Helpful Information to Share with Your Customer - Fire Alarm Systems Components and the Appropriate Applications

Installing the right fire alarm system components is critical for life safety. Although you understand the equipment that is most suitable for the safety of each building’s occupants, this article will help you inform your customers of some of the basics. When you install the most appropriate detectors, notification devices, and pull stations for each application, you are helping to ensure life safety for building occupants and emergency response notification when a fire emergency occurs.

Detectors are installed as part of a fire alarm system to detect fires for building evacuation and to notify emergency responders. Detectors are generally of two types, smoke detectors and heat detectors.

• Smoke Detectors sense smoke particulate to provide an early indication of the presence of a fire. Early detection allows more time for occupants to evacuate providing the maximum life safety benefit.
• Heat Detectors sense abnormally high temperatures caused by a fire. Fixed temperature detectors produce a signal when a predetermined temperature is reached. Rate-of-rise detectors sense a rapid rise in temperature. Heat detectors are used where smoke detectors are susceptible to false alarms from airborne particles such as dust, humidity, and cooking grease.

These detectors trigger Notification Devices to provide alerts to building occupants to take quick action including building evacuation. Horns, sirens, and strobe lights are typical notification devices. Using a combination of devices helps people with different sensory capabilities.

Pull Stations are manual activation devices that building occupants use to activate the building alarm system. These initiating devices are strategically installed near exits and easily accessible locations. Dual-action pull stations require two actions to activate the device and are preferred to avoid unwanted alarms.

The Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) receives signals from the system detectors, pull stations, and suppression systems. The FACP initiates responses including activating audible and visual alarms and notifying first responders.

Selecting and installing the most appropriate components plays a critical role in fire safety. Sharing your knowledge of fire alarm system components with building owners and occupants will lead to a safer environment in all the buildings that you service.