FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS NOT WHAT YOURE THINKING WHAT - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2015 CFAA NCR CHAPTER TECHNICAL SEMINAR Paul Latreille, CET. - Secur Fire Protection

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING

• WHAT IS THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT?
• I wasn’t sure when I started.
• Started based on suggestions from previous seminars but they were

general in nature

• The Code DOES offer lots of design options!
• This is not going to be what you’re thinking likely
• For example, it’s like expecting this for Christmas:

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING

www.secur-fire.com Lamborghini Veneno Roadster: $4.5 million

• And getting this instead:

– Chevy Roadster $1.99

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

OBC APPROACH

• OBC APPROACH TO “SPECIAL

APPLICATIONS”

• OBC fire alarm requirements that are out of the norm or can be

interpreted several ways

• OBC permitted design options for different occupancies
• How grammar and punctuation affects our interpretation

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING

GRAMMAR MATTERS:

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

GRAMMAR MATTERS

PUNCTUATION MATTERS:

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BUILDING CODE GRAMMAR

• 1.2.3.4.

– (a), – (b), – (c), and – (d) EQUALS = All of a, b, c, and d must be achieved to comply

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BUILDING CODE GRAMMAR

• 1.2.3.4.

– (a), – (b), – (c), or – (d) EQUALS = You can do a, or b, or c, or d to achieve compliance.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BASIC APPLICATION ISSUES CONTINUITY OF FIRE ALARM 3.2.4.2

• if there is a fire wall, and there are any openings other than for piping, tubing, and non-

combustible raceways, 3.2.4 applies to the both sides of the fire wall as if it was a single building.

• If one major occupancy requires a fire alarm then all occupancies require a fire alarm
• If a fire alarm system is required in any portion of a building, it is required to be installed

throughout the building

• If you have a building less than three stories, 3.2.4 can be applied to each portion of a

building if there is a fire separation and there are no openings in that fire separation (does not apply to storage rooms or service rooms)

• Buildings interconnected by code permitted walkways and vestibules, can be treated as

separate buildings (ie can have separate fire alarm systems).

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BY DEFINITION

HOW DO MALLS GET SILENT FIRST STAGE FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS? By Definition, that’s how:

• Alert: an audible signal designed to alert designated persons of a

fire emergency.

• If system is constantly monitored in person 24/7, then no signals

need to ring in a mall. This can apply to ANY type of building

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BY DEFINITION

APPENDIX NOTE FOR ALERT SIGNALS:

• Alert signals are part of a two stage system. The intent of the

first, alert, stage is to notify persons in authority of a potential threat to building occupants. In certain occupancies, such as a hospital, it may not be desirable for an alert signal to sound throughout the floor area. In such cases, the alert signal may be restricted to a continuously staffed location. Examples are: a nursing station, a building security desk in an office tower, where staff are available every day at all times.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

BY DEFINITION

SECOND APPENDIX NOTE FOR ALERT SIGNALS (be prepared to have your mind blown) 3.2.4.4.(2)(c)

• In a two stage system, the alert signal may be transmitted to audible signal

devices in designated locations or to all devices throughout the building. If activated, the second stage alarm signal may sound throughout all zones in the building and typically activated by a keyswitch on an manual pull station

• A zoned two stage operation is permitted where the alarm signal sounds in the

zone of key switch activation (and perhaps in adjacent zones which may be the floor above and below) and the alert signal throughout the rest of the building. This sequence would be created automatically by the fire alarm control unit.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS

• Special rules apply
• NOT a defined term in the code
• What the heck is this anyway?

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS www.secur-fire.com

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS

• basic intent of a coded system was to audibly identify

what area an alarm was initiated in by sounding a coded signal over the bells (or gongs) in a building (2-3-2 = Area 2, Level 3, Stair 2)

• Why do we have this now? Never once used in my 30

year career – not even hospitals for where they were

• riginally intended.
• Can cause confusion with the temporal pattern that will

play for the EVAC message that is legislated

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS

• OBC Requirements:

– must be a two stage system in the building, AND – first stage broadcasts the coded alert signals indicating the zone of alarm; AND – repeated a minimum of 4 times then the continuous alert signal is sounded afterwards AND – If not acknowledged after 5 minutes, then the temporal pattern is to be broadcast.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? www.secur-fire.com

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONING 3.2.4.9.

• NEED SPECIFIC ZONES FOR:
• Contained Use Area (a supervised area containing one or more rooms

in which occupant movement is restricted to a single room by security measures not under control of the occupant)

• Impeded Egress Zone (a supervised area where occupants have free

movement but require the release, by security personnel, of security doors at the boundary before being able to leave the area, but does not include a contained use area)

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONING 3.2.4.9.

• NEED SPECIFIC ZONES FOR:
• 2 hour fire rated compartment with vertical fire

separations (Appendix says: if multi level room – zone based on entry

level of space. Elevator shaft zones on annunciator should be lettered or numbered to reflect the elevator car numbering/lettering)

• Interior undivided open spaces (rinks, swimming pool,

air hangar) can exceed Code area limitations but:

• Rest of building to be zoned per code

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONING 3.2.4.9.

• A building having a hotel provided with a “trouble

signal sounding device with a silence switch” requires a trouble light at the main reception desk or at another continually supervised location

• Interesting (to me) fact: a trouble signal sounding

device is not a defined term and is not a device prescribed to be installed anywhere in the OBC

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONING 3.2.4.9.

• In a long term care home, a remote “audiovisual

fire alarm trouble signal” shall be located at the main nursing station

• This is not a defined term in the Code or the fire alarm
• world. Often this ends up being an LCD display.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ZONING 3.2.4.9.(4)

• “if an annunciator is not provided as part of a fire alarm system in

conformance with sentence 1, a visual and audible trouble signal device shall be provided inside the main entrance of the building”

• Sentence 1: except as permitted by sentences 3 to 5, an annunciator shall be installed in close proximity to a

building entrance that faces a street or access route for fire department vehicles”

• Sentence 3: annunciator not required if only one zone is required by sentence 2
• Sentence 4: this clause we are talking about
• Sentence 5: no annunciator required if the building is not more than 3 storeys and not more than an

aggregate of 2000m2

• This can be interpreted to mean that an annunciator

does NOT have to be installed in any building if you so chose. Why have the requirements for an annunciator then?

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

ELECTRICAL SUPERVISION 3.2.4.10.

• 3.2.4.10.6. if a building is regulated by 3.2.6. and is sprinklered, the

indication of a supervisory signal in accordance with sentence 3.2.4.10.(3) must be transmitted to a proprietary control centre or independent central station.

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? If building is sprinklered and under 36

m in height, 18 m residential, then you don’t have to monitor the supervisory signals of the sprinkler system. How is the risk reduced any further solely based on building height?

• Contrary to 3.2.4.8.(2) : a fire alarm system that has waterflow

indicating devices shall be designed to notify the fire department…

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

LATERAL THINKING (EDWARD DE BONO) www.secur-fire.com

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

DETECTION

• Fire detector required in rooms where

hazardous substances are to be used or stored. (“hazardous” not defined).

• Fire detectors required in “hazardous class

rooms and change rooms in an elementary or secondary school”

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

DETECTION

A Hazardous change room?

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

DETECTION

• Smoke detectors in a room in a contained use area (but not

impeded egress zone) and “corridors serving those rooms”

• Smoke detectors in a Group B occupancy: sleeping rooms and each

corridor serving as part of a means of egress from sleeping rooms (means of egress: includes exits and access to exits and means a continuous

path of travel provided for the escape of persons from any point in a building)

• Smokes in corridors in portions of buildings that have an A1 and

heats in all rooms in A1 buildings

• Heat detectors in “in every room in a suite and in every room not

located in a suite other than washrooms within a suite, saunas, refrigerated areas and swimming pools”

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

DETECTION

3.2.4.12.(3)

• Smoke detectors in a care, care and treatment, or detention
• ccupancy shall upon actuation provide an audible and visible signal

to staff serving those rooms so that the room or location containing the smoke detector can be readily identified.

• Appendix note: If staff located in each zone or compartment can see each

sleeping room door, , visible signals can be located above each door. If staff cannot see each door, it is intended that the visible signals be provided at the location where staff are normally in attendance. The audible signal is intended to alert the staff to check the visual signal.

• The inference, again, is that the smoke detector can be silent and not activate

the building signals and activate only the audible signal at the supervised location.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

3.2.4.12.(7)

• Fire detectors are permitted to be installed in

lieu of smoke detectors required in sentence (5) (walkways and vestibules) for Group F

• ccupancies, where the smoke detectors may

be subjected to false alarms due to the activities within the building.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS 3.2.4.23.(3)

• Silencing of alarm signals to provide voice messages, in

a single stage system, are permitted after the alarm signals have sounded for 30 seconds

• Silencing of the alert signal and the alarm signal to

provide voice messages, in a two stage system, are permitted after the alarm signals have sounded for:

• 10 s in hospitals with 24/7 supervisory personnel
• 30s all other occupancies

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

3.2.4.19.(2)

• YES, Yes, Virginia there is a clause that lets you

use the voice communication system for something other than emergencies.

• If audible signal devices with voice reproduction

capabilities are intended for paging and similar voice message use, other than during a fire emergency, they shall be installed so that the alert and alarm signals take priority over all other signals.

• Can’t use it for background noise or music. Boo!

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

3.2.4.19.(4)(c)

Visual Signals

• I’ve spent a lot of engineering time debating this
• ne with colleagues:
• Visual signals are required in (c): In a corridor used by the public and in

a floor area or part of it where the public may congregate in Group A

• ccupancy.
• MY VERSION: Comma splice it: In a corridor used by the public and in

a floor area or part of it where the public may congregate , in Group A

• ccupancy.

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

YOU MADE IT!

I’LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS GRAMMATICALLY HORRIFIC QUOTE

WE PASSED OVER A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE AND COMPANIES TO GET TO YOU GUYS

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FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

THANK YOU

QUESTIONS?

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