Fire Systems: Fire Alarm Control Panel

Related Courses

Key Questions

The following key questions are answered in this module:

What is the purpose of the NFPA 101 life safety code?
The NFPA 101 life safety code states the requirements for the three key componenets of a fire alarm system: what sets it off, how it alerts people in the structure, and whether or how it must be monitored for the purpose of immediate response by emergy services.

What is a conventional or non-addressable fire system?
A conventional/non-addressable fire system is a fire alarm that identifies the activated detector by a zone LED.

What are the three basic categories for a fire alarm signal?
The three basic categories for a fire alarm signal are trouble, supervisory, and alarm.

What is a tamper switch?
A tamper switch is a mechanical and electrical device that is connected to a fire protection valve that signals a warning if the valve partially or fully closes.

What is the NFPA 72?
The NFPA 72 is the governing standard that federal, state, and local municipalities across the United States have adopted in the enforcement of fire code regulations in place today.

Sample Video Transcript

Below is a transcript of the video sample provided for this module:

When referring to fire alarm systems, you will most likely hear the term used as a conventional fire system. This is also known as the non-addressable fire system. A non-addressable or conventional fire system is a fire alarm that identifies the activated detector or manual call point by a zone LED. This is different from the text message shown on an LCD display that is used by an addressable system. In this type of fire system, let’s say a smoke detector is activated on the ground floor of the building. You would observe a red LED indicating a fire activation is illuminated on the fire control panel. Also, you would see another red LED in zone one. The panel in this type of system is configured to show zones of the locations of the fire detection devices. If you looked at the zone listing, you would see that zone one is located on the ground floor. Addressable systems use advanced technologies and detection equipment for discrete identification of alarm signals at the detector level. An addressable system can pinpoint an alarm location to the precise physical location and the type of initiating detector. Each component on the signaling line circuits or SLC has an identification number or address. The fire alarm control panel, or FACP, constantly checks each device using a signaling line circuit or SLC. The system uses three states to describe the status of the devices: trouble, supervisory, and alarm.