FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM: SCOPE AND FUNDAMENTALS

An FDAS component that can be individually identified of its status or used to individually control other functions.

Addressable Device

A system consisting of an addressable fire alarm control panel and addressable devices that primarily give the exact location of a fire, among other features.

Addressable System

A notice or warning of danger

Alarm

An alarm caused by a non-fire incident or activity
such as smoking, cooking, etc

False Alarm

An alarm caused by malfunction, equipment defect, improper installation, or poor maintenance.

Nuisance Alarm

Location or part of the protected building or premises. The detection of a firewill be indicated distinctly and independently from an indication of fire in any other location.

Alarm Zone

The office of Bureau of Fire Protection and the Office of Building Official.

Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)

An FDAS component containing one or more indicator lamps/LED's or alphanumeric displays in which each indication provides status information about an addressable or conventional device, a group of devices, a zone, a circuit, or an LCD and Graphic condition.

Annunciator

An entity controlled and operated by a person, firm, or corporation whose business is the monitoring, recording, and maintaining of supervised alarms automatically transmitted to it by the FDAS of a subscriber of this service, and who upon receipt of such signals shall take such actions as required by the AHJ and the subscriber.

Central Station

An FDAS component, such as a smoke detector, heat detector, or manual fire alarm station, that does not have an electromechanical or software address that gives it a discrete identity.

Conventional device

A system with a conventional fire alarm control panel and conventional devices that is wired in a way that divides the protected building or premises
into parts or subdivisions which are called alarm zones.

Conventional system

A device or component that is used to sense the products of fire, such as smoke, heat, flame, or carbon monoxide.

Detector

A detector that detects particles of combustion, whether visible or invisible.

Smoke Detector

A detector that detects abnormally high temperature, abnormally fast rate of temperature rise, or both.

Heat Detector

A detector that contains two or more sensors that tracks the corresponding products of fire, such as smoke, heat, flame, or carbon monoxide, and transmits signals to the fire alarm control panel, which shall mathematically evaluate them with pre-programmed algorithms to determine when an alarm signal is warranted. The evaluation may also be performed at the detector. The objective of using this type of detector is to reduce false alarms.

Multi-Criteria Detector

A smoke detector, using sampling tubes, that senses smoke in the air circulating within air-conditioning or ventilating ducts.

Duct Detector

A smoke detector that senses smoke along a continuous path, usually installed in high-ceiling areas. It is alternately called a projected beam smoke detector.

Beam Detector

A detector that senses and detects the radiant energy emitted by a flame.

Flame Detector

A detector that consists of a piping layout network that runs from the detector to the protected area or areas. A fan inside the detector housing draws air from the protected area or areas through air sampling holes or ports on the piping network. The air is then evaluated and analyzed at the detector to determine if an alarm signal is warranted.

Air Sampling-type detector

A detector that senses and detects abnormally high
levels of carbon monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

A sub-system of an FDAS that broadcasts the existence of a fire or an emergency situation, or communicates information necessary to facilitate an appropriate action.

Emergency Communications System

It is a sub-system that broadcasts information during an emergency to the occupants of a building or facility and instructs appropriate actions to them, such as evacuating. It is conveyed by audible or visible means, or both.

Emergency Voice Alarm Communication (EVAC) System

It is a sub- system intended for use by the building fire safety personnel or by fire fighters and first responders to both exchange information and to communicate information, such as condition of local environment, condition of persons, to give assurance that help is on the way, or other instructions.

Two-Way Emergency Communications System

An FDAS component, provided with primary and secondary power supplies that receives signals from initiating devices, such as detectors and manual fire alarm stations and processes these signals to determine the required output functions, such as activation of notification appliances, annunciators, and the one-way emergency communications system.

Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP)

An FACP that comes with one or more alarm zones. It can only connect conventional devices.

Conventional Fire Alarm Control Panel

An FACP that comes with one or more signaling line circuits, called addressable loops, to which addressable devices are connected. Conventional devices may also be connected to these loops through input addressable modules. Also known as Intelligent FACP.

Addressable Fire Alarm Control Panel

The room or principal location wherein the FACP and other life safety system are located to display and monitor all fire alarms and system troubles, and from which all output functions are automatically and manually controlled. Requirements for Fire Command Center shall follow the provisions stipulated in the Implementing Rules and Regulation of Republic Act 9514, the revised fire code of the Philippines 2008, Division 19, Chapter 10.2.19.5, see Annex D. See Figure 1-19

Fire Command Center

An FDAS component that is manually operated to initiate a fire alarm signal.

Manual Fire Alarm Station

An FDAS component such as a bell, horn, speaker, strobe, or text display that provides audible or visible outputs, or both.

Notification Appliance

A notification appliance that warns by the sense of hearing

Audible Notification Appliance

An audible notification appliance that arks building exits, floor exits, stairwells, or paths to exits for the purpose of evacuation.

Exit Marking Audible Notification Appliance

A notification appliance that warns by the sense of sight.

Visible Notification Appliance

A notification appliance that warns by the sense of touch or vibration.

Tactile Notification Appliance

People, who install, maintain, service, test, and/or inspect fire detection and alarm system.

Personnel

Individuals who perform cleaning, adjustments, replacements of equipment & components, system programming, and other maintenance work according to the manufacturer's recommendations for the system to perform as required.

Maintenance and Service Personnel

Individuals who perform physical checks, tests, and procedures to determine whether a system performs as required for acceptance or reacceptance.

Testing Personnel

Individuals representing the AHJ who perform physical checks, tests, and procedures to determine whether a system functions and performs as required, as
partial compliance for issuance of a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC).

Inspection Personnel

It is the source of electricity that provides the power needed to operate the FACP, and consequently all devices connected to it.

Power Supply

It is the 220VAC power voltage from the electrical utility company. Within the FACP it is converted to the system voltage of 24VDC.

Primary Power Supply

When there is a failure of the primary power supply, the batteries (serving as the secondary power supply) automatically switch over to provide uninterrupted power to the system

Secondary Power Supply

A system consisting of an addressable fire alarm control panel and conventional devices connected to it through input addressable modules.

Semi-addressable System

Indicates a mandatory requirement.

Shall

Indicates a recommendation, but not required.

Should

The fire detection and alarm system shall, at the very least, consist of a fire alarm control panel, the appropriate automatic detectors, manual fire alarm station(s), and notification appliance(s)

True

The properly designed, installed, and accepted fire detection and alarm system shall undergo annual testing and inspection by the AHJ for reacceptance, as specified in Chapter 4.

True

The secondary power supply shall ave sufficient capacity to operate the system under normal non-alarm condition for a minimum of 24 hours, and at the end of that period, capable of operating all alarm notification appliances and emergency communications system for a period of 30 minutes.

True

An alarm zone shall have a maximum floor area of 800 sq. m. A separate alarm zone shall be provided for each 800 sq.m, of protected floor area.

True

The color of the manual fire alarm station must be red.

True

Audible notification signal shall have a sound level of at least 15 dB above the average ambient sound level, or 5 dB above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 30 seconds or 75 dBA, whichever is greater, measured 1.40 meters above the floor in the area required to be served.

True

Buildings, structures, facilities, houses, or premises that are not record and refer of protection code, more than 400 sq.m, in total floor area, not more than two floors or less and with a height of not more than 10 meters may choose not to install a fire detection alarm system.

However, in its place, battery-operated, stand-alone detectors shall be installed. Each battery-operated, stand-alone detector shall cover a floor area of not more than 50 sq m Each room shall be separately protected.

In buildings, structures, facilities, houses, or premises that are over and above the specified in Clause 1.6.1, battery-operated detectors shall not substitute or take the place wired detectors in the fire
detection and alarm system

True