the AHJ has adopted an earlier edition, the Contractor shall confirm the adopted edition in writing before design commences.
−
−### All other referenced standards shall also be the latest edition adopted by the AHJ unless the AHJ directs otherwise.
−
# Referenced Standards {toc}
−## Equipment, materials, and installation shall comply with the following standards.
+## Equipment, materials, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
+## Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
+
| Standard | Title |
|----------|-------|
| NFPA 72 | National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code |
−| NFPA 70 | National Electrical Code (Article 760 — Fire Alarm Systems) |
+| NFPA 70 | National Electrical Code (Article 760) |
| NFPA 101 | Life Safety Code |
−| IBC Chapter 9 | International Building Code — Fire Protection Systems |
−| IFC Chapter 9 | International Fire Code — Fire Protection Systems |
−| UL 864 | Standard for Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems |
−| UL 268 | Standard for Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems |
−| UL 521 | Standard for Heat Detectors for Fire Protective Signaling Systems |
−| UL 464 | Standard for Audible Signal Appliances |
−| UL 1971 | Standard for Signaling Devices for the Hearing Impaired |
−| UL 1481 | Standard for Power Supplies for Fire Protective Signaling Systems |
−| UL 2017 | Standard for General-Purpose Signaling Devices and Systems |
−| UL 2572 | Standard for Mass Notification Systems |
−| ANSI/NFPA 72 Chapter 14 | Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance |
−| ANSI/NETA ATS | Standard for Acceptance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment and Systems |
−| ICC A117.1 | Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (visible notification appliance coverage) |
−| ADA Standards for Accessible Design | Federal ADA accessibility requirements for notification |
−| NFPA 13 | Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems (waterflow and supervisory device requirements) |
−| NFPA 90A | Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems (duct smoke detector placement) |
+| NFPA 13 | Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems |
+| NFPA 90A | Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems |
+| NFPA 92 | Standard for Smoke Control Systems |
+| International Building Code | Chapter 9, Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems |
+| International Fire Code | Chapter 9, Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems |
+| UL 38 | Manual Signaling Boxes for Fire Alarm Systems |
+| UL 268 | Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems |
+| UL 268A | Smoke Detectors for Duct Application |
+| UL 464 | Audible Signal Appliances |
+| UL 521 | Heat Detectors for Fire Protective Signaling Systems |
+| UL 864 | Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems |
+| UL 1481 | Power Supplies for Fire Protective Signaling Systems |
+| UL 1711 | Amplifiers for Fire Protective Signaling Systems |
+| UL 1971 | Signaling Devices for the Hearing Impaired |
+| UL 2017 | General-Purpose Signaling Devices and Systems |
+| UL 2075 | Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors |
+| UL 2572 | Mass Notification Systems |
+| ANSI/ASA S3.41 | Audible Emergency Evacuation Signal |
+| ICC A117.1 | Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities |
+| ADA Standards for Accessible Design | Accessibility standards issued under the Americans with Disabilities Act |
+| ASME A17.1/CSA B44 | Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators |
+| IEEE 485 | Recommended Practice for Sizing Lead-Acid Batteries for Stationary Applications |
−## Where requirements conflict, the more stringent shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
−
# Submittals {toc}
## Action Submittals {toc}
−### The Contractor shall submit the following to the Engineer of Record for review prior to procurement and prior to beginning any installation:
+### The Contractor shall submit the following for the Engineer's review and return before any fire alarm equipment is procured or installed:
−- Manufacturer's product data sheets for every system component: fire alarm control unit (FACU), remote annunciator panels, power supplies, batteries, all initiating devices, all notification appliances, all modules (input, output, relay, monitor, control), duct detector housings and auxiliary components, end-of-line devices, and wiring accessories
−- Complete system shop drawings prepared in accordance with NFPA 72 Annex A documentation requirements, including: single-line riser diagram showing all panels, all circuit connections, all signaling line circuits (SLCs), all notification appliance circuits (NACs), all initiating device circuits (IDCs), circuit class designations (Class A or Class B), pathway survivability level designations, primary and secondary power connections, and interconnections to other building systems
−- Floor plan drawings showing the location of every device, the zone or address designation of every device, the coverage area for each smoke and heat detector (with spacing calculations where required), the location of every notification appliance with the candela rating assigned to each strobe, and the routing of all circuits
−- Sequence of operations matrix in table format showing every initiating input (by device type and zone), every output (audible, visible, voice, relay, emergency control function), and the response logic. The matrix shall address alarm, supervisory, and trouble conditions separately. The matrix shall be prepared by the Contractor and reviewed by the Engineer; it is the contractual basis for programming the FACU
−- Battery calculations in accordance with NFPA 72 showing: quiescent (standby) current draw, alarm current draw, 24-hour standby capacity requirement plus 5-minute (or 15-minute for voice systems) full-alarm capacity requirement, calculated battery amp-hour size, and derate factor applied per NFPA 72 (minimum 25 percent margin above calculated requirement as required by the 2022 edition)
−- Voltage drop calculations for each notification appliance circuit (NAC) and each signaling line circuit (SLC), showing end-of-line voltage under worst-case alarm load and confirming device operating voltage compliance
−- Product listing documentation confirming UL 864 listing for the FACU and listing to the appropriate UL standard for each device type
−- Acknowledgment of AHJ pre-submittal review and approval status, where required by the AHJ
+- Product data for the control unit, annunciators, power supplies, batteries, amplifiers, every initiating device type, every notification appliance type, every input, output, relay, and isolator module, duct detector housings and sampling tubes, and end-of-line devices, identifying the listing standard and the listing mark for each
+- Evidence that every device appears on the control unit manufacturer's published compatibility listing for the control unit model proposed
+- Riser diagram showing the control unit, every annunciator and power supply, every signaling line circuit, notification appliance circuit, and initiating device circuit with its class designation, the pathway survivability level assigned to each pathway, primary and secondary power connections, and every interface to another building system
+- Floor plans showing every device with its address or zone, the coverage area and spacing basis for every automatic detector, the candela rating assigned to every visible appliance with the room dimensions used to select it, and the routing of every circuit
+- Sequence of operations matrix listing every initiating input by device type and zone, every output, and the response of each output to each input, with alarm, supervisory, and trouble conditions shown separately
+- Secondary power calculation listing every device with its standby and alarm current draw, the required standby and alarm durations, the safety margin applied, and the resulting ampere-hour capacity
+- Voltage drop calculation for every notification appliance circuit and every signaling line circuit showing the end-of-line voltage under worst-case alarm load against the listed minimum operating voltage of the last device
+- Speaker circuit power calculation and amplifier sizing where an emergency voice/alarm communication system is provided
+- Cybersecurity plan covering remote access, account management, credential replacement, and firmware maintenance for the control unit and any networked component
+- Record of the authority having jurisdiction's pre-submittal review where that review is required before permit
```datasheet
−label: Action Submittals Required
+label: Required Action Submittals
type: checkbox
options:
− - "Product data sheets — all system components"
− - "Complete system shop drawings — riser diagram and floor plans"
+ - "Product data with listing standard and listing mark for each component"
+ - "Manufacturer compatibility listing evidence for every device"
+ - "Riser diagram with circuit classes and survivability levels"
+ - "Floor plans with device addresses, detector coverage, and candela assignments"
- "Sequence of operations matrix"
− - "Battery calculations per NFPA 72"
− - "Voltage drop calculations — NAC and SLC circuits"
− - "UL listing documentation for FACU and all devices"
− - "AHJ pre-submittal confirmation"
−default: "Product data sheets — all system components"
+ - "Secondary power calculation"
+ - "Voltage drop calculation for notification and signaling line circuits"
+ - "Speaker circuit power and amplifier sizing calculation"
+ - "Cybersecurity plan"
+ - "Record of pre-submittal review by the authority having jurisdiction"
+default:
+ - "Product data with listing standard and listing mark for each component"
+ - "Manufacturer compatibility listing evidence for every device"
+ - "Riser diagram with circuit classes and survivability levels"
+ - "Floor plans with device addresses, detector coverage, and candela assignments"
+ - "Sequence of operations matrix"
+ - "Secondary power calculation"
+ - "Voltage drop calculation for notification and signaling line circuits"
+ - "Cybersecurity plan"
```
−### Review of submittals does not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for compliance with contract documents or applicable codes.
+### The Contractor shall submit the fire alarm action submittals as one coordinated package covering the whole system.
−### The fire alarm system submittal is a complete system-level document, not a collection of individual product data sheets; the Engineer reviews the system as a whole, and partial or piecemeal submittals shall be returned without review.
+### The Engineer shall return a partial submittal without review, and the Contractor shall bear the cost of the Engineer's review of the resubmittal.
+### A fire alarm submittal is reviewed as a system, because the sequence of operations, the circuit classes, the secondary power calculation, and the device schedule are each meaningless in isolation from the others. {note}
+
+### Review and return of a submittal does not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for compliance with the contract documents or the adopted codes.
+
## Informational Submittals {toc}
−### The Contractor shall also submit the following for information only (not for Engineer review and return unless specifically noted):
+### The Contractor shall submit the following for information before the pre-installation conference:
−- Manufacturer's installation instructions for each component, retained on site during installation
−- Contractor's NICET or equivalent certification documentation confirming the qualifications required by Quality Assurance below
−- Proposed acceptance test plan including: test procedures, schedule, personnel, forms to be used, and the witnessing requirements per NFPA 72 and AHJ
+- Certification and licensing documentation for the individual designated as system designer and for the individual designated as installer-in-charge
+- Fire alarm contractor licensing documentation required by the state or local jurisdiction
+- Evidence of the installing contractor's manufacturer-authorized training on the control unit platform proposed for this project
+- Qualification statement listing comparable completed projects with their scope and completion dates
+- Proposed acceptance test plan giving the test procedures, the test sequence, the personnel assigned, the forms to be used, and the witnessing arrangements
+- Manufacturer's published installation instructions for each component, which the Contractor retains on site for the duration of the installation
```datasheet
−label: Informational Submittals Required
+label: Required Informational Submittals
type: checkbox
options:
− - "Manufacturer's installation instructions retained on site"
− - "NICET or equivalent certification documentation"
− - "Proposed acceptance test plan with procedures, schedule, personnel, and forms"
−default: "Manufacturer's installation instructions retained on site"
+ - "Designer and installer-in-charge certification documentation"
+ - "Fire alarm contractor license"
+ - "Manufacturer-authorized training evidence for the proposed control unit platform"
+ - "Qualification statement with comparable completed projects"
+ - "Proposed acceptance test plan"
+ - "Manufacturer's published installation instructions retained on site"
+default:
+ - "Designer and installer-in-charge certification documentation"
+ - "Fire alarm contractor license"
+ - "Manufacturer-authorized training evidence for the proposed control unit platform"
+ - "Proposed acceptance test plan"
+ - "Manufacturer's published installation instructions retained on site"
```
## Closeout Submittals {toc}
−### At substantial completion, prior to system acceptance, the Contractor shall submit:
+### The Contractor shall submit the following before the fire alarm system is accepted:
−- Accepted acceptance test report signed by the Contractor, the testing technician, and the AHJ representative, using NFPA 72 Annex A record of completion forms
−- As-built system drawings reflecting all changes from the approved shop drawings, including final device addresses, final programming zones, and final circuit designations
−- Complete system programming record: FACU configuration printout showing all programmed zones, all device addresses, all control-by-event relationships, all delays, and all enabled/disabled points
−- Operation and maintenance manual including: system description, normal operating procedures, alarm response procedures, resetting procedures, battery replacement schedule, and inspection and testing schedule per NFPA 72 Chapter 14
−- List of all manufacturer contacts and service agreements
−- Warranty documentation
+- Completed Record of Completion in the form required by NFPA 72 Chapter 7, signed by the Contractor, by the individual who performed the testing, and by the authority having jurisdiction's representative
+- Record of inspection and testing documenting every device tested, the method used, and the result
+- Record documents reflecting the installed device locations, final addresses, final zone assignments, final circuit designations, and every deviation from the reviewed submittal
+- Complete control unit configuration record listing every point, every address, every zone, every control-by-event relationship, every programmed delay, and every disabled point
+- Operation and maintenance manual covering system description, normal operation, alarm and supervisory response procedures, reset procedure, secondary power replacement interval, and the inspection and testing schedule required by NFPA 72 Chapter 14
+- Cybersecurity closeout record listing every account created, the role assigned to each, the installed firmware version of each networked component, and a signed statement that every default and vendor-supplied credential has been replaced
+- Speech intelligibility test report where an emergency voice/alarm communication system is provided
+- Written warranty documents and the service contact information for warranty response
+- Signed inventory of the spare parts turned over to the Owner
```datasheet
−label: Closeout Submittals Required
+label: Required Closeout Submittals
type: checkbox
options:
− - "Accepted acceptance test report (NFPA 72 Annex A forms)"
− - "As-built system drawings with final device addresses"
− - "FACU programming record (complete configuration printout)"
+ - "Record of Completion per NFPA 72 Chapter 7"
+ - "Record of inspection and testing"
+ - "Record documents with final addresses and circuit designations"
+ - "Control unit configuration record"
- "Operation and maintenance manual"
− - "Manufacturer service contact list"
− - "Warranty documentation"
−default: "Accepted acceptance test report (NFPA 72 Annex A forms)"
+ - "Cybersecurity closeout record"
+ - "Speech intelligibility test report"
+ - "Warranty documents and service contact information"
+ - "Signed spare parts inventory"
+default:
+ - "Record of Completion per NFPA 72 Chapter 7"
+ - "Record of inspection and testing"
+ - "Record documents with final addresses and circuit designations"
+ - "Control unit configuration record"
+ - "Operation and maintenance manual"
+ - "Cybersecurity closeout record"
+ - "Warranty documents and service contact information"
+ - "Signed spare parts inventory"
```
# Quality Assurance {toc}
−## Contractor Qualifications {toc}
+## Designer and Installer Certification {toc}
+### The certification basis for the individual responsible for the fire alarm system design shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Contractor Qualification Basis
+label: System Designer Certification Basis
type: radio
options:
− - "NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level III designer + Level II installer-in-charge"
− - "Licensed Professional Engineer (fire alarm design) + NICET Level II installer"
− - "As accepted by AHJ — submit documentation for review"
−default: "NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level III designer + Level II installer-in-charge"
+ - "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level III or higher"
+ - "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level IV"
+ - "Professional Engineer licensed in the project jurisdiction with fire alarm design experience"
+ - "Professional Engineer registered in the fire protection discipline"
+ - "Certification accepted by the authority having jurisdiction on submitted documentation"
+default: "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level III or higher"
```
−### The fire alarm system shall be installed by a contractor holding a current fire alarm contractor's license as required by the state or local jurisdiction.
+### The certification basis for the individual supervising field installation, programming, and testing shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The installing contractor shall demonstrate documented experience with the specific FACU platform being installed, and shall provide evidence of manufacturer-authorized training for the FACU model on this project.
+```datasheet
+label: Installer-in-Charge Certification Basis
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level II or higher"
+ - "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level III or higher"
+ - "Manufacturer factory certification on the installed control unit platform"
+ - "Certification accepted by the authority having jurisdiction on submitted documentation"
+default: "NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems at Level II or higher"
+```
−### The fire alarm system designer shall hold a current NICET Fire Alarm Systems certification at Level III or higher, or shall be a licensed Professional Engineer with demonstrated fire alarm system design experience.
+### The installing contractor shall hold the fire alarm contractor license required by the state or local jurisdiction for the duration of the work.
−### The installer-in-charge responsible for supervising field installation, programming, and acceptance testing shall hold NICET Fire Alarm Systems Level II or higher, or equivalent.
+### The installing contractor shall hold current manufacturer authorization for the control unit platform installed on this project.
−## Single-Source Responsibility {toc}
+### Manufacturer authorization is what gives the installing contractor access to the programming software, the firmware releases, and the parts channel for the platform. Where authorization lapses after installation, the Owner is left with a system that only a different contractor can reprogram. {note}
+### The individual designated as installer-in-charge shall be present on site during acceptance testing.
+
+## Installing Contractor Experience {toc}
+
+### The installing contractor shall have completed fire alarm installations of comparable scope for not less than the period indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Single-Source Responsibility
+label: Minimum Installing Contractor Experience
+type: range
+unit: years
+min: 0
+max: 15
+step: 1
+default: 5
+```
+
+## Equipment Sourcing {toc}
+
+### The sourcing policy for the control unit and the initiating devices shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Control Unit and Initiating Device Sourcing
type: radio
options:
− - "All major components (FACU, devices, appliances) from one manufacturer"
− - "FACU and devices from one manufacturer; notification appliances from a second listed manufacturer with documented compatibility"
−default: "All major components (FACU, devices, appliances) from one manufacturer"
+ - "One manufacturer for the control unit and all initiating devices"
+ - "Any devices carrying the control unit manufacturer's compatibility listing"
+default: "One manufacturer for the control unit and all initiating devices"
```
−### The fire alarm system shall be supplied by a single manufacturer responsible for all major components: the FACU, remote panels, power supplies, all listed initiating devices, and all listed notification appliances.
+### The sourcing policy for the notification appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Single-source responsibility ensures system compatibility, ensures that the listed system configuration matches the installed configuration, and provides a single point of accountability for performance and warranty. {note}
+```datasheet
+label: Notification Appliance Sourcing
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Same manufacturer as the control unit"
+ - "Any listed appliances compatible with the selected synchronization method"
+default: "Same manufacturer as the control unit"
+```
−## Listing Requirements {toc}
+### On an addressable system the initiating devices communicate on the manufacturer's own signaling line protocol, so the control unit and the detectors travel together whichever policy is selected. Notification appliances are the one product class where a second manufacturer is routinely used, and the constraint there is the synchronization protocol rather than the panel. {note}
−### The fire alarm control unit shall be listed to UL 864, Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems.
+### The Contractor shall remain the single point of responsibility for system performance and warranty regardless of the sourcing policy selected.
−### Every initiating device shall be listed to the applicable UL standard for its device type (UL 268 for smoke detectors, UL 521 for heat detectors, UL 464 for audible signal appliances, UL 1971 for visible notification appliances for the hearing-impaired).
+## Product Listing {toc}
−### All devices shall be listed for use with the FACU platform and shall appear on the FACU manufacturer's listed compatible device list.
+### The fire alarm control unit shall be listed to UL 864.
−### Unlisted devices and devices not on the manufacturer's compatible list shall not be installed.
+### Every initiating device and notification appliance shall be listed to the standard applicable to its type, and the Contractor shall identify that standard for each product in the submittal.
−## Pre-Installation Conference {toc}
+### Spot-type and duct-mounted smoke detectors shall be listed to the edition of UL 268 in force at the time of manufacture.
−### A pre-installation conference shall be held prior to beginning fire alarm installation and shall include the fire alarm Contractor, the mechanical contractor (for duct detector and HVAC shutdown coordination), the sprinkler contractor (for waterflow and supervisory device coordination), the elevator contractor (for recall and power-shunt coordination), the electrical contractor (for primary power coordination), and the Owner's representative.
+### The seventh edition of UL 268, effective for new listings in June 2024, added a smoldering polyurethane test and a cooking nuisance test. Detectors listed to the seventh edition respond to the smoke produced by modern furnishings and discriminate against cooking aerosols better than earlier listings, and mixing listing editions on one project produces detectors with visibly different nuisance behavior in similar rooms. {note}
−### The sequence of operations matrix shall be reviewed and approved at this meeting.
+### Devices that are not listed, or that do not appear on the control unit manufacturer's published compatibility listing, shall not be installed.
−### Meeting minutes shall be distributed to all attendees and to the Engineer of Record within five business days.
+## Pre-Installation Conference {toc}
−# Environmental and Service Conditions {toc}
+### The Contractor shall convene a pre-installation conference before any fire alarm rough-in begins, attended by the parties indicated in the datasheet.
−## FACU and Component Ratings {toc}
−
```datasheet
−label: FACU Environment
−type: select
+label: Required Pre-Installation Conference Attendees
+type: checkbox
options:
− - "Conditioned interior space (standard UL 864 rating)"
− - "Unconditioned interior space (verify extended temperature rating)"
− - "Mechanical or electrical room environment"
− - "Partially exposed / semi-protected outdoor environment"
−default: "Conditioned interior space (standard UL 864 rating)"
+ - "Fire alarm contractor and the designated installer-in-charge"
+ - "Electrical contractor"
+ - "Mechanical contractor"
+ - "Sprinkler contractor"
+ - "Elevator contractor"
+ - "Door hardware and access control contractor"
+ - "Engineer of Record"
+ - "Owner's representative"
+ - "Authority having jurisdiction"
+ - "Commissioning authority"
+default:
+ - "Fire alarm contractor and the designated installer-in-charge"
+ - "Electrical contractor"
+ - "Mechanical contractor"
+ - "Sprinkler contractor"
+ - "Elevator contractor"
+ - "Door hardware and access control contractor"
+ - "Engineer of Record"
+ - "Owner's representative"
```
−### The FACU and all system components shall be rated and listed for the environmental conditions in the spaces where they are installed.
+### The sequence of operations matrix shall be reviewed line by line at the pre-installation conference and shall be signed by the attending trades.
−### Standard interior commercial environments require components suitable for 32°F to 120°F (0°C to 49°C) ambient temperature and up to 93 percent relative humidity, non-condensing, as required by UL 864.
+### The Contractor shall distribute conference minutes to every attendee and to the Engineer of Record within five business days of the conference.
−### Where equipment is installed in mechanical rooms, parking structures, loading docks, exterior locations, or other harsh environments, the Contractor shall confirm that the specific products used are listed for those conditions.
+# System Architecture {toc}
−## Smoke Detector Environmental Limits {toc}
+## Addressability {toc}
+### The system architecture shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Harsh Environment Device Substitution Required
+label: System Architecture
type: radio
options:
− - "No — all locations within standard smoke detector operating limits"
− - "Yes — heat detectors or other listed alternatives substituted in identified locations (see floor plans)"
−default: "No — all locations within standard smoke detector operating limits"
+ - "Addressable, with a unique address for every initiating device and every controlled output"
+ - "Addressable initiating devices with conventional notification appliance circuits"
+ - "Conventional, with zone-based initiating device circuits"
+ - "Addressable control unit extended to existing conventional zones through monitor modules"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram"
+default: deferred
```
−### Smoke detectors shall not be installed in environments that consistently exceed the manufacturer's listed operating conditions for temperature, humidity, airborne particulates, corrosives, or other contaminants.
+### An addressable system shall report the individual device address and a plain-language location description for every alarm, supervisory, and trouble condition.
−### Where such environments exist (commercial kitchens, laundry rooms, paint spray booths, dusty industrial processes), a rate-of-rise or fixed-temperature heat detector shall be used in place of or in addition to the smoke detector, and the choice shall be documented in the sequence of operations.
+### A conventional system shall report at least the zone of origin for every alarm, supervisory, and trouble condition.
−# System Description and Sequence of Operations {toc}
+### Address-level reporting shortens the time an occupant or responder spends locating the device in alarm, and it lets a nuisance-prone detector be identified without walking the zone. Zone-level reporting carries lower device and installation cost and is common where an existing conventional infrastructure is being extended rather than replaced. {note}
−## System Type {toc}
+### The address or zone designation assigned to each device shall be recorded on the floor plans and shall match the description programmed at the control unit.
−### The fire alarm system shall be a protected-premises fire alarm system as defined in NFPA 72 Chapter 23.
+## Automatic Detection Coverage {toc}
+### NFPA 72 Section 17.5 defines the extent of automatic detection as total, partial, selective, or nonrequired coverage, and the adopted building and fire codes set the minimum for the occupancy. Coverage beyond that minimum is a decision the project makes, and it is one of the few detection decisions the code leaves genuinely open. {note}
+
+### The extent of automatic detection coverage shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: System Architecture
−type: radio
+label: Automatic Detection Coverage Extent
+type: select
options:
− - "Fully addressable (each device has a unique address on the SLC)"
− - "Conventional (zone-based IDC/NAC, non-addressable)"
− - "Hybrid (addressable FACU with some conventional IDC/NAC zones)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Fully addressable (each device has a unique address on the SLC)"
+ - "Total coverage of all occupiable areas and concealed spaces per NFPA 72 Section 17.5.3.1"
+ - "Total coverage of occupiable areas without concealed spaces"
+ - "Partial coverage of designated areas per NFPA 72 Section 17.5.3.2"
+ - "Selective coverage of designated hazards per NFPA 72 Section 17.5.3.3"
+ - "Coverage limited to the minimum required by the adopted building and fire codes"
+ - "Coverage limited to the code minimum with nonrequired detection added in designated areas"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm floor plans and life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
−### The system architecture, addressable or conventional, shall be as indicated on the contract drawings.
+### Automatic detector placement and spacing shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 17.
−### Addressable systems shall provide point-specific identification of every initiating device at the FACU, at the remote annunciator, and in any transmitted alarm signal.
+### Spacing that deviates from the listed spacing or from the spacing limits of NFPA 72 Chapter 17 shall be supported by an engineering analysis demonstrating equivalent performance, submitted with the shop drawings.
−### Conventional systems shall provide zone identification at a minimum.
+### The Contractor shall apply the ceiling height, ceiling shape, and airflow adjustments of NFPA 72 Chapter 17 to the listed spacing and shall show the resulting spacing on the floor plans.
−### Addressable systems are strongly preferred for all new construction because point-specific identification reduces response time, reduces false-alarm investigation time, and simplifies troubleshooting. {note}
+## Evacuation Signal Strategy {toc}
−## Notification Zone Strategy {toc}
+### The evacuation signal strategy determines which notification zones are signaled by an alarm and in what order, and it is set by the occupancy, the egress design, and the authority having jurisdiction rather than by product selection. It drives the pathway survivability requirement, the circuit class, and whether a voice system is needed, so it is settled before the rest of the notification design. {note}
−### The notification zone strategy determines which areas receive alarm notification and when. {note}
+### The evacuation signal strategy shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The project Engineer of Record shall establish the notification zone strategy based on the building occupancy, the required evacuation strategy under IBC/IFC and NFPA 101, and the requirements of the AHJ.
−
```datasheet
−label: Notification Strategy
+label: Evacuation Signal Strategy
type: select
options:
− - "Total (simultaneous) evacuation — all NACs activate on any alarm"
− - "Selective (partial) evacuation — zone-based NAC activation per sequence"
− - "Relocation — alarm floor and floors above/below evacuate; others remain"
− - "Defend in place — shelter-in-place with selective notification (healthcare)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Total (simultaneous) evacuation — all NACs activate on any alarm"
+ - "Total evacuation with all notification zones signaled simultaneously"
+ - "Selective evacuation of the notification zones affected by the alarm"
+ - "Phased relocation beginning with the alarm floor and the floors immediately above and below"
+ - "Defend in place with staff notification and selective occupant notification"
+ - "Private mode notification to a constantly attended location"
+drawing_ref: "life safety code analysis and sequence of operations matrix"
+default: deferred
```
−## Sequence of Operations {toc}
+### A partial evacuation or relocation strategy shall not be programmed unless the adopted building and fire codes permit it for the occupancy.
−### The sequence of operations shall govern every input/output relationship in the system.
+## Emergency Control Functions {toc}
+### Emergency control functions are the outputs the fire alarm system drives in other building systems, and NFPA 72 Chapter 21 governs the interface. Each function belongs to a different trade, and each has a different acceptance test, so they are enumerated individually rather than described as a group. {note}
+
+### The emergency control functions the fire alarm system initiates shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Emergency Control Functions Required
+label: Required Emergency Control Functions
type: checkbox
options:
− - "HVAC fan shutdown on alarm"
− - "Smoke damper release on alarm (via FACU output)"
− - "Elevator recall — primary floor"
− - "Elevator recall — alternate floor (when primary is in alarm floor)"
− - "Elevator power shunt (on sprinkler activation in hoistway or machine room)"
− - "Magnetic door holder release on alarm"
− - "Door lock release (egress control) on alarm"
− - "Fire suppression system cross-zoning / pre-action release"
+ - "Air handling unit fan shutdown"
+ - "Smoke damper and combination fire/smoke damper closure"
+ - "Smoke control system activation"
+ - "Stair pressurization fan start"
+ - "Elevator Phase I recall to the designated level"
+ - "Elevator Phase I recall to the alternate level"
+ - "Elevator power shunt trip on sprinkler activation in the machine room or hoistway"
+ - "Elevator hoistway and machine room smoke detector supervisory annunciation"
+ - "Release of electromagnetic door holders"
+ - "Release of electrically locked egress doors"
+ - "Unlocking of stairwell reentry doors"
+ - "Release of a fire suppression system on cross-zoned detection"
- "Emergency generator start signal"
− - "Other (see sequence of operations matrix on drawings)"
−default: "HVAC fan shutdown on alarm"
+ - "Fuel supply shutoff"
+ - "Process or conveyor shutdown"
+ - "Notification to a building automation system"
+drawing_ref: "sequence of operations matrix"
+default: deferred
```
−### A complete sequence of operations matrix shall be submitted as a project submittal and shall be the contractual basis for FACU programming.
+### Every emergency control function shall be initiated through a supervised output of the fire alarm system.
−### On alarm activation, any initiating device in alarm shall sound all audible notification appliances in affected notification zones at the required sound pressure level, flash all visible notification appliances in affected notification zones, transmit a fire alarm signal to the supervising station, display the device address and location description at the FACU, display the alarm at remote annunciators, energize emergency control function outputs as programmed, and release fire doors and smoke barrier doors held open by electromagnetic door holders.
+### Output circuits driving emergency control functions shall be separate from notification appliance circuits.
−### Where addressable multi-criteria detection is used, a single qualifying detector condition may generate a pre-alarm alert at the FACU without initiating audible/visible notification, and a second confirming signal, a cross-zoned device in alarm, or a defined time delay shall escalate to full alarm.
+### Each emergency control function output shall be rated for the voltage and current of the circuit it controls, and the Contractor shall confirm the required contact form and signal type with the receiving trade before rough-in.
−### The pre-alarm response shall be defined in the sequence of operations matrix.
+### Elevator recall and elevator power shunt trip shall be arranged in accordance with ASME A17.1 and NFPA 72 Chapter 21.
−### A supervisory condition from a sprinkler control valve, fire pump, pressure switch, or other supervisory device shall sound a supervisory signal at the FACU (distinctly different from alarm), display the supervisory point and location at the FACU, transmit a supervisory signal to the supervising station, and generate a visual indication at the remote annunciator.
+## Sequence of Operations Matrix {toc}
−### Supervisory signals shall not initiate notification appliances.
+### The Contractor shall prepare a sequence of operations matrix listing every initiating input and every output, and shall program the control unit to that matrix.
−### A trouble condition from any wiring fault, loss of primary power, low battery, or device communication failure shall sound a trouble tone at the FACU (distinctly different from alarm and supervisory), display the trouble location at the FACU, transmit a trouble signal to the supervising station, and generate a trouble indication at the remote annunciator.
+### The sequence of operations matrix, once reviewed by the Engineer and signed at the pre-installation conference, shall be the contractual basis for control unit programming.
−### Trouble signals shall not initiate notification appliances.
+### The matrix shall show alarm, supervisory, and trouble conditions as separate rows so that a device producing a supervisory signal is never confused with one producing an alarm.
−### The FACU shall provide output relay contacts or supervised output modules to control HVAC system shutdown (fan shutdown or fan/damper control per NFPA 90A), elevator recall to the primary or secondary recall floor, unlocking of magnetically locked egress doors, release of fire and smoke dampers (where the system serves as the initiating control for damper release), and any other emergency control function identified on the contract drawings.
+### Where the Contractor proposes a change to the matrix after it is signed, the change shall be submitted to the Engineer of Record before it is programmed.
−### Emergency control functions shall be individually identified in the sequence of operations matrix and shall not be combined with alarm notification circuits.
+## Signal Distinction and Response {toc}
+### An alarm signal shall sound the audible notification appliances and flash the visible notification appliances in the notification zones the evacuation strategy assigns to the device in alarm.
+
+### An alarm signal shall display the device address or zone and its location description at the control unit and at every annunciator.
+
+### An alarm signal shall be transmitted to the supervising station where off-premises transmission is provided.
+
+### An alarm signal shall energize the emergency control function outputs assigned to the device in alarm.
+
+### A supervisory signal shall produce an audible and visible indication at the control unit and at every annunciator that is distinct from the alarm indication.
+
+### A supervisory signal shall not activate notification appliances.
+
+### A trouble signal shall produce an audible and visible indication at the control unit and at every annunciator that is distinct from both the alarm and the supervisory indication.
+
+### A trouble signal shall not activate notification appliances.
+
+### Distinct indications matter most at three in the morning, when the person reading the panel is a security officer rather than the designer. A closed sprinkler control valve and a broken detector wire call for different responses on different timescales, and a panel that renders them identically produces the wrong one. {note}
+
# Fire Alarm Control Unit {toc}
−## The fire alarm control unit (FACU) is the central intelligence of the system; it continuously supervises all circuits and devices, receives and processes initiating signals, generates notification outputs, executes programmed control logic, and communicates system status to the supervising station. {note}
+## Control Unit Capacity {toc}
−## The FACU shall be UL 864 listed, shall be capable of supporting the number of initiating devices, notification appliances, and programmable control functions required by the project, and shall have sufficient future capacity for expansion.
+### The control unit shall be sized for the addressable points, circuits, and control outputs the project requires, plus the spare capacity indicated in the datasheet.
```datasheet
−label: FACU Listing Standard
−type: radio
−options:
− - "UL 864 — Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems"
−default: "UL 864 — Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems"
+label: Minimum Spare Addressable Point Capacity
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 0
+max: 50
+step: 5
+default: 20
```
−## Capacity and Expandability {toc}
+### The control unit shall be delivered with spare notification appliance circuit capacity of at least the percentage indicated in the datasheet.
```datasheet
−label: FACU Spare Capacity Minimum
−type: radio
−options:
− - "20% spare on all circuit types (installed, usable without hardware addition)"
− - "25% spare — enhanced expansion requirement"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "20% spare on all circuit types (installed, usable without hardware addition)"
+label: Minimum Spare Notification Appliance Circuit Capacity
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 0
+max: 50
+step: 5
+default: 20
```
−### The FACU shall be sized for the number of addressable points, NAC circuits, SLC circuits, and control output modules required by the project, plus a minimum 20 percent spare capacity in each category.
+### Spare capacity shall be usable without adding hardware, in the form of unused addresses on installed signaling line circuits and unused terminals on installed circuit cards.
−### Spare capacity shall be in the form of installed panels with unused card slots or unused device addresses on installed SLC circuits, not merely by a statement that expansion cards are available.
+### A statement that expansion cards are available from the manufacturer does not satisfy the spare capacity requirement.
−### The Contractor shall document the as-installed spare capacity at project close.
+### Spare capacity is consumed by tenant fit-outs and by rooms that change use after occupancy. A panel delivered at its addressable limit turns the first added detector into a card purchase and a shutdown, which is a cost the Owner incurs to save a smaller one at procurement. {note}
+### The Contractor shall record the as-installed spare capacity in each category in the closeout documentation.
+
## Operator Interface {toc}
+### The control unit operator interface shall be of the type indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: FACU Display Type
−type: radio
+label: Control Unit Display Type
+type: select
options:
− - "Alphanumeric LCD (minimum 80 characters)"
− - "Alphanumeric LCD with touchscreen interface"
− - "Graphical display with floor plan viewer"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Alphanumeric LCD (minimum 80 characters)"
+ - "Backlit alphanumeric display"
+ - "Backlit alphanumeric display with a light-emitting diode zone map"
+ - "Touchscreen display with alphanumeric event list"
+ - "Touchscreen display with floor plan graphics"
+default: "Backlit alphanumeric display"
```
−### The FACU operator interface shall include a backlit alphanumeric display of not less than 80 characters capable of displaying device addresses, plain-language location descriptions, and system status messages; LED indicators for system normal, alarm, supervisory, trouble, and AC power; dedicated alarm acknowledge, silence, and reset controls; and a control access keyswitch or passcode to prevent unauthorized operation.
+### The control unit display shall be capable of showing the device address, a plain-language location description, and the system status message for each event.
−### The display shall simultaneously show the current time and date and the most recent unacknowledged event.
+### The minimum number of characters the control unit displays at one time shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Remote Annunciator {toc}
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Displayed Characters
+type: range
+unit: characters
+min: 32
+max: 320
+setpoints: [32, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320]
+default: 80
+```
+### The control unit shall provide separate indicators for normal operation, alarm, supervisory, trouble, and primary power status.
+
+### The control unit shall provide dedicated acknowledge, signal silence, and system reset controls.
+
+### Access to the acknowledge, silence, and reset controls shall be restricted by a keyswitch, a passcode, or a locked enclosure door.
+
+### The control unit shall display the current date and time together with the most recent unacknowledged event.
+
+## Remote Annunciation {toc}
+
+### Whether a remote annunciator is provided shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Remote Annunciator Required
+label: Remote Annunciator Provided
type: radio
options:
− - "Yes — provided at AHJ-directed location (see drawings)"
− - "No — FACU at main entrance / fire department access"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Yes — provided at AHJ-directed location (see drawings)"
+ - "Provided"
+ - "Not provided"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram"
+default: deferred
```
+### The remote annunciator type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
label: Remote Annunciator Type
type: select
options:
− - "LED zone annunciator with zone descriptors"
− - "Alphanumeric LCD annunciator (full-text display)"
− - "Graphic annunciator with floor plan display"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Alphanumeric LCD annunciator (full-text display)"
+ - "Light-emitting diode zone annunciator with engraved zone descriptors"
+ - "Backlit alphanumeric annunciator"
+ - "Touchscreen annunciator with alphanumeric event list"
+ - "Graphic annunciator with a floor plan of the protected premises"
+ - "Not applicable"
+default: "Backlit alphanumeric annunciator"
```
−### Where the primary FACU is not at the fire department access point or at the main entrance of the building, a remote annunciator shall be provided at the location directed by the AHJ and indicated on the drawings.
+### The functions available at the remote annunciator shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The remote annunciator shall replicate the FACU alarm, supervisory, and trouble displays and shall provide acknowledge and reset capabilities.
+```datasheet
+label: Remote Annunciator Functions
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Display of alarm, supervisory, and trouble events"
+ - "Acknowledge"
+ - "Signal silence"
+ - "System reset"
+ - "Manual evacuation signal initiation"
+ - "Drill signal initiation"
+ - "Not applicable"
+default:
+ - "Display of alarm, supervisory, and trouble events"
+ - "Acknowledge"
+```
−## Enclosure {toc}
+### Where the control unit is not located at the point of fire department response, an annunciator shall be provided at the location the authority having jurisdiction directs, [[drawing: annunciator location on the fire alarm floor plans]].
+### A remote annunciator shall replicate the alarm, supervisory, and trouble displays of the control unit it serves.
+
+### Every annunciator function beyond display is a function that can be exercised by someone who is not the designated operator. Where an annunciator is in a public lobby rather than a secured fire command room, restricting it to display is what keeps a curious occupant from silencing an active alarm. {note}
+
+## Control Unit Enclosure {toc}
+
+### The control unit enclosure mounting shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: FACU Enclosure Mounting
+label: Control Unit Enclosure Mounting
type: radio
options:
− - "Surface-mounted"
− - "Semi-flush (in finished wall or alcove)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Surface-mounted"
+ - "Surface mounted"
+ - "Semi-flush mounted in a finished wall"
+ - "Freestanding in a floor-mounted equipment cabinet"
+ - "Mounted in a fire command center console"
+default: "Surface mounted"
```
−### The FACU enclosure shall be surface-mounted or semi-flush as indicated on the drawings, finished in red or as required by the AHJ, and labeled as "FIRE ALARM CONTROL" in permanent lettering.
+### The control unit enclosure finish shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The enclosure shall be located where it is accessible to authorized personnel and to responding emergency responders, in a location not subject to damage from normal building activity.
+```datasheet
+label: Control Unit Enclosure Finish
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Red"
+ - "Finish selected to match the surrounding wall"
+default: manufacturer
+```
−## Cybersecurity {toc}
+### The control unit enclosure shall be labeled FIRE ALARM CONTROL UNIT in permanent lettering not less than 1 in. high.
−### The FACU shall comply with the cybersecurity requirements of NFPA 72 Chapter 11 (2022 edition).
+### The control unit shall be located where it is accessible to authorized personnel and to responding fire service personnel, and where it is not exposed to damage from normal building activity.
−### Remote access to the FACU for diagnostics, programming updates, or alarm monitoring shall require authentication and shall be conducted over an encrypted communication channel.
+### The dedicated working space in front of the control unit shall comply with NFPA 70 and shall not be used for storage.
−### The Contractor shall document all remote access accounts created during commissioning and shall change default passwords before system acceptance.
+## Control Equipment Cybersecurity {toc}
−# Initiating Devices {toc}
+### The control unit and every networked component shall comply with the cybersecurity requirements of NFPA 72 Chapter 11.
−## Initiating devices detect fire conditions or supervisory conditions and report them to the FACU. {note}
+### The remote access policy for the fire alarm control unit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Every initiating device shall be listed for use with the FACU as required by its UL listing.
+```datasheet
+label: Remote Access to the Control Unit
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Not permitted by any means"
+ - "Permitted for read-only diagnostics over an authenticated and encrypted connection"
+ - "Permitted for diagnostics and programming over an authenticated and encrypted connection"
+ - "Permitted only through an Owner-managed virtual private network"
+default: "Permitted for read-only diagnostics over an authenticated and encrypted connection"
+```
−## Device placement, spacing, and coverage shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 17.
+### Multi-factor authentication for remote access shall be provided where indicated in the datasheet.
−## Detector placement that deviates from the spacing limitations of NFPA 72 Chapter 17 is not permitted without engineering analysis demonstrating equivalent performance, documented in the shop drawing submittal.
+```datasheet
+label: Multi-Factor Authentication for Remote Access
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Required for every remote session"
+ - "Required for sessions holding programming privilege"
+ - "Not required"
+ - "Not applicable"
+default: "Required for every remote session"
+```
−## Smoke Detectors — Spot Type {toc}
+### The Contractor shall replace every default and vendor-supplied credential on the control unit and on every networked component before acceptance testing begins.
+### The Contractor shall record every account created during installation and commissioning, with the privilege level of each, in the cybersecurity closeout record.
+
+### The Contractor shall remove or disable every account created for the Contractor's own use at the end of the warranty period unless the Owner directs otherwise in writing.
+
+### An account left behind after a project closes is indistinguishable from an unauthorized one a year later, because nothing in the panel records who created it or why. Enumerating the accounts at closeout is what makes the later review possible. {note}
+
+## Reset and Acknowledgment {toc}
+
+### The control unit shall require a manual reset action after every alarm event.
+
+### The control unit shall not return to the normal state automatically following acknowledgment of an alarm.
+
+### The control unit shall confirm that every initiating device has returned to its normal state before the system returns to the normal state.
+
+### Silencing an alarm signal shall not clear the alarm display at the control unit or at any annunciator.
+
+# Initiating Devices {toc}
+
+## Spot-Type Smoke Detection {toc}
+
+### Spot-type smoke detectors shall be listed to UL 268.
+
+### The sensing technology of the spot-type smoke detectors shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Smoke Detector Type — Interior Spaces
+label: Spot-Type Smoke Detector Sensing Technology
type: select
options:
− - "Photoelectric (light-scattering)"
+ - "Photoelectric light-scattering"
- "Ionization"
− - "Multi-criteria (photoelectric + heat)"
− - "Multi-criteria (photoelectric + CO)"
− - "Multi-criteria (photoelectric + heat + CO)"
− - "Projected beam (for large open spaces)"
−default: "Multi-criteria (photoelectric + heat)"
+ - "Dual photoelectric and ionization"
+ - "Multi-criteria photoelectric and thermal"
+ - "Multi-criteria photoelectric and carbon monoxide"
+ - "Multi-criteria photoelectric, thermal, and carbon monoxide"
+ - "Projected beam"
+default: "Photoelectric light-scattering"
```
+### Photoelectric sensing responds sooner to the large smoke particles of a smoldering fire, and ionization sensing responds sooner to the small particles of a flaming fire. Multi-criteria detectors combine a smoke sensor with a thermal or carbon monoxide sensor and use the combination to separate a developing fire from steam, cooking aerosols, and dust, at a higher unit cost and with a shorter listed service interval on the added sensing element. {note}
+
+### Where projected beam detection is used, the transmitter and receiver shall be mounted on structure that does not move relative to each other under normal building loading and thermal movement.
+
+### Projected beam detectors shall be provided with an automatic gain compensation function and shall report a trouble signal where the compensation range is exhausted.
+
+## Smoke Detector Sensitivity and Alarm Verification {toc}
+
+### The sensitivity configuration of the spot-type smoke detectors shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Smoke Detector Sensitivity Setting
+label: Smoke Detector Sensitivity Configuration
type: select
options:
− - "Normal sensitivity (factory default — per manufacturer)"
− - "Reduced sensitivity (high-particulate environment)"
− - "Enhanced sensitivity (clean-room, critical facility)"
− - "Day/night dual-sensitivity (via FACU programming)"
−default: "Normal sensitivity (factory default — per manufacturer)"
+ - "Nominal sensitivity within the listed range"
+ - "Reduced sensitivity within the listed range"
+ - "Increased sensitivity within the listed range"
+ - "Sensitivity varied by time of day under control unit programming"
+ - "Sensitivity varied by occupancy state under control unit programming"
+default: "Nominal sensitivity within the listed range"
```
−### Spot-type smoke detectors shall be listed to UL 268.
+### Every sensitivity setting shall remain within the range for which the detector is listed.
−### Smoke detectors shall be provided in all areas required by NFPA 72, NFPA 101, IBC/IFC, and the AHJ.
+### The control unit shall report a trouble signal where a detector's measured sensitivity drifts outside its listed range.
−### The default spacing in smooth-ceiling conditions at or below 10 ft (3.05 m) ceiling height is based on the manufacturer's listed spacing.
+### The Contractor shall record the as-commissioned sensitivity setting of every detector in the configuration record.
−### Where ceiling heights exceed 10 ft, spacing shall be reduced or detectors shall be listed for higher-ceiling applications, and the Contractor shall apply the appropriate NFPA 72 Chapter 17 ceiling-height adjustment factors and document the calculation in the shop drawings.
+### Alarm verification shall be applied as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Multi-criteria detectors are the preferred type for commercial applications because they combine photoelectric sensing with heat or CO sensing to improve discrimination between actual fires and nuisance conditions (steam, cooking smoke, dust), and because false alarm callbacks are expensive and degrade occupant responsiveness to alarms. {note}
+```datasheet
+label: Alarm Verification
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Not applied"
+ - "Applied at the control unit to designated smoke detectors"
+ - "Applied at the control unit to all smoke detectors"
+ - "Cross-zoned confirmation by a second detector in place of a timed verification"
+default: "Not applied"
+```
−### Single-technology ionization detectors shall not be used in areas subject to cooking aerosols, steam, or dusty environments.
+### The maximum alarm verification period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Smoke detectors shall be located no closer than 3 ft (0.9 m) from supply air diffusers or return air grilles, because high-velocity air flow dilutes smoke and may prevent detection.
+```datasheet
+label: Maximum Alarm Verification Period
+type: range
+unit: seconds
+min: 0
+max: 60
+step: 5
+default: 30
+```
−### In areas with air movement patterns that preclude detector placement away from air outlets, the Contractor shall consult with the mechanical engineer and shall use high-sensitivity or air-sampling detection.
+### Alarm verification shall not be applied to manual fire alarm boxes, waterflow devices, or heat detectors.
−## Smoke Detectors — Duct Type {toc}
+### Alarm verification buys time against a transient smoke condition by requiring the detector to confirm the condition after a reset, and it spends that time out of the occupants' escape time. NFPA 72 caps the total verification interval, and the interval is set once for the system rather than tuned per device. {note}
+## Detector Placement Relative to Airflow {toc}
+
+### Smoke detectors shall be installed not less than 3 ft (0.9 m) from a supply air diffuser.
+
+### Air moving past a detector at high velocity dilutes the smoke reaching the sensing chamber, so a detector in the discharge of a diffuser can sit in the smoke layer without reaching its alarm threshold. {note}
+
+### Where room geometry prevents the required separation from a diffuser, the Contractor shall notify the Engineer of Record before rough-in and shall install the detector at the location the Engineer directs.
+
+### Smoke detectors mounted on a ceiling shall be located not less than 4 in. (100 mm) from the wall.
+
+### Smoke detectors mounted on a wall shall be located with the top of the detector not less than 4 in. (100 mm) and not more than 12 in. (300 mm) below the ceiling.
+
+## Duct Smoke Detection {toc}
+
+### Duct smoke detectors shall be listed for duct application to UL 268A or to UL 268 with a duct housing listing.
+
+### The extent of duct smoke detection shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Duct Smoke Detector Response
+label: Duct Smoke Detection Extent
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Supply air systems above the capacity threshold of NFPA 90A"
+ - "Supply and return air systems above the capacity thresholds of NFPA 90A"
+ - "Every air handling unit regardless of capacity"
+ - "Every air handling unit with a downstream detector at each smoke damper"
+ - "Not required for this project"
+drawing_ref: "mechanical air distribution plans and equipment schedules"
+default: deferred
+```
+
+### The signal a duct smoke detector produces at the control unit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Duct Smoke Detector Signal Type
type: radio
options:
− - "Supervisory signal — fan shutdown only, no occupant notification"
− - "Alarm signal — fan shutdown + occupant notification"
− - "Alarm signal — fan shutdown + occupant notification + FACU relay for damper closure"
+ - "Supervisory signal"
+ - "Alarm signal"
drawing_ref: "sequence of operations matrix"
default: deferred
```
−### Duct smoke detectors shall be listed to UL 268 and shall be designed and listed for duct installation.
+### Duct smoke detector activation shall shut down the air handling unit it serves.
−### Duct smoke detectors shall be provided in supply and return air ducts as required by NFPA 90A Section 6.4.4 and the mechanical engineer's design.
+### Duct smoke detector activation shall not be the sole means of initiating occupant notification.
−### Duct smoke detectors shall be listed to sample air from the duct cross-section via sampling tubes whose length and diameter are appropriate to the duct dimensions, and sampling tube selection shall be documented in the submittal.
+### A duct detector samples air that has already been mixed and diluted across the whole return path, so it reports that smoke is circulating rather than where a fire is. Programmed as an alarm it can evacuate a building from a point of origin nobody can find; programmed as a supervisory signal it stops the fan without telling occupants anything. Which behavior the project wants is a life safety decision, not a device setting. {note}
−### Duct detectors shall be accessible for testing and maintenance through access doors in the ductwork or through dedicated access panels, and the mechanical contractor shall provide these access provisions.
+### Duct smoke detectors shall be provided with sampling tubes sized for the duct dimension at the detector location, and the tube selection shall be shown in the submittal.
−### Duct smoke detectors shall report to the FACU as supervisory or alarm points as directed by the sequence of operations.
+### A remote test and indicator station shall be provided for each duct smoke detector where indicated in the datasheet.
−### Most projects use duct detector activation to shut down the AHU serving the zone in alarm, while simultaneously reporting a supervisory or alarm signal. {note}
+```datasheet
+label: Duct Smoke Detector Remote Test Station
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Provided for every duct smoke detector"
+ - "Provided only where the detector is not accessible from the floor"
+ - "Not provided"
+default: "Provided for every duct smoke detector"
+```
−### Duct detector activation shall not be the primary means of alarm initiation for occupant notification.
+### The remote test and indicator station shall be mounted in an accessible location and shall be labeled with the designation of the air handling unit it serves.
−### Each duct detector shall be provided with a remote LED indicator and test/reset station mounted in an accessible location on the outside of the ductwork or on the adjacent wall, so that the detector status can be visually checked and the detector can be tested without opening the duct access panel.
+### The mechanical contractor shall provide the duct access provisions required to service and test each duct smoke detector.
−## Smoke Detectors — Air Sampling (VESDA-Type) {toc}
+## Aspirating Smoke Detection {toc}
+### Whether aspirating smoke detection is provided shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Air Sampling Detection Required
+label: Aspirating Smoke Detection
type: radio
options:
− - "No — conventional spot-type smoke detectors throughout"
− - "Yes — at designated critical equipment areas (see drawings)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "No — conventional spot-type smoke detectors throughout"
+ - "Not provided"
+ - "Provided in designated equipment and telecommunications rooms"
+ - "Provided in designated storage and archival areas"
+ - "Provided throughout the protected premises"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm floor plans"
+default: deferred
```
−### Where early-warning smoke detection is required in data centers, equipment rooms, server rooms, archival storage, or telecommunications rooms, air sampling (aspirating) smoke detectors shall be considered.
+### An aspirating detector draws air continuously through a sampled pipe network to a central sensing chamber, which lets it hold an alarm threshold well below what a spot detector can sustain without nuisance alarms. Where a room's contents are damaged by the fire suppression response as much as by the fire, the value is in the alert threshold below the alarm threshold rather than in the alarm itself. {note}
−### Air sampling detectors draw air continuously through a pipe network to a centrally located detection chamber and achieve sensitivity levels that conventional spot detectors cannot approach, typically detecting smoke at concentrations of 0.001 to 0.2 percent obscuration per foot. {note}
+### Aspirating smoke detectors shall be listed to UL 268.
−### The detection threshold, alarm threshold, and fault threshold shall be set during commissioning and documented in the closeout record.
+### The sampling pipe network shall be designed for a transport time from the most remote sampling point that complies with the detector's listing.
−## Heat Detectors {toc}
+### The Contractor shall verify the transport time from the most remote sampling point during acceptance testing.
+### The alert, action, and alarm thresholds of each aspirating detector shall be set during commissioning and recorded in the configuration record.
+
+### Sampling pipe shall be supported independently of ceiling systems and shall be identified as fire alarm sampling pipe at intervals not exceeding 20 ft (6 m).
+
+## Heat Detection {toc}
+
+### Heat detectors shall be listed to UL 521.
+
+### The heat detector type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
label: Heat Detector Type
type: select
options:
− - "Fixed-temperature (restorable)"
− - "Fixed-temperature (non-restorable)"
− - "Rate-of-rise (combination fixed-temp + ROR)"
− - "Rate-compensated"
−default: "Rate-of-rise (combination fixed-temp + ROR)"
+ - "Fixed temperature, restorable"
+ - "Fixed temperature, non-restorable"
+ - "Combination rate-of-rise and fixed temperature"
+ - "Rate compensated"
+ - "Line-type heat sensing cable"
+ - "Linear fiber optic heat sensing"
+default: "Combination rate-of-rise and fixed temperature"
```
+### The fixed temperature rating of the heat detectors shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Heat Detector Fixed-Temperature Rating
−type: select
−unit: "°F"
−options:
− - "135°F (57°C) — standard low-temperature spaces"
− - "155°F (68°C) — slightly elevated ambient (mechanical rooms)"
− - "194°F (90°C) — high-temperature environment (near kitchen equipment)"
− - "212°F (100°C)"
−drawing_ref: "ambient temperature survey"
−default: "135°F (57°C) — standard low-temperature spaces"
+label: Heat Detector Fixed Temperature Rating
+type: range
+unit: °F
+min: 135
+max: 286
+setpoints: [135, 155, 175, 194, 200, 225, 286]
+default: 135
```
−### Heat detectors shall be listed to UL 521.
+### The fixed temperature rating shall be selected so that the detector's rated temperature exceeds the maximum expected ambient temperature at its location by the margin required by NFPA 72 Chapter 17.
−### Heat detectors shall be used where smoke detectors are unsuitable due to environmental conditions — in parking garages, mechanical rooms, commercial kitchens, laundry rooms, and other areas with conditions that cause nuisance alarms from smoke detectors.
+### A rate-of-rise element responds to a temperature increase of roughly 15°F per minute regardless of the starting ambient, which gives a fast-developing fire a response well before the fixed element reaches its rating. A slow-developing fire never triggers the rate-of-rise element, which is why the combination device carries both. {note}
−### Rate-of-rise detectors respond to a rapid increase in temperature (typically 15°F per minute or greater) regardless of the ambient temperature baseline, in addition to the fixed-temperature response. {note}
+### Non-restorable detectors shall be replaced after any activation, and the Contractor shall include replacement units in the spare parts turnover where non-restorable detectors are installed.
−### The combination rate-of-rise and fixed-temperature detector is the most common type for commercial applications because it provides fast response to fast-developing fires while still responding to slow-developing fires that never trigger the rate-of-rise element. {note}
+### Heat detectors shall be used in place of smoke detectors in spaces where the normal ambient conditions fall outside the listed operating conditions of a smoke detector.
−### Fixed-temperature non-restorable detectors shall be used only in locations where the ambient temperature, humidity, or contamination would degrade the performance of restorable devices over time, and shall be documented in the device schedule.
+## Device Suitability in Harsh Environments {toc}
−## Manual Pull Stations {toc}
+### Every device shall be listed for the temperature, humidity, and airborne contaminant conditions of the space in which it is installed.
+### Smoke detectors shall not be installed in spaces where the normal ambient conditions exceed the detector's listed limits for temperature, humidity, airborne particulate, or corrosives.
+
+### The substitution policy for spaces outside standard smoke detector operating limits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Manual Pull Station Type
−type: radio
+label: Detector Substitution in Harsh Environments
+type: select
options:
− - "Single-action (one motion to activate)"
− - "Dual-action (requires two distinct motions, e.g., break glass then pull)"
−default: "Single-action (one motion to activate)"
+ - "Heat detection substituted in the identified spaces"
+ - "Heat detection added alongside smoke detection in the identified spaces"
+ - "Smoke detection listed for the specific environment used in the identified spaces"
+ - "Aspirating detection with a filtered sampling network used in the identified spaces"
+ - "No space on this project falls outside standard smoke detector operating limits"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm floor plans"
+default: deferred
```
+### The Contractor shall record the environmental basis for every substitution in the shop drawing submittal.
+
+### Commercial kitchens, laundries, parking structures, loading docks, dusty process areas, and unconditioned attics are the recurring cases. Substituting heat detection in these spaces trades detection sensitivity for freedom from nuisance alarms, and a system that cries wolf in the kitchen every week is one occupants stop responding to everywhere. {note}
+
+## Carbon Monoxide Detection {toc}
+
+### Carbon monoxide detection connected to the fire alarm system shall be provided where indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Pull Station Cover
+label: Carbon Monoxide Detection
type: select
options:
− - "No cover — standard indoor location"
− - "Protective cover with audible local alert (sounds when lifted)"
− - "Weatherproof cover — outdoor or wet location"
− - "Tamper-resistant / vandal-resistant cover"
−default: "No cover — standard indoor location"
+ - "Not provided"
+ - "Provided at the locations required by the adopted building and fire codes"
+ - "Provided at the code-required locations and in designated sleeping areas"
+ - "Provided throughout the occupiable areas"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm floor plans and life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
−### Manual pull stations shall be listed to UL 38 and shall be provided at every exit door and at other locations required by NFPA 72 Chapter 17 and IBC/IFC.
+### Carbon monoxide detectors connected to the fire alarm system shall be listed to UL 2075.
−### Manual pull stations shall be mounted at a height of 42 to 48 inches (1067 to 1219 mm) above the finished floor to the operable part, in compliance with ADA accessibility requirements.
+### Carbon monoxide detection connected to a protected premises system shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 17.
−### Manual pull stations shall be red and shall be clearly visible and unobstructed; they shall not be hidden behind door swings or obscured by equipment, furniture, or signage.
+### The carbon monoxide alarm signal shall be distinct from the fire alarm signal at the control unit, at every annunciator, and at every notification appliance.
−### Single-action pull stations are the standard for most commercial occupancies. {note}
+### The requirements for commercial carbon monoxide detection moved into NFPA 72 when NFPA 720 was withdrawn, so a project that previously cited NFPA 720 now cites Chapter 17 for detectors connected to a system and Chapter 29 for single-station alarms. {note}
−### Dual-action pull stations reduce accidental activations and are appropriate for occupancies where pull stations are frequently subjected to vandalism or misuse, and the AHJ's approval of dual-action stations shall be confirmed before specifying them in occupancies where NFPA 72 or IBC/IFC mandates single-action.
+### Carbon monoxide detectors shall be replaced at the end of the service life marked on the device, and the Contractor shall record that date in the operation and maintenance manual.
−### Pull stations in outdoor or wet locations, in areas subject to vandalism, or in areas where water, ice, or condensation can affect the mechanism shall be provided with a weatherproof or vandal-resistant cover and shall be listed for the installation environment.
+## Manual Fire Alarm Boxes {toc}
−## Waterflow Switches {toc}
+### Manual fire alarm boxes shall be listed to UL 38.
−### Waterflow switches (also called waterflow alarm initiating devices) detect water movement in the sprinkler system piping that indicates sprinkler activation. {note}
+### The extent of manual fire alarm box provision shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Waterflow switches shall be listed for use with the sprinkler system pipe material, pipe size, and water pressure.
+```datasheet
+label: Manual Fire Alarm Box Provision
+type: select
+options:
+ - "At every exit from every story and at the locations required by the adopted codes"
+ - "At every exit and additionally at each floor level of every exit stair"
+ - "A single box at the constantly attended location where the adopted codes permit omission elsewhere"
+ - "At every exit and at each designated area of refuge"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm floor plans"
+default: deferred
+```
−### Waterflow switch contacts shall be supervised by the FACU as initiating device circuit inputs.
+### The actuation type of the manual fire alarm boxes shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Waterflow switches shall be provided with a retard time delay to prevent alarm from momentary pressure surges (water hammer).
+```datasheet
+label: Manual Fire Alarm Box Actuation
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Single action"
+ - "Dual action"
+default: "Single action"
+```
−### The retard delay shall be adjustable and shall be set at the minimum value that eliminates false alarms from water hammer at the project site — typically 30 to 90 seconds.
+### A dual action box requires two distinct motions to signal, which reduces accidental and casual activation and adds a step for an occupant acting under stress or with limited hand strength. Some jurisdictions require single action in specified occupancies, so the adopted code is checked before a dual action box is selected. {note}
+### The protective cover provided over the manual fire alarm boxes shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Waterflow Switch Retard Setting
+label: Manual Fire Alarm Box Protective Cover
+type: select
+options:
+ - "No cover"
+ - "Clear protective cover without a local alert"
+ - "Clear protective cover with an integral local alert"
+ - "Weatherproof cover listed for wet locations"
+ - "Impact-resistant cover for areas subject to damage"
+default: "No cover"
+```
+
+### Manual fire alarm boxes shall be red and shall be clearly visible, unobstructed, and reachable without moving furniture, equipment, or a door leaf.
+
+### Manual fire alarm boxes installed in wet, outdoor, or wash-down locations shall be listed for the installation environment.
+
+## Waterflow Alarm Initiating Devices {toc}
+
+### Waterflow alarm initiating devices shall be listed for the pipe material, pipe size, and working pressure of the sprinkler piping in which they are installed.
+
+### Waterflow alarm initiating devices shall be connected to the fire alarm system as supervised alarm initiating points.
+
+### The waterflow alarm retard period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Waterflow Alarm Retard Period
type: range
unit: seconds
−options:
− min: 0
− max: 90
− setpoints: [0, 30, 45, 60, 90]
+min: 0
+max: 90
+setpoints: [0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90]
default: 30
```
−### The delay shall not be set so long that it creates an unacceptable response time.
+### The retard period shall be set to the lowest value that eliminates alarms from pressure surge at the project site.
−### The retard setting shall be documented and included in the closeout records.
+### The alarm shall be transmitted within the maximum interval after waterflow that the adopted fire code allows.
−## Supervisory Devices {toc}
+### A retard timer exists to absorb the momentary flow of a water hammer event, and every second of retard is a second added to the response time for a real sprinkler activation. The setting is verified against the actual site conditions during waterflow testing rather than left at the value that shipped with the switch. {note}
−### Supervisory devices monitor the status of fire protection equipment and report any deviation from the required normal condition as a supervisory signal. {note}
+### The Contractor shall record the as-commissioned retard setting for each waterflow device in the closeout documentation.
−### Supervisory devices required by this standard include: {note}
+## Supervisory Signal Initiating Devices {toc}
−- Control valve supervisory switches (tamper switches) on all sprinkler system control valves, including the main control valve, zone control valves, and inspector's test valves
−- Fire pump status monitoring — pump running, pump fail, pump power, pressure switch (see [[sync/fire-pumps]] for fire pump equipment)
−- Dry-pipe system air pressure supervisory switches
−- Pre-action system supervisory monitors
−- Water temperature supervisory devices (heated dry-pipe and pre-action systems)
−- Water level supervisory for gravity and pressure tanks
+### Supervisory signal initiating devices monitor the readiness of the fire protection systems and report any departure from the required normal condition. A sprinkler control valve that has been closed and not detected is the condition that turns a fully designed sprinkler system into no system at all, and it produces no other symptom until there is a fire. {note}
−### Supervisory signals are distinct from alarms and shall generate a distinctly different audible and visual indication at the FACU, the remote annunciator, and the supervising station.
+### The supervisory points connected to the fire alarm system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Every sprinkler control valve shall be provided with a tamper (supervisory) switch.
−
```datasheet
−label: Supervisory Points Required
+label: Required Supervisory Points
type: checkbox
options:
− - "Sprinkler control valve tamper (all valves)"
− - "Fire pump running / fail / power"
− - "Dry-pipe air pressure low / high"
− - "Pre-action system supervisory"
− - "Water tank level supervisory"
− - "Water temperature (freeze protection) supervisory"
− - "Halon / clean agent cylinder pressure supervisory"
−default: "Sprinkler control valve tamper (all valves)"
+ - "Sprinkler control valve position on every control valve"
+ - "Fire pump running"
+ - "Fire pump failure"
+ - "Fire pump phase reversal or power loss"
+ - "Fire pump controller in the off or manual position"
+ - "Dry pipe system air pressure high and low"
+ - "Preaction and deluge system supervisory conditions"
+ - "Water storage tank level"
+ - "Water storage tank temperature"
+ - "Building or valve enclosure low temperature"
+ - "Clean agent and carbon dioxide cylinder pressure"
+ - "Standpipe control valve position"
+ - "Backflow preventer valve position"
+ - "Generator and emergency power supply status"
+default:
+ - "Sprinkler control valve position on every control valve"
+ - "Fire pump running"
+ - "Fire pump failure"
+ - "Fire pump phase reversal or power loss"
+ - "Dry pipe system air pressure high and low"
```
−### A closed sprinkler control valve that is not detected is among the most dangerous conditions in a building, because it means the sprinkler system is ineffective. {note}
+### Every sprinkler control valve on the project shall be provided with a valve supervisory switch.
−### Tamper switches shall be wired to the FACU so that even partial closure of the valve (two revolutions of gate valve handwheel, per NFPA 72) initiates a supervisory signal.
+### Valve supervisory switches shall initiate a supervisory signal within two revolutions of the valve stem or within one fifth of the travel from the fully open position, whichever is less.
−### The Contractor shall coordinate with the sprinkler contractor to confirm that every control valve in the project — including zone valves, OS&Y valves, and post-indicator valves — is covered.
+### The Contractor shall coordinate with the sprinkler contractor to confirm that every control valve, including zone valves, outside stem and yoke valves, post indicator valves, and backflow preventer valves, carries a supervisory switch connected to the fire alarm system.
+### Fire pump supervisory inputs shall be connected as separate points so that each condition is annunciated individually.
+
# Notification Appliances {toc}
−## Notification appliances provide occupant notification of fire alarm conditions. {note}
+## Appliance Type and Packaging {toc}
−## Appliances shall be listed to the applicable UL standard: UL 464 for audible appliances, UL 1971 for visible (strobe) appliances, and UL 2017 where applicable.
+### Notification appliances shall be listed to the standard applicable to their type, with audible appliances listed to UL 464, visible appliances listed to UL 1971, and speakers listed to the standard applicable to emergency voice service.
−## Appliance placement shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 18 and ICC A117.1 for accessible design.
+### Notification appliance placement shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 18, ICC A117.1, and the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
−## Every room and space occupied by building occupants shall be covered by audible and visible notification appliances as required by NFPA 72 and the applicable occupancy requirements of IBC/IFC.
+### The audible notification technology shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Audible Appliances {toc}
−
```datasheet
−label: Audible Appliance Type
+label: Audible Notification Technology
type: select
options:
− - "Horn (electronic multi-tone)"
− - "Horn/strobe combination (audible/visible)"
− - "Speaker (for voice evacuation system)"
− - "Speaker/strobe combination (voice/visible)"
−default: "Horn/strobe combination (audible/visible)"
+ - "Electronic horn"
+ - "Electromechanical horn"
+ - "Bell"
+ - "Chime"
+ - "Speaker driven by a fire alarm amplifier"
+default: "Electronic horn"
```
+### The packaging of the audible and visible appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Audible Appliance dB Rating
−type: select
−unit: dB(A) at 10 ft
+label: Notification Appliance Packaging
+type: radio
options:
− - "75 dB — low-ambient environments"
− - "82 dB — standard commercial ambient"
− - "88 dB — elevated-ambient spaces (mechanical rooms, labs)"
−drawing_ref: "voltage drop calculation and ambient survey"
−default: "82 dB — standard commercial ambient"
+ - "Combination audible and visible appliances on a common backbox"
+ - "Separate audible and visible appliances"
+ - "Combination appliances in occupied areas and separate appliances elsewhere"
+default: "Combination audible and visible appliances on a common backbox"
```
−### Audible notification appliances shall produce a minimum sound pressure level of 15 dB above the average ambient sound pressure level in the space, or 5 dB above the maximum ambient sound pressure level in the space, whichever is greater, but not less than 75 dB(A) at the device location, at the horn's listed rating, in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 18.4.
+### Combination appliances reduce the device count, the backbox count, and the circuit count, and they tie the audible coverage and the visible coverage to the same mounting position. Where the room dimension driving the candela rating and the ambient sound level driving the audible rating point to different locations, separate appliances let each be placed where its own coverage requirement is met. {note}
−### In sleeping rooms and areas, the minimum sound level shall be 75 dB(A) at the pillow level (measured 24 inches above the pillow).
+## Audible Notification Performance {toc}
−### Audible appliances shall produce the standard three-pulse temporal pattern (Temporal Pattern 3, T3) required by NFPA 72 Section 18.4.5.1 for alert and alarm signaling, unless the system is a voice evacuation system, in which case the T3 tone precedes the voice message.
+### Audible notification appliances operating in public mode shall produce a sound pressure level not less than 15 dB above the average ambient sound level, or not less than 5 dB above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60 seconds, whichever is greater, measured in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 18.
−### The T3 pattern — three 0.5-second pulses followed by a 1.5-second pause, repeated — is the nationally recognized fire alarm signal and shall not be replaced by any other tone pattern for fire alarm service.
+### The rated sound pressure level of the audible appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Visible Notification Appliances (Strobes) {toc}
+```datasheet
+label: Rated Audible Appliance Sound Pressure Level
+type: range
+unit: dB(A) at 10 ft
+min: 75
+max: 99
+setpoints: [75, 80, 85, 88, 90, 95, 99]
+drawing_ref: "ambient sound level survey"
+```
+### The Contractor shall base the appliance rating and quantity on a measured or documented ambient sound level for each space rather than on a single project-wide assumption.
+
+### The rated output of an appliance is a catalog figure at 10 ft in a test chamber. What the code measures is the level a person actually hears in a furnished room with the door closed, which the room's absorption and the appliance spacing decide as much as the rating does. {note}
+
+### Audible appliances signaling a fire alarm condition shall produce the three-pulse temporal pattern of ANSI/ASA S3.41 as required by NFPA 72 Chapter 18.
+
+### The three-pulse temporal pattern shall not be used for any signal other than a fire alarm condition.
+
+### Audible appliances operating in private mode shall produce a sound pressure level not less than 45 dB(A) at the location of the intended recipient.
+
+## Sleeping Area Notification {toc}
+
+### Whether the project contains sleeping areas requiring notification shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Strobe Mounting
+label: Sleeping Area Notification
type: radio
options:
− - "Wall-mounted (standard — top of lens 6 ft to 8 ft AFF)"
− - "Ceiling-mounted (high ceiling, large open areas)"
− - "Combination wall-mounted horn/strobe"
− - "Combination ceiling-mounted speaker/strobe"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Wall-mounted (standard — top of lens 6 ft to 8 ft AFF)"
+ - "Required in guest rooms, patient rooms, or dwelling units"
+ - "Required in designated accessible sleeping units only"
+ - "Not applicable to this occupancy"
+drawing_ref: "life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
+### Audible appliances installed in sleeping areas shall produce a low frequency signal consisting of a square wave with a fundamental frequency of 520 Hz ±10 percent, in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 18.
+
+### Audible appliances in sleeping areas shall produce a sound pressure level of not less than 75 dB(A) measured at the pillow.
+
+### The low frequency requirement follows from research showing that a 520 Hz square wave wakes sleeping adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, and adults whose hearing is temporarily impaired, substantially more reliably than the 3 kHz tone a conventional horn produces. It applies to the appliances intended to wake occupants, not to appliances in the rest of the building. {note}
+
+### The Contractor shall confirm that the notification appliance circuit power supply is rated for the higher current draw of low frequency appliances before sizing the circuit.
+
+## Visible Notification Appliances {toc}
+
+### Visible notification appliances shall be listed to UL 1971 and shall flash at not less than 1 Hz and not more than 2 Hz.
+
+### The candela rating of the visible appliances in general areas shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Strobe Candela Rating — General Areas
−type: select
+label: Visible Appliance Candela Rating
+type: range
unit: cd
−options:
− - "15 cd"
− - "30 cd"
− - "75 cd"
− - "110 cd"
− - "115 cd"
− - "135 cd"
− - "185 cd"
−drawing_ref: "room-by-room coverage calculation"
−default: deferred
+min: 15
+max: 185
+setpoints: [15, 30, 75, 95, 110, 115, 135, 150, 177, 185]
+drawing_ref: "room-by-room visible coverage calculation on the fire alarm floor plans"
```
+### The candela rating for each appliance shall be selected from the coverage tables of NFPA 72 Chapter 18 using the room dimension and the appliance position within the room.
+
+### Where an appliance is not centered on the wall it is mounted on, the room dimension used to enter the coverage table shall be twice the distance from the appliance to the most remote wall on that axis.
+
+### The floor plans shall show the candela rating assigned to each appliance together with the room dimension used to select it.
+
+### The candela rating is not a property of the building or of the occupancy; it is a property of each individual room and of where in that room the appliance lands. A project-wide candela value produces both under-covered large rooms and needlessly loaded circuits in small ones. {note}
+
+### Visible appliances shall be provided in every public and common-use toilet room and bathing room.
+
+### The visible appliance in a sleeping area shall have a rating of not less than 110 cd where it is mounted more than 24 in. (610 mm) below the ceiling.
+
+### The visible appliance in a sleeping area shall have a rating of not less than 177 cd where it is mounted less than 24 in. (610 mm) below the ceiling.
+
+### An appliance close to the ceiling can sit inside the smoke layer when it is called on to operate, which is why the required intensity rises as the mounting approaches the ceiling. {note}
+
+## Visible Appliance Synchronization {toc}
+
+### The synchronization method for the visible appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Strobe Synchronization Method
+label: Visible Appliance Synchronization Method
type: radio
options:
− - "FACU integral synchronization protocol (all strobes on one platform)"
− - "Listed NAC synchronization module (one per NAC circuit)"
−default: "FACU integral synchronization protocol (all strobes on one platform)"
+ - "Synchronization generated by the control unit"
+ - "Listed synchronization module on each notification appliance circuit"
+ - "Synchronization generated by the notification appliance power supply"
+default: manufacturer
```
+### Visible appliances that can be seen from any one location shall flash within 200 milliseconds of each other in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 18.
+
+### Appliances using different synchronization protocols shall not be installed on the same notification appliance circuit.
+
+### Appliances using different synchronization protocols shall not be installed where both are visible from the same location.
+
+### Unsynchronized strobes in a corridor or an open floor plate can produce a combined flash rate high enough to trigger a photosensitive seizure, which is the reason the 200 millisecond window is a requirement rather than a quality preference. {note}
+
+## Notification Appliance Mounting {toc}
+
+### The mounting position of the visible appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Sleeping Room Strobe Provided
+label: Visible Appliance Mounting Position
type: radio
options:
− - "Yes — 110 cd minimum in each sleeping room"
− - "Yes — 177 cd (off-center or large room)"
− - "Not applicable — no sleeping rooms in this occupancy"
−default: "Yes — 110 cd minimum in each sleeping room"
+ - "Wall mounted"
+ - "Ceiling mounted"
+ - "Wall mounted in rooms and ceiling mounted in open areas"
+default: "Wall mounted"
```
−### Visible notification appliances (strobes) shall be listed to UL 1971 and shall flash at 1 to 2 Hz (1 to 2 flashes per second) at a luminous intensity (candela rating) sufficient to provide coverage of the space in accordance with NFPA 72 Table 18.5.4.3.1 (wall-mounted) or Table 18.5.4.4.4 (ceiling-mounted).
+### The mounting height of wall-mounted visible appliances shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The candela selection shall be based on the room dimensions and the mounting location of the appliance within the room, as required by NFPA 72 Section 18.5.4.
+```datasheet
+label: Wall-Mounted Visible Appliance Mounting Height
+type: range
+unit: in. above finished floor to the bottom of the lens
+min: 80
+max: 96
+step: 1
+default: 80
+```
−### The candela rating shall be selected for each device location based on the room dimensions and the device's position within the room, with NFPA 72 Table 18.5.4.3.1 providing the minimum candela as a function of the maximum room dimension (from 20 ft × 20 ft at 15 cd to rooms up to 100 ft × 100 ft at 185 cd).
+### The entire lens of a wall-mounted visible appliance shall fall between 80 in. (2030 mm) and 96 in. (2440 mm) above the finished floor, in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 18.
−### Where a device is not centered in a room, the room dimension shall be doubled on the non-centered axis to determine the effective room size for the table.
+### Where the ceiling height does not permit the required mounting height, wall-mounted appliances shall be installed within 6 in. (150 mm) of the ceiling.
−### The floor plan drawings shall show each device with its assigned candela rating and the room dimensions used to select it.
+### The mounting height of manual fire alarm boxes shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### All strobe appliances visible from a single location (corridor, open-plan office, atrium) shall be synchronized to flash within 200 milliseconds of each other, in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 18.5.4.6, to prevent the multiple-flash effect that can induce photosensitive seizures.
+```datasheet
+label: Manual Fire Alarm Box Mounting Height
+type: range
+unit: in. above finished floor to the operable part
+min: 42
+max: 48
+step: 1
+default: 48
+```
−### Synchronization shall be achieved using a listed synchronization module in each NAC circuit or by the FACU's integral synchronization protocol.
+### Device mounting heights shall be coordinated with the finished ceiling height and the wall finish before rough-in.
−### Strobes not synchronized via the same protocol shall not be mixed on the same circuit.
+# Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications {toc}
−### In sleeping rooms (hotel guestrooms, dormitory rooms, healthcare patient rooms), visible appliances shall provide a minimum 110 cd (or 177 cd where mounted more than 24 in. off-center) in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 18.5.4.3.2.
+## Voice System Provision {toc}
−### In public and common-use toilet rooms and bathrooms, visible appliances shall be provided and shall be rated at minimum 15 cd per ADA Standards Section 4.28 and ICC A117.1.
+### Whether an in-building emergency voice/alarm communication system is provided shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Voice/Alarm Communication Systems {toc}
−
```datasheet
−label: In-Building EVACS Required
+label: In-Building Emergency Voice/Alarm Communication System
type: radio
options:
− - "Yes — per IBC/IFC/AHJ requirement (see system type below)"
− - "No — audible/visible notification only"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "No — audible/visible notification only"
+ - "Provided"
+ - "Not provided"
+drawing_ref: "life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
+### An emergency voice/alarm communication system shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 24.
+
+### Amplifiers serving an emergency voice/alarm communication system shall be listed to UL 1711.
+
+### The adopted building code requires a voice system in high-rise buildings, in large assembly occupancies, in covered mall buildings, in underground buildings, and in other occupancies it enumerates. Beyond those cases the decision rests on whether the evacuation strategy needs to tell occupants something a tone cannot, which is true wherever some occupants are asked to stay put while others leave. {note}
+
+## Voice System Capability {toc}
+
+### The message capability of the emergency voice/alarm communication system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: EVACS Type
+label: Voice System Message Capability
type: select
options:
− - "Amplifier and speaker system with pre-recorded messages and live page capability"
− - "Amplifier and speaker system with pre-recorded messages only"
− - "Intelligible voice paging via existing distributed audio system (listed, evaluated per NFPA 72 Chapter 24)"
+ - "Prerecorded messages only"
+ - "Prerecorded messages with live paging from the control unit"
+ - "Prerecorded messages with live paging from the control unit and from remote microphone stations"
+ - "Prerecorded messages with multi-channel paging to independent notification zones"
- "Not applicable"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Amplifier and speaker system with pre-recorded messages and live page capability"
+default: "Prerecorded messages with live paging from the control unit"
```
−### Where the building is required by IBC/IFC, NFPA 101, or the AHJ to have an in-building fire emergency voice/alarm communication system (EVACS), the FACU shall include or be connected to a listed emergency voice/alarm communications system complying with NFPA 72 Chapter 24.
+### Whether a fire fighter telephone system is provided shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### EVACS systems are required in high-rise buildings (75 ft or more in height above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access), large assembly occupancies, large covered mall buildings, underground buildings, and other occupancies as specified by the AHJ. {note}
+```datasheet
+label: Fire Fighter Telephone System
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Provided"
+ - "Not provided"
+drawing_ref: "life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
+```
−### EVACS systems shall achieve speech intelligibility (STI or STI-PA) scores meeting the requirements of NFPA 72 Section 24.4.1.
+### The signaling line circuits serving an emergency voice/alarm communication system shall be Class A or Class X where a partial evacuation or relocation strategy is used, in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 24.
−### Speech intelligibility is a minimum pass/fail criterion, not merely a design goal; if the installed system does not achieve the required intelligibility level at acceptance testing, additional speakers, signal processing, or acoustic treatment shall be added until the criterion is met.
+### Secondary power for an emergency voice/alarm communication system shall support 15 minutes of operation at maximum voice output following the required standby period.
−### EVACS secondary power shall support 15 minutes of full-alarm operation (all speakers at maximum voice output) following a 24-hour standby period, in accordance with NFPA 72.
+## Speech Intelligibility {toc}
−# Circuits and Survivability {toc}
+### The minimum speech transmission index the installed system achieves shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Circuit Classes {toc}
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Speech Transmission Index
+type: range
+unit: STI
+min: 0.45
+max: 0.75
+step: 0.01
+default: 0.45
+```
−### All fire alarm circuits shall be designed and installed in accordance with the class designations of NFPA 72 Chapter 12.
+### Speech intelligibility shall be verified by measurement in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 24 at acceptance.
+### Where the measured speech transmission index at any test position falls below the value indicated in the datasheet, the Contractor shall add speakers, adjust equalization, or provide acoustic treatment until the criterion is met, at no additional cost to the Owner.
+
+### Speech intelligibility is a pass or fail acceptance criterion rather than a design aspiration, and it is decided by the room's reverberation and the speaker density as much as by the amplifier. Reverberant spaces with hard finishes are where the criterion is missed, and the remedy there is more speakers at lower output rather than more power into the same speakers. {note}
+
+# Circuits and Pathways {toc}
+
+## Pathway Class Designations {toc}
+
+### Every fire alarm pathway shall be designated and installed in accordance with the class definitions of NFPA 72 Chapter 12.
+
+### NFPA 72 Chapter 12 defines seven pathway classes that differ in how the pathway behaves under a fault. Class A returns to the control unit so that a single open or ground fault leaves every device in service. Class B is radial, so a single open fault disconnects everything beyond it. Class X adds short-circuit fault tolerance to the Class A redundancy. Class C is a networked path verified by end-to-end communication, Class N is a networked path with redundancy to each device, Class D fails in a safe state without annunciating, and Class E is unmonitored. {note}
+
+### The signaling line circuit class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Signaling Line Circuit (SLC) Class
−type: radio
+label: Signaling Line Circuit Class
+type: select
options:
− - "Class A (fault-tolerant — loop returns to panel, single open or ground fault survives)"
− - "Class B (non-fault-tolerant — T-tap or radial, single open fault disables the segment)"
− - "Class X (enhanced fault-tolerant — dedicated redundant path, survives open and short)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Class A (fault-tolerant — loop returns to panel, single open or ground fault survives)"
+ - "Class A"
+ - "Class B"
+ - "Class C"
+ - "Class N"
+ - "Class X"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram"
+default: deferred
```
+### The notification appliance circuit class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Notification Appliance Circuit (NAC) Class
−type: radio
+label: Notification Appliance Circuit Class
+type: select
options:
− - "Class A (fault-tolerant loop)"
− - "Class B (radial / T-tap)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Class B (radial / T-tap)"
+ - "Class A"
+ - "Class B"
+ - "Class X"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram"
+default: deferred
```
+### The initiating device circuit class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Class A Routing Separation
−type: radio
+label: Initiating Device Circuit Class
+type: select
options:
− - "Separate conduit routes (different shafts, different corridors) for outgoing and return"
− - "Single conduit acceptable — not Class A intent (flag for Engineer review)"
− - "Not applicable — Class B circuits"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Separate conduit routes (different shafts, different corridors) for outgoing and return"
+ - "Class A"
+ - "Class B"
+ - "Class X"
+ - "Not applicable on a fully addressable system"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram"
+default: deferred
```
−### Circuit performance class determines how the circuit behaves under wiring fault conditions. {note}
+### Signaling line circuit isolator modules shall be provided so that a short circuit on the pathway removes no more devices from service than the count indicated in the datasheet.
−### EVACS systems shall use Class A or Class X SLC wiring in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 24.3.12 (Class X is required for EVACS SLC where partial evacuation or relocation strategies are used).
+```datasheet
+label: Maximum Devices Lost to a Single Short Circuit
+type: range
+unit: devices
+min: 1
+max: 50
+step: 1
+default: 20
+```
−### For standard alarm/notification systems in low-rise commercial occupancies, Class B circuits are acceptable; for high-rise or critical occupancies, Class A is recommended for both SLC and NAC circuits.
+### A short circuit on an addressable loop takes the whole loop down until an isolator opens the faulted segment. The isolator count is what decides how much of the building loses detection while the fault is being located, and it is cheap at rough-in and expensive afterward. {note}
−### Class A requires that the outgoing and return conductors be routed by different physical paths so that a single conduit fire cannot disable both legs; pulling two home runs to the same panel without the required full geographic separation is not compliant.
+## Class A and Class X Routing Separation {toc}
−### The Contractor shall document the routing separation in the shop drawing floor plan.
+### The outgoing and return conductors of a Class A or Class X pathway shall be routed by separate paths in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 12.
−## Pathway Survivability {toc}
+### The outgoing and return conductors shall be permitted to share a raceway, cable, or enclosure only within the limits NFPA 72 Chapter 12 allows for entry to and exit from device enclosures, for drops to individual devices, and for installation within a single small room.
−### Pathway survivability is the degree to which fire alarm wiring maintains functional integrity during a fire. {note}
+### The minimum separation maintained between the outgoing and return conductors of a Class A or Class X pathway shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### NFPA 72 Section 12.4 defines five pathway survivability levels, and the applicable level is determined by the evacuation strategy and occupancy requirements.
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Class A Pathway Separation, Vertical Runs
+type: range
+unit: in.
+min: 0
+max: 120
+step: 6
+default: 12
+```
```datasheet
+label: Minimum Class A Pathway Separation, Horizontal Runs
+type: range
+unit: in.
+min: 0
+max: 240
+step: 6
+default: 48
+```
+
+### NFPA 72 requires the two legs to be routed separately but leaves the distance to the designer, and its annex offers 12 in. vertically and 48 in. horizontally as a starting point. Two home runs pulled in adjacent conduits through the same shaft satisfy the letter of separate routing and none of its intent, because the fire that opens one leg opens the other. {note}
+
+### The Contractor shall show the routing of both legs of every Class A and Class X pathway on the shop drawing floor plans.
+
+## Pathway Survivability {toc}
+
+### The pathway survivability level shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
label: Pathway Survivability Level
type: select
options:
− - "Level 0 — no survivability requirement (conventional wiring, Class B)"
− - "Level 1 — 2-hour fire-rated cable or equivalent protection (partial evacuation / relocation)"
− - "Level 2 — circuit integrity (CI) cable in 2-hour construction or metallic conduit in 2-hour construction"
− - "Level 3 — listed 2-hour fire-rated cable system with tested assembly"
− - "Level 4 — listed 1-hour fire-rated cable (2022 edition addition)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "Level 0 — no survivability requirement (conventional wiring, Class B)"
+ - "Level 0"
+ - "Level 1"
+ - "Level 2"
+ - "Level 3"
+ - "Level 4"
+drawing_ref: "fire alarm riser diagram and life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
−### Pathway survivability requirements are triggered by partial evacuation or relocation strategies (as opposed to simultaneous total evacuation), by high-rise building requirements, and by AHJ direction. {note}
+### NFPA 72 Section 12.4 defines the survivability levels, and they are not a ladder in which a higher number is better. Level 0 imposes no survivability provision. Level 1 relies on a building fully protected by an automatic sprinkler system with the pathway in metal raceway. Level 2 uses a 2-hour circuit integrity cable, a 2-hour rated cable system, or a 2-hour rated enclosure. Level 3 combines the Level 2 methods with a fully sprinklered building. Level 4, added in the 2022 edition, applies the Level 2 methods at a 1-hour rating. {note}
−### Where Level 1 or higher survivability is required, the Contractor shall confirm that the wiring method — cable type and raceway — has been evaluated and is compliant before purchasing materials.
+### Survivability provisions shall be applied to the pathways serving notification zones other than the zone of origin where the evacuation strategy is partial evacuation or relocation.
−# Power Supplies and Batteries {toc}
+### The Contractor shall confirm that the proposed cable type, raceway, and installation method have been evaluated as a system for the selected survivability level before any material is purchased.
+### A circuit integrity cable that is listed only as part of a tested assembly does not carry its rating when it is installed in a different raceway or with a different support method than the assembly that was tested. This is the most common survivability failure found at inspection, and it is found after the ceilings are closed. {note}
+
+# Power Supplies {toc}
+
## Primary Power {toc}
+### The primary power supply voltage for the fire alarm control unit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
label: Primary Power Supply Voltage
−type: radio
+type: select
options:
− - "120V, single-phase, 60 Hz (standard)"
− - "277V, single-phase, 60 Hz (where specifically required)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "120V, single-phase, 60 Hz (standard)"
+ - "120 V, 1Φ, 60 Hz"
+ - "208 V, 1Φ, 60 Hz"
+ - "240 V, 1Φ, 60 Hz"
+ - "277 V, 1Φ, 60 Hz"
+drawing_ref: "electrical one-line diagram"
+default: "120 V, 1Φ, 60 Hz"
```
−### The FACU shall be supplied from a dedicated branch circuit of the building's normal electrical system, originating at the main electrical distribution equipment or the electrical panel serving the electrical room where the FACU is located.
+### The source of primary power for the fire alarm system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The primary power circuit shall be a dedicated circuit breaker labeled "FIRE ALARM — DO NOT DISCONNECT" and shall comply with NEC Article 760 and NFPA 72 Section 10.5.
+```datasheet
+label: Primary Power Source
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Normal building power distribution"
+ - "Emergency power system branch"
+ - "Legally required standby power system"
+ - "Optional standby power system"
+default: "Normal building power distribution"
+```
−### The primary power circuit shall be coordinated with [[sync/panelboards]] for breaker identification and labeling requirements.
+### Connecting the fire alarm system to a generator-backed branch means a generator fault or a transfer failure presents at the panel as a fire alarm trouble condition. Connecting it to normal power means the secondary battery, rather than the generator, carries the system through an outage. Some jurisdictions direct one arrangement or the other, so the position of the authority having jurisdiction is settled before the branch circuit is roughed in. {note}
−### The primary power circuit shall be sized for the FACU's total connected load including all connected power supplies, notification appliances, and ancillary equipment.
+### The control unit shall be supplied from a dedicated branch circuit with no other load connected.
−### The Contractor shall provide the load calculation to the electrical engineer of record for verification that the circuit ampacity is adequate.
+### The branch circuit overcurrent device shall be identified FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT and shall be secured against unintentional operation.
−### Where the project includes emergency power (generator), the need to connect the FACU primary power to the emergency system shall be evaluated.
+### The branch circuit shall be sized for the total connected load of the control unit, every power supply it feeds, and every ancillary device, and the Contractor shall submit the load calculation to the Engineer of Record.
−### Many AHJs require fire alarm primary power on the normal electrical system (not on the emergency generator) so that loss of the emergency generator does not cause a fire alarm trouble; the secondary battery provides bridging power in a normal power failure. {note}
+### Primary power connection and circuit identification shall be coordinated with [[sync/panelboards]].
−### The Contractor shall confirm the AHJ's position before roughing in the primary power circuit.
+## Secondary Power {toc}
−## Secondary Power — Batteries {toc}
+### The secondary power supply standby duration shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
```datasheet
label: Secondary Power Standby Duration
−type: radio
−options:
− - "24 hours standby + 5 minutes full alarm (standard)"
− - "24 hours standby + 15 minutes full alarm (EVACS systems)"
− - "60 hours standby + 5 minutes full alarm (critical / essential facility)"
−default: "24 hours standby + 5 minutes full alarm (standard)"
+type: range
+unit: hours
+min: 24
+max: 60
+setpoints: [24, 60]
+default: 24
```
+### The secondary power supply alarm duration following the standby period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Battery Type
−type: radio
+label: Secondary Power Alarm Duration
+type: range
+unit: minutes
+min: 5
+max: 60
+setpoints: [5, 15, 30, 60]
+default: 5
+```
+
+### The secondary power supply shall meet or exceed the standby and alarm durations required by NFPA 72 Chapter 10 for the system type, regardless of the values indicated in the datasheet.
+
+### Secondary power for an emergency voice/alarm communication system shall provide 15 minutes of alarm operation at maximum voice output.
+
+### Batteries shall be located inside the control unit enclosure or in a listed battery cabinet adjacent to the equipment they serve.
+
+### The control unit shall supervise the battery, the battery charger, and the battery connection, and shall produce a trouble signal on failure of any of them.
+
+### The battery charger shall restore a fully discharged battery to its rated capacity within 48 hours.
+
+## Battery Technology and Sizing {toc}
+
+### The secondary power battery technology shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Battery Technology
+type: select
options:
− - "Sealed VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid) — standard"
− - "Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) — high-temperature applications"
− - "Lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) — where listed by FACU manufacturer"
−default: "Sealed VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid) — standard"
+ - "Sealed valve-regulated lead-acid"
+ - "Vented lead-acid"
+ - "Nickel cadmium"
+ - "Lithium iron phosphate listed for use with the control unit"
+default: "Sealed valve-regulated lead-acid"
```
−### The FACU secondary power supply shall consist of sealed, valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, or other listed battery technology, providing standby power when primary power is lost.
+### The safety margin applied to the calculated ampere-hour capacity shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Secondary batteries shall be located inside the FACU enclosure or in a listed, dedicated battery cabinet adjacent to the FACU.
+```datasheet
+label: Battery Sizing Safety Margin
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 20
+max: 50
+step: 5
+default: 20
+```
−### Secondary power capacity shall comply with NFPA 72 Section 10.6.7: the secondary supply shall support the system in standby (quiescent) operation for not less than 24 hours, and at the end of that 24-hour period shall be capable of operating all notification appliances for not less than 5 minutes (or 15 minutes for EVACS systems).
+### The battery calculation shall apply not less than the safety margin required by NFPA 72 Chapter 10 and not less than the margin indicated in the datasheet.
−### Battery amp-hour capacity shall be calculated with a minimum 25 percent margin above the calculated requirement, in accordance with the 2022 edition of NFPA 72 (increased from 20 percent in earlier editions).
+### The battery calculation shall list every device with its standby current and its alarm current, the durations applied to each, the margin applied, and the resulting ampere-hour capacity.
−### The battery calculation shall be submitted as a project submittal, shall list every device and its quiescent and alarm current draw, multiply by the required duration, apply the 25 percent derate, and identify the required amp-hour capacity.
+### The installed battery shall have a rated capacity not less than the calculated capacity.
−### The installed battery shall meet or exceed this calculated capacity.
+### The safety margin exists because a battery's usable capacity falls over its service life and with ambient temperature, so a battery sized exactly to the calculated demand meets the standby requirement only on the day it is installed. {note}
−### Batteries shall be replaced on a schedule recommended by the FACU manufacturer and shall be included in the O&M manual.
+### The battery replacement interval shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Battery charging shall be supervised by the FACU, and a trouble signal shall be generated if the battery charger fails or if the battery voltage falls below the minimum operating level.
+```datasheet
+label: Battery Replacement Interval
+type: range
+unit: years
+min: 2
+max: 10
+step: 1
+default: 5
+```
−### The FACU shall provide a battery test function that discharges and recharges the battery under controlled conditions to verify capacity.
+### The Contractor shall mark each battery with its date of manufacture and shall record the replacement interval in the operation and maintenance manual.
−## Auxiliary and Booster Power Supplies {toc}
+## Notification Appliance Circuit Loading {toc}
+### The maximum notification appliance circuit loading as a percentage of the rated circuit current shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Remote NAC Power Supplies Required
−type: radio
−options:
− - "No — FACU integral power supplies sufficient for all NACs"
− - "Yes — remote power supplies required (see drawings for locations)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "No — FACU integral power supplies sufficient for all NACs"
+label: Maximum Notification Appliance Circuit Loading
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 50
+max: 100
+step: 5
+default: 80
```
−### Where the NAC circuits require more current than the FACU's integral power supplies can provide, listed remote NAC power supplies or booster power supplies shall be used.
+### The maximum voltage drop permitted on a notification appliance circuit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Each auxiliary power supply shall be UL 1481 listed, shall be supervised by the FACU for AC power, charger status, and battery status, and shall have its own secondary battery providing standby and alarm capacity in accordance with NFPA 72.
+```datasheet
+label: Maximum Notification Appliance Circuit Voltage Drop
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 5
+max: 20
+step: 1
+default: 10
+```
−### Remote power supplies shall be installed in dedicated, labeled enclosures in electrical rooms or mechanical rooms.
+### The voltage at the most remote appliance on each notification appliance circuit shall exceed the listed minimum operating voltage of that appliance under worst-case alarm load with the system on secondary power.
−# Monitoring and Communications {toc}
+### The Contractor shall submit a voltage drop calculation for every notification appliance circuit and every signaling line circuit.
+### Circuit loading and voltage drop are what decide whether the last strobe on the run actually fires at the end of a 24-hour outage, and both are settled on paper before the cable is pulled. A circuit loaded to its nameplate limit has no headroom for the appliance a tenant adds in year three. {note}
+
+## Remote and Booster Power Supplies {toc}
+
+### Remote notification appliance power supplies shall be listed to UL 1481.
+
+### Each remote power supply shall be supervised by the control unit for primary power, charger status, and battery status.
+
+### Each remote power supply shall have its own secondary battery sized for the same standby and alarm durations as the control unit.
+
+### Remote power supplies shall be installed in labeled enclosures in electrical, mechanical, or telecommunications rooms, and shall not be installed above accessible ceilings.
+
+### A booster power supply above a ceiling is a supervised, battery-backed panel that nobody inspects and nobody can find when its battery reports trouble. Keeping it in a room with a door is what makes the annual battery replacement happen. {note}
+
+# Monitoring and Off-Premises Transmission {toc}
+
## Supervising Station Service {toc}
+### The supervising station service type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Supervising Station Type
+label: Supervising Station Service Type
type: select
options:
− - "UL-listed central station (off-site monitoring)"
− - "Proprietary supervising station (on-site, Owner-operated)"
− - "Remote supervising station (designated off-site attended location)"
− - "Local fire alarm only — no off-premises monitoring (where permitted by AHJ)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "UL-listed central station (off-site monitoring)"
+ - "Listed central station service"
+ - "Proprietary supervising station operated by the Owner"
+ - "Remote supervising station at an attended off-premises location"
+ - "Transmission to the public fire service communication center where the jurisdiction accepts it"
+ - "No off-premises transmission"
+drawing_ref: "life safety code analysis"
+default: deferred
```
−### The protected-premises fire alarm system shall be monitored by a listed supervising station in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 26.
+### Off-premises transmission shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 26.
−### Monitoring shall ensure that fire alarm signals, supervisory signals, and trouble signals from the FACU are transmitted to and acknowledged by the supervising station with the response times required by NFPA 72.
+### Alarm signals, supervisory signals, and trouble signals shall each be transmitted to the supervising station and identified there as the type of signal they are.
−### The supervising station shall be a UL-listed central station, or a proprietary or remote supervising station as accepted by the AHJ.
+### Signals shall be transmitted and acknowledged within the maximum intervals NFPA 72 Chapter 26 allows.
−## Communications Pathway {toc}
+### The Contractor shall obtain written confirmation from the supervising station that every signal type was received and correctly identified during acceptance testing.
−### The transmission pathway from the FACU to the supervising station shall be designed to ensure that no single fault in the communication path prevents alarm signals from reaching the supervising station.
+## Communications Technology {toc}
+### The primary communications technology shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Primary Communications Pathway
+label: Primary Communications Technology
type: select
options:
− - "Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter (DACT) — two POTS telephone lines"
− - "IP communicator — supervised Ethernet/Internet path"
− - "Cellular radio communicator — supervised cellular path"
− - "Dedicated digital radio (DARS) — leased digital radio path"
−default: "IP communicator — supervised Ethernet/Internet path"
+ - "Internet protocol communicator over the building network"
+ - "Internet protocol communicator over a dedicated circuit"
+ - "Cellular radio communicator"
+ - "Digital alarm communicator transmitter over a managed facilities-based voice network"
+ - "One-way private radio alarm system"
+ - "Two-way radio frequency multiplex system"
+ - "Not applicable"
+default: "Internet protocol communicator over the building network"
```
+### The communications path redundancy shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Secondary (Backup) Communications Pathway
−type: select
+label: Communications Path Redundancy
+type: radio
options:
− - "Cellular radio — independent backup to primary IP path"
− - "IP communicator — independent backup to primary cellular path"
− - "DACT POTS line — backup to IP or cellular primary"
− - "Single-path only — accepted by AHJ with enhanced supervision"
−default: "Cellular radio — independent backup to primary IP path"
+ - "Single path with end-to-end supervision"
+ - "Two paths using different transmission technologies"
+ - "Two paths using the same technology on independent carriers"
+default: "Two paths using different transmission technologies"
```
−### NFPA 72 Section 26.6 governs communication pathway performance and supervision requirements.
+### The secondary communications technology shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Dual-path communications using IP primary and cellular backup (or the reverse) is the current industry standard for new installations. {note}
+```datasheet
+label: Secondary Communications Technology
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Internet protocol communicator over the building network"
+ - "Internet protocol communicator over a dedicated circuit"
+ - "Cellular radio communicator"
+ - "Digital alarm communicator transmitter over a managed facilities-based voice network"
+ - "One-way private radio alarm system"
+ - "Two-way radio frequency multiplex system"
+ - "Not applicable"
+default: "Cellular radio communicator"
+```
−### DACT over POTS (plain old telephone service) is still permitted by NFPA 72 where two dedicated, supervised telephone lines are provided, but POTS infrastructure is being retired by telephone carriers and new installations relying solely on POTS shall be evaluated for long-term supportability.
+### NFPA 72 Chapter 26 permits a single supervised path as well as two paths, and it sets a shorter supervision interval for the single path in exchange. Two paths on different technologies survive the loss of one carrier or one physical entry to the building; two paths on the same technology do not, though they do survive the loss of one carrier's network. {note}
−### Where a DACT is used, it shall test both transmission paths to the supervising station at least every 6 hours, in accordance with NFPA 72.
+### Where two paths are provided, no single failure shall disable both paths.
−### The IP or cellular communicator path shall be supervised for integrity at least every 60 minutes, and a failure to receive a supervision signal at the supervising station within 60 seconds of the expected interval shall be treated as a trouble condition.
+### Telephone line service delivered over the copper pair is being withdrawn by carriers across most of the United States, and a communicator whose only path is that service will eventually stop reporting whether or not it remains code compliant on the day it is installed. {note}
−## Local vs. Remote Reset {toc}
+## Path Supervision {toc}
−### The FACU shall require a manual reset action at the FACU (or at a listed remote reset device accepted by the AHJ) after every alarm event.
+### A single communications path shall be supervised end to end, and its failure shall be annunciated at the protected premises and at the supervising station within 60 minutes.
−### Automatic reset after alarm acknowledgment shall not be permitted.
+### Where two communications paths are provided, the failure of either path shall be annunciated at the protected premises and at the supervising station within the interval NFPA 72 Chapter 26 allows for the arrangement used.
−### The reset sequence shall require the FACU to confirm that all initiating devices have returned to a non-alarm condition before the system returns to normal status.
+### A digital alarm communicator transmitter shall test each of its paths to the supervising station at intervals not exceeding 6 hours.
+### Loss of a communications path shall produce a trouble signal at the control unit and at every annunciator.
+
# Wiring and Installation {toc}
−## Wiring Methods {toc}
+## Circuit Power Limitation {toc}
+### Fire alarm circuits shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 70 Article 760.
+
+### The power limitation classification of the fire alarm circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: SLC/IDC Wiring Method
−type: select
+label: Fire Alarm Circuit Power Limitation
+type: radio
options:
− - "FPLP cable in EMT (power-limited, plenum spaces)"
− - "FPL cable in EMT (power-limited, non-plenum)"
− - "FPLR cable in EMT (power-limited, riser)"
− - "MI cable (mineral insulated — pathway survivability applications)"
− - "Shielded twisted pair per FACU manufacturer requirements in EMT"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "FPL cable in EMT (power-limited, non-plenum)"
+ - "Power-limited fire alarm circuits per NFPA 70 Article 760 Part III"
+ - "Non-power-limited fire alarm circuits per NFPA 70 Article 760 Part II"
+ - "Power-limited circuits with non-power-limited circuits at designated equipment"
+default: "Power-limited fire alarm circuits per NFPA 70 Article 760 Part III"
```
+### Fire alarm circuit conductors shall not occupy the same raceway, cable, cable tray, or enclosure as conductors of other building systems except where NFPA 70 Article 760 permits it.
+
+### Cable installed in a plenum used for environmental air shall be listed for that use.
+
+### Cable installed in a vertical riser shall be listed for that use.
+
+## Raceway and Cable Support {toc}
+
+### The raceway policy for fire alarm circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: NAC Wiring Method
+label: Fire Alarm Raceway Policy
type: select
options:
− - "FPLP cable in EMT (power-limited, plenum)"
− - "FPL cable in EMT (power-limited, non-plenum)"
− - "FPLR cable in EMT (power-limited, riser)"
− - "MI cable (pathway survivability applications)"
−drawing_ref: true
−default: "FPL cable in EMT (power-limited, non-plenum)"
+ - "All fire alarm circuits in raceway throughout"
+ - "Raceway in exposed and finished locations with independently supported cable above accessible ceilings"
+ - "Raceway where the adopted codes require it with independently supported cable elsewhere"
+ - "Raceway throughout with metallic raceway where survivability provisions apply"
+default: "Raceway in exposed and finished locations with independently supported cable above accessible ceilings"
```
−### Fire alarm system wiring shall be installed in accordance with NEC Article 760.
+### Fire alarm cable installed without raceway shall be supported independently of ceiling systems, ductwork, piping, and other trades' supports at intervals not exceeding 5 ft (1.5 m).
−### Circuit wiring shall use cable types and raceways appropriate to the power-limited or non-power-limited classification of the circuit as defined in NEC Article 760 and NFPA 72 Chapter 12.
+### Exposed fire alarm wiring in occupied and finished spaces shall be installed in raceway.
−### Fire alarm wiring in exposed and accessible locations above finished ceilings shall be installed in conduit (EMT minimum) per project requirements.
+### Raceway products and installation methods shall comply with [[sync/raceways-and-conduit]].
−### Exposed surface-mounted fire alarm wiring in finished spaces (corridors, lobbies) shall be in raceway.
+### The Contractor shall install every raceway, pull box, and junction box serving fire alarm circuits, and shall resolve routing conflicts with ductwork, piping, and structure before rough-in.
−### Fire alarm wiring shall not share conduit with power circuits or other building systems, in accordance with NEC 760.136.
+## Conductor Size {toc}
−### The fire alarm Contractor shall install all conduit, pull boxes, and junction boxes associated with fire alarm circuits, and shall be responsible for coordinating raceway routing with other trades.
+### The minimum conductor size for signaling line and initiating device circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Conflicts between fire alarm conduit routing and ductwork, piping, and structural elements shall be resolved before rough-in, using the pre-installation coordination process; see [[sync/raceways-and-conduit]] for conduit installation requirements.
−
−## Wire and Cable {toc}
−
```datasheet
−label: SLC Conductor Size
+label: Minimum Signaling Line and Initiating Device Circuit Conductor Size
type: select
−unit: AWG
options:
− - "18 AWG (minimum per NFPA 72)"
+ - "18 AWG"
- "16 AWG"
- "14 AWG"
+ - "12 AWG"
drawing_ref: "voltage drop calculation"
−default: "18 AWG (minimum per NFPA 72)"
+default: "18 AWG"
```
+### The minimum conductor size for notification appliance circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: NAC Conductor Size
+label: Minimum Notification Appliance Circuit Conductor Size
type: select
−unit: AWG
options:
− - "18 AWG (minimum)"
+ - "18 AWG"
- "16 AWG"
- "14 AWG"
- "12 AWG"
−drawing_ref: "voltage drop calculation"
default: "14 AWG"
```
−### Conductors for fire alarm circuits shall be listed fire alarm cable of the type and insulation class appropriate to the installation environment.
+### Where the voltage drop calculation requires a conductor larger than the minimum indicated in the datasheet to hold the end-of-line voltage above the listed minimum operating voltage, the larger conductor shall govern.
−### Conductor size shall be not less than 18 AWG for all power-limited fire alarm circuits.
+### Fire alarm conductors shall be solid or stranded copper, and aluminum conductors shall not be used on fire alarm circuits.
−### Where voltage drop calculations require a larger conductor to maintain device operating voltage at end-of-line under full alarm load, the larger size shall govern.
+## Shielding and Grounding {toc}
−### The FACU manufacturer's requirements for cable type, shielding, and twisting on SLC circuits shall be followed.
+### Whether shielded cable is used on signaling line circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Some FACU platforms require shielded or twisted-pair cable on SLC circuits to prevent communication errors from electromagnetic interference; this requirement is FACU-specific and shall be identified in the shop drawing submittal.
+```datasheet
+label: Shielded Cable on Signaling Line Circuits
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Required on all signaling line circuits"
+ - "Required where a circuit runs parallel to power conductors"
+ - "Not required"
+default: manufacturer
+```
−## Grounding and Shielding {toc}
+### Where shielded cable is used, the shield shall be terminated in accordance with the control unit manufacturer's published installation instructions and shall be grounded at one end only.
−### Fire alarm system grounding shall comply with NFPA 72 and NEC Article 760.
+### A shield grounded at both ends carries circulating current from the difference in ground potential between its two termination points, and that current couples into the pair it was installed to protect. The resulting intermittent communication trouble is the hardest fault to find on an addressable loop. {note}
−### The FACU chassis and enclosure shall be bonded to the building grounding electrode system as required by NEC 250 and coordinated with [[sync/grounding-and-bonding]].
+### The control unit enclosure and every remote enclosure shall be bonded to the building grounding electrode system.
−### Where shielded cable is used on SLC circuits, the shield shall be terminated in accordance with the FACU manufacturer's instructions — typically drained to earth at the FACU end only, with the far end floating.
+### Fire alarm system grounding shall comply with NFPA 70 and shall be coordinated with [[sync/grounding-and-bonding]].
−### Improper shield termination is a common source of communication errors and nuisance trouble signals. {note}
+## Identification and Labeling {toc}
−## Device Mounting Heights {toc}
+### The device identification method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### Devices shall be mounted at the heights specified below and at [[drawing: as indicated on the fire alarm floor plan drawings]].
−
```datasheet
−label: Smoke Detector Mounting
−type: radio
+label: Device Identification Method
+type: select
options:
− - "On ceiling (preferred) — top of detector 3 in. minimum from wall/ceiling intersection"
− - "On wall (ceiling obstructed) — detector 4 in. to 12 in. below ceiling per NFPA 72 17.7.3.2.1"
−default: "On ceiling (preferred) — top of detector 3 in. minimum from wall/ceiling intersection"
+ - "Permanent label at each device carrying its address"
+ - "Permanent label at each device carrying its address and its circuit designation"
+ - "Address marked on the device mounting plate only"
+default: "Permanent label at each device carrying its address and its circuit designation"
```
−```datasheet
−label: Pull Station Mounting Height
−type: range
−unit: in. AFF (to operable part)
−options:
− min: 42
− max: 54
− setpoints: [42, 48, 54]
−default: 48
−```
+### The junction and pull box identification method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
```datasheet
−label: Audible/Visible Appliance Mounting Height — Wall Mount
−type: range
−unit: in. AFF (to bottom of appliance)
+label: Fire Alarm Junction and Pull Box Identification
+type: select
options:
− min: 72
− max: 96
− setpoints: [72, 80, 90, 96]
−default: 80
+ - "Cover painted red"
+ - "Red label applied to the cover"
+ - "Cover painted red and labeled with the circuit designation"
+default: "Cover painted red and labeled with the circuit designation"
```
−### Mounting heights shall comply with ADA accessibility requirements and shall be coordinated with finish ceiling heights before rough-in.
+### Remote power supply enclosures shall be labeled FIRE ALARM POWER SUPPLY in permanent lettering.
−### Wall-mounted strobe appliances shall have the top of the lens not more than 96 in. (2440 mm) above the finished floor and not less than 80 in. (2032 mm) to the bottom of the appliance, in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 18.5.4.3.
+### Annunciator enclosures shall be labeled FIRE ALARM ANNUNCIATOR in permanent lettering.
−### The 80-in. to 96-in. mounting zone ensures that the strobe flash is within the cone of vision of standing occupants. {note}
+### Device labels shall use the same location description that is programmed at the control unit for that device.
−## Identification and Labeling {toc}
+### A device label that reads differently from the panel description makes the panel unusable during an alarm investigation, because the responder is holding two names for the same point and no way to reconcile them. {note}
−### All fire alarm devices shall be identified in accordance with NFPA 72.
−
−### The FACU and remote annunciator panels shall be labeled "FIRE ALARM CONTROL UNIT" and "FIRE ALARM ANNUNCIATOR" respectively with permanent letters not less than 1 in. high.
−
−### Each remote power supply shall be labeled "FIRE ALARM POWER SUPPLY."
−
−### Junction boxes and pull boxes serving fire alarm circuits shall be painted red or labeled with red labels identifying them as fire alarm circuits.
−
−### Circuit breaker(s) for fire alarm power shall be labeled "FIRE ALARM — DO NOT DISCONNECT."
−
# Acceptance Testing {toc}
−## The fire alarm system shall be acceptance-tested in the presence of the AHJ and, where required, a UL or other third-party inspection.
+## Pre-Test Readiness {toc}
−## Acceptance testing shall be performed in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 14 (Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance).
+### The Contractor shall complete a full pre-test of the installed system before requesting acceptance testing.
−## The Contractor shall not schedule acceptance testing until the system is fully installed, programmed, and has passed a complete pre-test by the Contractor's own testing personnel.
+### The Contractor shall not request acceptance testing until the system is completely installed, completely programmed, and free of trouble conditions.
−## The Contractor shall provide at least two full-time technicians, all necessary test equipment, and all required keys, access codes, and documentation during acceptance testing.
+### The documentation available on site before acceptance testing begins shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Testing shall not be performed in a piecemeal manner (zone by zone on separate days) without prior AHJ approval; partial system tests generate incomplete records and increase the likelihood that system interactions are not evaluated.
+```datasheet
+label: Required Pre-Test Documentation
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Reviewed shop drawings"
+ - "Control unit configuration record"
+ - "Signed sequence of operations matrix"
+ - "Secondary power calculation"
+ - "Voltage drop calculations"
+ - "Preliminary record documents showing installed device locations"
+ - "Contractor's completed pre-test record"
+ - "Manufacturer's published installation instructions"
+default:
+ - "Reviewed shop drawings"
+ - "Control unit configuration record"
+ - "Signed sequence of operations matrix"
+ - "Secondary power calculation"
+ - "Voltage drop calculations"
+ - "Preliminary record documents showing installed device locations"
+ - "Contractor's completed pre-test record"
+```
−## Pre-Test Documentation {toc}
+### The Contractor shall provide the test personnel, test instruments, keys, access codes, and ladders required to complete acceptance testing without interruption.
−### The following items shall be completed and available before acceptance testing begins:
+### The Contractor shall bear the cost of any retest required because the system was presented for acceptance testing with an incomplete installation, an unresolved trouble condition, or missing documentation.
−- Approved shop drawings on site (hard copy)
−- FACU programming record (configuration printout)
−- Sequence of operations matrix (approved version)
−- Battery calculations (approved version)
−- Voltage drop calculations (approved version)
−- As-built floor plan drawings (preliminary, showing all installed device locations)
+## Test Witnessing {toc}
+### The parties witnessing acceptance testing shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Pre-Test Documentation Required Before Acceptance Testing
+label: Acceptance Test Witnesses
type: checkbox
options:
− - "Approved shop drawings on site (hard copy)"
− - "FACU programming record (configuration printout)"
− - "Sequence of operations matrix (approved version)"
− - "Battery calculations (approved version)"
− - "Voltage drop calculations (approved version)"
− - "As-built floor plan drawings (preliminary)"
−default: "Approved shop drawings on site (hard copy)"
+ - "Authority having jurisdiction"
+ - "Engineer of Record"
+ - "Owner's representative"
+ - "Commissioning authority"
+ - "Third-party inspection agency"
+ - "Insurance carrier representative"
+default:
+ - "Authority having jurisdiction"
+ - "Owner's representative"
```
+### Acceptance testing shall not be performed in stages on separate days unless the authority having jurisdiction accepts a staged test in advance.
+
+### A staged test breaks the system into pieces that each pass while the interactions between them go unexercised, which is where cross-zoning errors, output conflicts, and address duplications hide. {note}
+
## Device Functional Testing {toc}
+### The proportion of installed devices functionally tested at acceptance shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Device Testing Protocol
+label: Acceptance Test Device Coverage
type: radio
options:
− - "100% of all devices tested — required for acceptance"
− - "Sampling (AHJ-approved reduction) — document percentage and methodology"
−default: "100% of all devices tested — required for acceptance"
+ - "Every installed device"
+ - "A sample accepted by the authority having jurisdiction with the balance tested within the first year"
+default: "Every installed device"
```
−### Every initiating device shall be functionally tested to confirm activation, confirmation of the correct address and location description at the FACU, correct zone assignment, and correct output response per the sequence of operations.
+### Each initiating device shall be tested for activation, for correct address and location description at the control unit, for correct zone assignment, and for the output response the sequence of operations matrix assigns to it.
−### Testing methods shall comply with NFPA 72 Table 14.4.5.
+### Test methods shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 14.
−### Smoke detectors shall be tested using a listed aerosol or magnet test tool accepted by the FACU manufacturer and the detector manufacturer; blowing smoke, dust, or compressed air into detectors is not an acceptable test method.
+### Smoke detectors shall be tested with a listed aerosol or a magnet test tool accepted by both the detector manufacturer and the control unit manufacturer.
−### Heat detectors shall be tested using a listed heat source (heat gun or listed test device); open flame is not an acceptable test method.
+### Smoke, dust, and compressed air shall not be used to test a smoke detector.
−### Manual pull stations shall be tested by activating each station using the key or magnet required by the manufacturer's design, and all pull stations shall be confirmed to activate and to return to normal after reset.
+### Heat detectors shall be tested with a listed heat source, and an open flame shall not be used.
−### Waterflow switches shall be tested by activating the inspector's test valve on each sprinkler zone, confirming the correct zone identification at the FACU and the correct notification response, and the retard setting shall be confirmed during waterflow testing.
+### Each manual fire alarm box shall be operated, and each shall be confirmed to restore to normal after reset.
−### Supervisory device testing shall confirm that each supervisory input — control valve tamper, fire pump status, pressure supervisory — generates a supervisory signal (not an alarm) and correct identification at the FACU and at the supervising station.
+### Each waterflow device shall be tested by opening the inspector's test connection on the zone it serves, and the retard setting shall be confirmed during that test.
−## Notification Appliance Sound Pressure Testing {toc}
+### Each supervisory device shall be tested to confirm that it produces a supervisory signal rather than an alarm signal, and that it is correctly identified at the control unit and at the supervising station.
+### Each emergency control function shall be tested end to end with the receiving trade present, and the response of the controlled equipment shall be observed rather than inferred from the output contact.
+
+## Notification Verification {toc}
+
+### The audible sound pressure verification method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Sound Pressure Verification
+label: Audible Sound Pressure Verification Method
type: radio
options:
− - "Spot-check of representative locations — minimum one per notification zone"
− - "Full acoustic survey — every room measured"
− - "Per AHJ requirement"
−default: "Spot-check of representative locations — minimum one per notification zone"
+ - "Measurement at one representative location in each notification zone"
+ - "Measurement at the location most remote from an appliance in each notification zone"
+ - "Measurement in every occupiable room"
+ - "Measurement at locations selected by the authority having jurisdiction"
+default: "Measurement at the location most remote from an appliance in each notification zone"
```
−### Sound pressure levels shall be measured in representative spaces to verify compliance with NFPA 72 Section 18.4.
+### Sound pressure measurements shall be taken with a calibrated sound level meter with the doors of the measured space closed.
−### Measurements shall be taken with a calibrated sound level meter at the locations most remote from appliances in each notification zone, with doors closed.
+### Where a measured sound pressure level does not meet the criterion of NFPA 72 Chapter 18, the Contractor shall add or relocate appliances and shall repeat the measurement at no additional cost to the Owner.
−### Where a measured level does not meet the 15 dB above ambient or 75 dB(A) minimum, additional appliances shall be added and the test repeated.
+### Visible appliance synchronization shall be verified by observation from each location where more than one appliance is visible.
−## Visible Appliance Testing {toc}
+### Every visible appliance seen from one location shall appear to flash simultaneously.
−### Strobe synchronization shall be verified by visual observation in spaces where multiple strobes are visible simultaneously.
+### An appliance that flashes out of step with the others on its circuit shall be corrected before the system is accepted.
−### All strobes visible from any single vantage point shall appear to flash simultaneously (within the 200-millisecond window required by NFPA 72).
+## Secondary Power Verification {toc}
−### Any strobe that flashes out of synchronization with others on the same NAC circuit shall be investigated; the cause is typically a failed synchronization module or an incompatible appliance mix.
+### The battery capacity verification method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−## Power Supply Testing {toc}
−
```datasheet
−label: Battery Load Test Method
+label: Battery Capacity Verification Method
type: radio
options:
− - "Full discharge test (24-hour standby + alarm duration)"
− - "Calculated test per FACU manufacturer's procedure (partial discharge + calculation)"
− - "Per AHJ acceptance"
−default: "Calculated test per FACU manufacturer's procedure (partial discharge + calculation)"
+ - "Full duration discharge test over the specified standby and alarm periods"
+ - "Loaded discharge test with capacity confirmed by calculation"
+ - "Loaded discharge test per the control unit manufacturer's published procedure"
+default: "Loaded discharge test with capacity confirmed by calculation"
```
−### The secondary battery shall be tested by disconnecting the primary AC power and verifying that the FACU and all supervised components remain operational.
+### The secondary power supply shall be tested by disconnecting primary power and confirming that the control unit and every supervised component remain operational.
−### The battery test shall include a loaded discharge to confirm amp-hour capacity.
+### The battery charger shall be tested to confirm that it restores the battery to its rated capacity within 48 hours of a full discharge.
−### The battery charger shall be verified to restore battery charge within the time specified by the FACU manufacturer after a full discharge.
+### The Contractor shall record the measured battery terminal voltage at the start and at the end of the discharge test.
−## Transmission Path Testing {toc}
+## Off-Premises Transmission Verification {toc}
−### The transmission to the supervising station shall be tested for each signal type — alarm, supervisory, and trouble — and for each transmission pathway (primary and backup).
+### Each signal type shall be transmitted to the supervising station over each provided communications path and shall be confirmed as received and correctly identified.
−### The supervising station shall confirm receipt and correct identification of each test signal.
+### Where two communications paths are provided, the backup path shall be tested by disabling the primary path and confirming successful transmission.
−### Signal transmission time shall be measured and shall comply with NFPA 72 Chapter 26 maximum response times.
+### The elapsed time from signal initiation to acknowledgment at the supervising station shall be recorded for each test signal.
−### Where the communication path uses IP or cellular, the backup path shall be tested by intentionally disconnecting the primary path and confirming that the backup path transmits successfully.
+## Speech Intelligibility Verification {toc}
−## Voice/Alarm System Intelligibility Testing {toc}
+### Where an emergency voice/alarm communication system is installed, speech intelligibility shall be measured at test positions distributed through the occupiable areas in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 24.
−```datasheet
−label: EVACS Intelligibility Testing Required
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Yes — STI-PA measurement at acceptance"
− - "Not applicable — no EVACS"
−default: "Not applicable — no EVACS"
−```
+### The intelligibility measurement report shall identify each test position, the measured value at that position, and the instrument used.
−### Where an EVACS system is installed, speech intelligibility testing shall be performed using a calibrated measurement system (STI-PA or full STI) at test positions throughout the building in accordance with NFPA 72 Section 24.4.1.
+### The intelligibility measurement report shall be submitted with the acceptance test documentation.
−### The pass criterion is an STI or STI-PA score of 0.45 or greater (CIS scale) in all occupied areas.
−
−### The intelligibility test report shall be included in the acceptance test submittal.
−
## Record of Completion {toc}
−### Upon successful completion of acceptance testing, the Contractor shall complete the NFPA 72 Annex A Record of Completion forms in their entirety.
+### The Contractor shall complete the Record of Completion required by NFPA 72 Chapter 7 in full upon successful completion of acceptance testing.
−### The record of completion shall document the system description, all components and quantities, the test methods used, the test results, the names and certifications of testing personnel, the date of testing, and signatures of the Contractor and the AHJ representative.
+### The Record of Completion shall be signed by the Contractor, by the individual who performed the testing, and by the authority having jurisdiction's representative.
−### The record of completion is the formal documentation that the system has been accepted and shall be placed in the O&M manual.
+### The Record of Completion and the record of inspection and testing shall be placed in the operation and maintenance manual and left on site with the system.
−# Coordination with Related Systems {toc}
+# Coordination with Other Trades {toc}
## Sprinkler System Coordination {toc}
−### The fire alarm Contractor shall coordinate with the sprinkler contractor to ensure that every sprinkler control valve is provided with a tamper switch, every sprinkler zone has a waterflow switch, and all waterflow and supervisory devices are connected to the fire alarm system with the correct normally-open or normally-closed wiring polarity.
+### The Contractor shall coordinate with the sprinkler contractor to confirm the location, quantity, and contact arrangement of every waterflow and supervisory device connected to the fire alarm system.
−### The fire alarm Contractor is responsible for the wiring from the FACU to the devices; the sprinkler contractor is responsible for the device installation in the piping.
+### The sprinkler contractor shall install the waterflow and supervisory devices in the piping, and the fire alarm Contractor shall install the wiring from the control unit to those devices.
−### The sprinkler design, including the location and quantity of waterflow and supervisory devices, is governed by [[sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems]] and NFPA 13.
+### The Contractor shall confirm the normally open or normally closed contact arrangement of each device before terminating it.
−## HVAC Coordination {toc}
+### Sprinkler system design and the placement of devices within the piping are governed by [[sync/wet-pipe-fire-sprinkler-systems]] and NFPA 13.
−### The fire alarm Contractor shall coordinate with the mechanical contractor for duct smoke detector installation locations, duct access provisions, remote indicator/test station locations, and the HVAC control outputs required by the sequence of operations.
+## Air Distribution System Coordination {toc}
−### The FACU output contacts for HVAC fan shutdown and smoke damper release shall be sized and rated for the HVAC control circuit voltages and current loads.
+### The Contractor shall coordinate duct smoke detector locations, duct access provisions, and remote test station locations with the mechanical contractor before ductwork is fabricated.
−### HVAC fan shutdown wiring from the FACU output to the HVAC unit's control panel is fire alarm scope; the HVAC unit's internal control logic is mechanical scope.
+### The Contractor shall confirm the control voltage, current, and contact arrangement each air handling unit requires for shutdown before terminating the output circuit.
+### Wiring from the fire alarm output to the air handling unit control panel is fire alarm scope, and the control logic within the air handling unit is mechanical scope.
+
+### Where the fire alarm system exchanges status with a building automation system, the interface shall be coordinated with [[sync/building-automation-system]].
+
## Elevator Coordination {toc}
−### The fire alarm Contractor shall coordinate with the elevator contractor and the elevator AHJ for elevator recall (fire service) contacts and wiring, elevator power shunt relay for hoistway and machine room sprinkler activation, and elevator lobby detector wiring where smoke detectors in elevator lobbies initiate recall.
+### The Contractor shall coordinate elevator recall contacts, power shunt trip arrangements, and elevator lobby and machine room detector wiring with the elevator contractor and the elevator inspector.
−### Elevator recall is governed by ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, and the fire alarm system provides the initiating inputs. {note}
+### The Contractor shall confirm the signal format each elevator controller requires before terminating the interface.
−### The Contractor shall confirm with the elevator contractor what signal format (normally-open dry contact, voltage, etc.) is required before wiring the interface.
+### Elevator recall and shunt trip arrangements shall comply with ASME A17.1 and NFPA 72 Chapter 21.
−## Access Control and Security Coordination {toc}
+### Shunt trip of elevator power on sprinkler activation removes power from the car, and the sequencing between the sprinkler activation, the recall, and the power removal is what keeps a car from being stranded between floors with occupants inside. That sequencing is verified with the elevator contractor present rather than by exercising the fire alarm output alone. {note}
−### Where the fire alarm system provides door-unlock or door-release outputs to magnetically locked egress doors, the fire alarm Contractor shall coordinate with the access control contractor to ensure that the fire alarm output interface is wired and tested.
+## Door Hardware and Access Control Coordination {toc}
−### The unlocking of egress doors on fire alarm activation is a life-safety function and is not optional; failures in this interface shall be identified and resolved during acceptance testing.
+### The Contractor shall coordinate the release of electromagnetic door holders, electrically locked egress doors, and stairwell reentry locks with the door hardware and access control contractors.
+### Release of an electrically locked egress door on fire alarm activation shall be tested with the access control contractor present.
+
+### The release output for an egress locking arrangement shall fail to the unlocked state on loss of the fire alarm output or loss of power to the locking device.
+
# Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance {toc}
−## After system acceptance, the Owner shall maintain the fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 14.
−## The minimum maintenance program shall include:
+## The Owner shall maintain the fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72 Chapter 14 after the system is accepted.
−- Semi-annual visual inspection of all system components
−- Annual functional testing of all initiating devices, notification appliances, and control functions (NFPA 72 Table 14.4.5)
−- Annual transmission path testing to the supervising station
−- Battery replacement per manufacturer's recommendation (typically every 3 to 5 years for VRLA)
−- Annual supervisory device testing (tamper switches, waterflow devices per NFPA 72)
+## The inspection and testing program the Contractor's service agreement provides shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
```datasheet
−label: Inspection and Testing Frequency
+label: Inspection and Testing Program
type: radio
options:
− - "Semi-annual inspection + annual testing (minimum per NFPA 72)"
− - "Quarterly inspection + semi-annual testing (enhanced)"
− - "Per Owner's maintenance contract with listed contractor"
−default: "Semi-annual inspection + annual testing (minimum per NFPA 72)"
+ - "Semiannual inspection with annual testing per NFPA 72 Chapter 14"
+ - "Quarterly inspection with annual testing"
+ - "Quarterly inspection with semiannual testing"
+ - "Monthly inspection with annual testing"
+default: "Semiannual inspection with annual testing per NFPA 72 Chapter 14"
```
−## The Contractor shall provide a 12-month service and maintenance contract as part of the system installation cost, beginning at the date of system acceptance.
+## The term of the service and inspection agreement the Contractor provides shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+```datasheet
+label: Initial Service and Inspection Agreement Term
+type: range
+unit: months
+min: 0
+max: 60
+setpoints: [0, 12, 24, 36, 60]
+default: 12
+```
+
+## The Contractor shall include the initial service and inspection agreement in the installed cost of the system, beginning at the date of system acceptance.
+
+## The Contractor shall turn over the inspection and testing schedule, the device inventory, and the test forms required by NFPA 72 Chapter 14 at closeout.
+
+## An inspection and testing record that starts as a blank form on the day the Contractor leaves is one the Owner is unlikely to keep. Turning over a populated device inventory and a dated schedule is what makes the first annual test a routine event rather than a rediscovery of the system. {note}
+
# Warranty {toc}
−## Equipment Warranty {toc}
+## Warranty Period {toc}
+### The equipment warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Equipment Manufacturer Warranty Period
−type: select
−options:
− - "1 year from date of system acceptance"
− - "2 years from date of system acceptance"
− - "3 years from date of system acceptance"
− - "Per manufacturer's warranty document — see closeout submittal"
−default: "1 year from date of system acceptance"
+label: Equipment Warranty Period
+type: range
+unit: months
+min: 12
+max: 60
+setpoints: [12, 24, 36, 60]
+default: 12
```
−### All fire alarm equipment — FACU, notification appliances, initiating devices, power supplies, and batteries — shall be warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a minimum period of 12 months from the date of system acceptance.
+### The installation warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
−### The Contractor shall provide a summary of all manufacturer warranties at project close.
+```datasheet
+label: Installation Warranty Period
+type: range
+unit: months
+min: 12
+max: 60
+setpoints: [12, 24, 36, 60]
+default: 12
+```
−### Where manufacturer warranties extend beyond 12 months, the longer warranty period shall apply.
+### Both warranty periods shall begin at the date of system acceptance.
−## Installation Warranty {toc}
+### The equipment warranty shall cover the control unit, annunciators, power supplies, batteries, amplifiers, initiating devices, notification appliances, and modules against defects in materials and workmanship.
+### The installation warranty shall cover wiring, terminations, device mounting, raceway, and programming against defects in workmanship.
+
+### Where a manufacturer's warranty on a component extends beyond the period indicated in the datasheet, the longer period shall apply to that component.
+
+### The Contractor shall submit a summary of every manufacturer warranty, with its start date and its term, at closeout.
+
+### Where a warranty repair is made, the repaired or replaced work shall carry a new warranty of the full original term from the date of the repair, or the remainder of the original term, whichever is longer.
+
+## Warranty Service Response {toc}
+
+### The maximum time within which the Contractor responds on site to a reported system trouble during the warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
```datasheet
−label: Installation Warranty Period
−type: select
+label: Maximum Warranty Service Response Time
+type: range
+unit: hours
+min: 2
+max: 72
+step: 1
+default: 24
+```
+
+### The Contractor shall provide corrective service for any defect covered by the warranty at no additional cost to the Owner, including labor, parts, and travel.
+
+### Where a fault leaves the system unable to detect or notify in any part of the protected premises, the Contractor shall provide an interim fire watch arrangement or shall restore the system before leaving the site.
+
+## Nuisance Alarm Remediation {toc}
+
+### The number of nuisance alarms attributable to installation or programming that the Contractor is permitted during each year of the warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Permitted Nuisance Alarms Per Year
+type: range
+unit: alarms per year
+min: 0
+max: 12
+step: 1
+default: 2
+```
+
+### Where nuisance alarms attributable to installation or programming exceed the number indicated in the datasheet, the Contractor shall investigate, reprogram, relocate, or replace devices until the rate falls within the permitted number, at no additional cost to the Owner.
+
+### Alarms attributable to occupant activity, to a change in the use of a space, to construction by others, or to conditions outside the Contractor's control are excluded from the count. {note}
+
+### Where the parties disagree whether a nuisance alarm is attributable to installation or programming, the Engineer of Record shall make the initial determination.
+
+# Spare Parts {toc}
+
+## The Contractor shall deliver the spare parts indicated in the datasheet at substantial completion.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Required Spare Parts
+type: checkbox
options:
− - "1 year from date of system acceptance"
− - "2 years from date of system acceptance"
−default: "1 year from date of system acceptance"
+ - "Spot-type smoke detectors of each installed type"
+ - "Detector bases of each installed type"
+ - "Heat detectors of each installed type"
+ - "Duct smoke detector sensing elements"
+ - "Manual fire alarm boxes"
+ - "Manual fire alarm box protective covers"
+ - "Audible notification appliances of each installed type"
+ - "Visible notification appliances of each installed candela rating"
+ - "Combination audible and visible appliances of each installed type"
+ - "Addressable monitor and control modules of each installed type"
+ - "Signaling line circuit isolator modules"
+ - "Secondary power batteries of each installed size"
+ - "Manual fire alarm box operating keys"
+ - "Detector removal and test tools"
+default:
+ - "Spot-type smoke detectors of each installed type"
+ - "Detector bases of each installed type"
+ - "Heat detectors of each installed type"
+ - "Manual fire alarm boxes"
+ - "Audible notification appliances of each installed type"
+ - "Visible notification appliances of each installed candela rating"
+ - "Addressable monitor and control modules of each installed type"
+ - "Manual fire alarm box operating keys"
+ - "Detector removal and test tools"
```
−### The Contractor shall warrant the fire alarm system installation — including all wiring, connections, device mounting, conduit installation, and programming — against defects in workmanship for a minimum period of 12 months from the date of system acceptance.
+## The quantity of each spare device type shall be as indicated in the datasheet, expressed as a percentage of the installed quantity of that type.
−### During the warranty period, the Contractor shall respond to system troubles and malfunctions attributable to the installation within 24 hours of notification and shall provide corrective service at no additional cost to the Owner.
+```datasheet
+label: Spare Device Quantity
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 0
+max: 10
+step: 1
+default: 2
+```
−## False Alarm Warranty {toc}
+## The minimum quantity of any spare device type shall be as indicated in the datasheet regardless of the percentage calculated.
−### The Contractor shall warrant that the installed system — following acceptance testing and occupancy — will not generate more than two nuisance (false) alarms per calendar year during the warranty period, attributable to installation or programming deficiencies.
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Spare Quantity Per Device Type
+type: range
+unit: devices
+min: 0
+max: 10
+step: 1
+default: 2
+```
−### Nuisance alarms attributable to occupant activities, building process changes, or events beyond the Contractor's control are excluded. {note}
+## Spare devices shall be of the same model and firmware revision as the installed devices, and the Contractor shall record the model and revision of each spare in the closeout documentation.
−### Where nuisance alarms exceed this threshold, the Contractor shall investigate, reprogram, or replace devices as necessary to achieve compliance.
+## Spare devices shall be delivered in their original packaging and shall be turned over against a written inventory signed by the Owner's representative.
+
+## Spare devices and spare batteries shall be stored in a conditioned location identified in the closeout documentation.
+
+## A sealed lead-acid battery held in an unconditioned mechanical space self-discharges and sulfates on a timescale set by its storage temperature, so a spare battery bought at project close can be past its usable capacity before the first replacement cycle calls for it. {note}