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If you install fire alarm systems, it is important to keep up on changes in the codes that may affect your next installation. It is no longer acceptable to just be familiar with NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm Code. You have to be familiar with the building, fire and life safety codes that are applicable in your area. These codes are where you find whether or not a fire alarm system is required and what type of specific equipment is mandated. Remember that NFPA 72 simply tells you how to properly install, test and maintain fire alarm systems.
The best way to begin is by calling your local building official and fire marshal to find out which codes they enforce. Don't be surprised if they enforce different codes. Also find out if they have any local amendments that might modify the national codes. That is also quite common, especially in larger cities. For example, the city of Chicago has its own fire code and many other urban municipalities do as well.
You will also want to ask which version of NFPA 72 and NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, they enforce. Sometimes it is a newer version than what is referenced in the building or fire codes. This is your starting point. Remember, it is the fire alarm system designer's responsibility to determine the fire alarm requirements and not the fire marshal's. Their role is simply to verify your design meets the minimum requirements of the codes they enforce.
It is also good practice to stay up to date on upcoming changes to the codes so you can plan ahead for future installations. Subscribe to national code publications, newsletters and other alerts. Unfortunately, with the typical code cycle of three years between editions, most companies do not even get a chance to use a new edition of the code before it is modified for the next newer version. For example, most states today reference the 2002 version of NFPA 72. The 2007 version is already out and available and the proposal stage for the 2010 edition has already been completed.
Balanced approach to fire safety
Many times, associations work together with other organizations to promote changes that will have a positive impact on their members and their businesses. A good example of this was a joint meeting between the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA), the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) and the National Electrical Manufacturer's Association (NEMA) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is working on proposed changes to the Federal Register that would require fire sprinklers to be installed in existing nursing homes. The goal of the three associations was to promote the use of a balanced approach to fire protection and encourage CMS to also require fire alarm systems in all nursing homes in addition to sprinklers. Unfortunately, CMS personnel reported that the process was too far along to make this change, but they would consider it for future changes. Even though the three associations did not get what they wanted this time, they did still gain some ground. They showed CMS that our industry works together to promote safer buildings and life safety.
Although there have been many changes to the International Building and Fire Codes in the last few years, most of the changes were made to make the codes more usable and enforceable. These revisions did not significantly change requirements for fire alarm systems. There were significant changes to the layout of Section 907, Fire Alarm Systems, for the 2007 Supplement that was accepted by the International Code Council. Some new technical requirements, including adding the requirement for the smoke detector to protect the control panel and the single pull station requirement for fire alarm systems with automatic initiating devices were added because NFPA 72 committees are planning to remove these from that code. NFPA 72 is intended for installation requirements, not equipment requirements. An informal committee comprised of many AHJ's and fire alarm industry individuals worked together to propose these changes. Additional changes were proposed in February 2008 to further clean up the language in Section 907.
New name soon on the books?
NFPA 72 is probably going through the greatest change of any of the codes that affect fire alarm systems. Changes began in the 2007 NFPA 72 and will continue to be added in the 2010 edition. The proposed changes to the 2010 edition will include a name change—to the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code--if accepted by the NFPA Standards Council and approved by the membership in June 2009 at the NFPA World Safety Conference. The document will also include the addition of at least three new chapters.
The proliferation of mass notification systems is having a direct impact on NFPA 72 as evidenced in the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. The document would incorporate the use of fire alarm equipment for other emergency purposes, such as mass notification systems. A new chapter that has already been approved by the Standards Council is called "Emergency Communications Systems" and will include information on emergency voice/alarm communications, firefighter phones and any other communications methods for fire or non-fire emergency use. Two other proposed chapters currently in the public comment stage are "Pathway Interconnections" and "Emergency Control Functions."
Pathway Interconnections will contain the requirements for the fire alarm circuits and will make significant changes to their performance characteristics. For example, all "styles" of circuits will be eliminated. "Classes" of circuits will be enhanced to incorporate the old "style" method. There is still quite a bit of work for this chapter before it will be accepted. Emergency Control Functions will include the requirements for fire safety function control circuits as well as any other control circuit connected to the fire alarm and used for other emergency purposes. The goal of adding these new chapters is to allow better references from the other chapters to make requirements easier to identify and find.
There are a great deal of questions about alternative methods of communications for monitoring fire alarm systems in the industry today. Here is the bottom line: DACT's are designed to be used with two copper POTS lines to the central office, where they enter the phone network. If someone wants to use an alternative method, they are allowed to do so as long as they meet all the requirements of Section 8.5.4 in the 2002 edition of NFPA 72 (8.6.4 in 2007). In other words, "phone substitutes" cannot be used with DACTs. Phone substitutes need to be specifically listed under 8.6.4 to be used. The Supervising Station Systems committee is making a number of proposed changes for 2010 and will eliminate a lot of the obsolete methods of transmission from the code.
In the 2007 edition of NFPA 72, significant changes were made to the requirements for smoke detectors on beamed ceilings in Chapter 5. A recent study by the NFPA Fire Research Foundation recommended changes to greatly reduce the number of smoke detectors in these applications. However, there is now a Tentative Interim Amendment being considered to revert the language back to the 2002 edition due to concerns about the test methods used during the study.
NFPA's process allows the public to comment on any proposed change. The Report on Proposals will be posted on the NFPA Web site on June 20. The public will then have until August 29 to submit comments on any proposal. The NFPA 72 Technical Committees will meet and review these comments in October.
No doubt, these are significant proposed changes to the National Fire Alarm Code so it's a good idea to keep on top of any revisions that will affect your fire alarm installation business, which these certainly would.
Hammerberg SET, CFPS, is president/executive director of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association. He can be reached at TomHammerberg@afaa.org.
author: By Thomas P. Hammerberg