Fire Alarm Design NFPA Compliant

NFPA Codes & Standards

The NFPA, established more than a century ago in 1896, is a self-funded nonprofit organization that is dedicated to eliminating death, injury, and any form of property or economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. Widely known as a codes and standards organization, it has produced more than 300 consensus codes, which leave the final determination of the provisions in codes to public safety officials with no vested financial interests. These are approved by the American National Standards Institute.

The NFPA is also regarded as the premier resource for fire data analysis and research. Many NSPA standards are regarded as industry benchmarks and are referenced in legislation, including the codes listed above.

But even though the NFPA establishes rules and administers the process of developing codes and standards, the Association does not independently test, evaluate, or even verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in NFPA standards.

Furthermore, the NFPA doesn’t have the power to enforce compliance with its codes and standards. But there are various enforcing authorities that are responsible for enforcing its standards. These are known as the authority having jurisdiction (ASJ). For example:

• The Fire Prevention Organization & Deployment committee is responsible for enforcing NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public Education Operations
• The Fire Reporting committee is responsible for enforcing NFPA 901: Standard Classifications for Incident Reporting and Fire Protection Data

The NFPA requires users of its codes and standards to consult applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. These specify when NFPA standards, including anything relating to fire alarm design, must be complied with.

Other NFPA Codes & Standards

There are more than 300 consensus codes and standards published by the NFPA that are administered by more than 250 technical committees that involve about 8,000 volunteers.

Some of the benchmark codes and standards that are referenced in the Fire Code include:

These, and another 143 are mentioned in the Fire Code and are considered to be a part of the Code. Of these, 52 are referenced for extracts in mandatory sections of the Code.

Additionally, a number of other publications are referenced. These have been published by a wide range of relevant associations, agencies, commissions, committees, institutes, and laboratories: the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Petroleum Institute (API Publications), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), ASTM International, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), FM Global, the International Electrotechnical Commission (ETC), the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBPVI), the National Railroad Freight Committee (NRFC), the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), the Steel Tank Institute (STI), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada (ULC), the United Nations (UN) International, and the U.S. Government.

Several of the publications produced by ANSI and/or UL include standards that relate directly to fire safety and fire alarm design. For example the Standard for Antitheft Alarms and Devices.

The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, NFPA 72-2019, focuses on fire alarm systems and deals with everything that relates to fire detection, signaling, and emergency communications. It also provides specific requirements for design.

The Code contains chapters on:

• Fundamental, including alarm signals and emergency voice/alarm communications systems.
• Inspection, testing, and maintenance.
• Initiating devices that text heat, smoke, fire, gas, and/or carbon monoxide.
• Notification appliances that may be audible, visual, textual, graphical, or tactile.
• Alarm and signaling systems for protected premises.
• Emergency communications systems.
• Public emergency alarm reporting systems.
• Single- and multiple-station alarms and household signaling systems.

Additionally, there is an engineering guide for automatic fire detector spacing, a system performance and design guide, wiring diagrams and a guide for testing fire alarm circuits, and guidelines for emergency communication strategies for buildings and campuses.

The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code classifies alarms as well as emergency communications systems.

• Fire alarm systems are classified as household or protected premises.
• Supervisory station alarm systems include:
  • Central station alarm systems
  • Remote alarm systems
  • Proprietary alarm systems
• Public emergency alarm reporting systems:
  • Local energy type
  • Shunt type
• One-way and two-way emergency communication systems.

More specifically, an alarm is described as, “An indication of the existence of a condition that requires immediate response.” Four types are singled out:

1. Carbon monoxide alarms with single or multiple stations.
2. Manual fire alarm boxes that are manually operated devices used to initiate fire alarm signals.
3. Master alarm boxes that are publicly accessible and can be operated by remote initiating devices or an auxiliary alarm system that is used to send an alarm to the communications center.
4. Publicly accessible alarm boxes that house manually operated transmitters that send an alarm to the communications center.

In addition, this code has information on mass notification systems for fire and weather emergencies, terrorist events, and biological, chemical, and nuclear emergencies.

Clearly, there is a myriad of codes and standards required to ensure that any fire alarm design is NFA compliant. You can rely on New York Engineers to make certain that your fire alarm system is not only compliant but works the way it should to effectively save lives and property.