This article is about Fire Alarm System Control Panel Selection Criteria and Installation of Fire Alarm System as per International Codes and standards for Commercial Buildings, Plants and Refinery Projects.
Fire Alarm System Control Panel Selection Criteria and Installation
- The system shall alarm at a local, dedicated, listed fire alarm panel in the building.
- All sensing devices shall be individually identifiable (addressable) at the local fire panel.
- If the building is not a control building, the system shall also send a common alarm to the control room for that plant area either via the plant DCS system or hardwired to a dedicated fire alarm annunciator in the control room.
- The local fire alarm panel for in-plant buildings shall be located at the building entrance or air lock, except that, for small stand-alone control rooms such as those at GOSPs, the local fire panel may be located in the control room near the exit door.
- Self-Restoring Supervisory Signal Indication. Visible and audible indication of self-restoring supervisory signals and visible indication of their restoration to normal shall be automatically indicated within 90 seconds at the following locations:
(1) Fire alarm control unit for local fire alarm systems
(2) Building fire command center for emergency voice/
(3) Supervising station location for systems installed in compliance with chapter 8 (NFPA 72 sec.4.4.3.2.3)” - Visible and audible trouble signals and visible indication of their restoration to normal shall be indicated at the following locations:
(1) Fire alarm control unit (panel) for protected premises alarm systems
(2) Building fire command center for emergency voice/alarm communications systems
(3) Central station or remote station location for systems installed in compliance with chapter 8 (NFPA 72 sec.4.4.3.5.6). - “Where the separation of emergency voice/alarm control equipment locations results in the portions of the system controlled by one location being dependent upon the control equipment in other location being dependent upon the control equipment in other locations, the ciruits between the dependent controls shall be protected against attack by fire using one of the following methods:
(1) A 2-hour fire rated circuits integrity (CI) cable
(2) A 2-hour fire rated cable system (electrical circuit protective system)
(3) Routing the cable through a 2-hour rated enclosure
(4) Performance alternative approved by the authority having jurisdiction
(5) Building fully protected by an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, and with the interconnecting wiring or cables between the emergency voice/alarm communication control equipment locations installed in metal raceways and in accordance with Article 760 of NFPA 70 (NFPA 72 sec. 6.9.10.4.3). - Control Unit. A system component that monitors inputs and controls outputs through various types of circuits. (SIGPRO) (NFPA 72 sec.3.3.39)
- In facilities without a building fire alarm system, these smoke detectors or other automatic fire detection as permitted by 6.16.3.7 shall be connected to a dedicated fire alarm control unit that shall be designated as “elevator recall control and supervisory control unit”, permanently identified on the control unit and on the record drawings. (NFPA 72 sec.6.16.3.2 )
- Control circuits to shut down elevator power shall be monitored for presence of operating voltage. Loss of voltage to the control circuit for the disconnecting means shall cause a supervisory signal to be indicated at the control unit and required remote annunciators. (NFPA 72 sec.6.16.4.4 )
- In facilities without a building alarm system, dedicated function fire alarm control units are required by 6.16.3.2 for elevator recall in order that the elevator recall systems be monitored for integrity and have primary and secondary power meeting the requirements of this Code. (NFPA 72 sec. A.6.16.3.2 ).
- Upon activation of the heat detector used for elevator power shutdown, there should be a delay in the activation of the power shunt trip. This delay should be the time that it takes the elevator cab to travel from the top of the hoistway to the lowest recall level. Attachment 1 figure A.6.16.4.4 illustrates one method of monitoring elevator shunt trip control power for integrity.
- Fire Alarm Control Unit. A component of the fire alarm system, provided with primary and secondary power sources, which receives signals from initiating devices or other fire alarm control units, and processes these signals to determine part or all of the required fire alarm system output function(s). (SIG-PRO). (NFPA 72 sec.3.3.64)
- Fire Alarm Control Unit. All household fire warning equipment or systems shall be plainly marked with the following information on the unit:
(1) Manufacturer’s or listee’s name, address, and model number
(2) A mark or certification that the unit has been approved or listed by a testing laboratory
(3) Electrical rating (where applicable)
(4) Identification of all user interface components and their functions (such as, but not limited to, lights, switches, and meters) located adjacent to the component (NFPA 72 sec.11.11.2 ). - More of Fire Alarm Control Unit to be marked:
(5) Manufacturer’s published operating and maintenance instructions
(6) Test instructions
(7) Replacement and service instructions
(8) Reference to an installation wiring diagram and homeowner’s manual, if not attached to control unit (panel), by drawing number and issue number and/or date
Exception: Where space limitations prohibit inclusion of 11.11.2(5) and 11.11.2(7), it is not prohibited for this information to be in the installation instructions instead. (NFPA 72 sec.11.11.2) - All operator controls at the proprietary supervising station(s) designated by the authority having jurisdiction shall be operated at each change of shift. (NFPA 72 sec.8.4.5.2.1 )
- The signal from an automatic fire detection device selected for positive alarm sequence operation shall be acknowledged at the control unit by trained personnel within 15 seconds of annunciation in order to initiate the alarm investigation phase. If the signal is not acknowledged within 15 seconds, notification signals in accordance with the building evacuation or relocation plan and remote signals shall be automatically and immediately activated. (NFPA 72 sec 6.8.1.3.1.1)
- Suppression System Actuation: Fire alarm control units used for automatic or manual activation of a fire suppression system shall be listed for releasing service. (NFPA 72 sec. 6.12.1)
- Suppression systems or groups of systems shall be controlled by a single control unit that monitors the associated initiating device(s), actuates the associated releasing device(s), and controls the associated agent release notification appliances. If the releasing panel is located in a protected premises having a separate fire alarm system, it shall be monitored for alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals, but shall not be dependent on or affected by the operation or failure of the protected premises fire alarm system.
- Exception: If the configuration of multiple control units is listed for releasing device service, and if a trouble condition or manual disconnect on either control unit causes a trouble or supervisory signal, the initiating devices on one control unit shall be permitted to actuate releasing devices on another control unit. (NFPA 72 sec.6.12.8).
- Where interconnected control units are in separate buildings, consideration should be given to protecting the interconnecting wiring from electrical and radio frequency interference. (NFPA 72 sec.A.6.8.2).
International Standard and Codes for Fire Alarm System Control Panel
1. Alarm Switches Commissioning Checklist
Fire Alarm & Fire Protection of Hazardous Material Handling Building
3. NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code (NEC), 2008 Edition
4. NFPA 72 – National Fire Alarm Code, 2007 Edition
5. SAES-P-104 – Wiring Methods and Materials, 13 January 2008
6. SAES-B-014 – Safety Requirements for Plant and Operations Support Buildings, 29 February 2004
7. SAES-M-100 – Saudi Aramco Building Code , 09 October 2006.
8. ANSI/UL 10B – Fire Tests of Door Assemblies.
1. Attachment 1: NFPA 72 Figure A6.16.4.4
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