This article originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Security Business magazine. Don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter if you share it.
In the February 2024 issue, I introduced the what rules – the category of rules that tell us what to install in a building, typically segmented by occupancy classification and maximum allowable occupant load. In the United States, the most common what codes are the International Fire Code and NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code.
The third set of fire alarm rules is the how rules – the codes, standards, and other rules that specify how to install something.
Every field technician (in the U.S., at least) should be well-acquainted with the bible of fire alarm how rules: NFPA 72 – National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. NFPA 72 contains detailed requirements for the installation of wiring, device connections, device placement, monitoring communications, and more.
To give you a better idea of the types of rules found in NFPA 72, here are some examples:
Power and wiring – NFPA 72 Chapter 7 spells out how to document an installation. Chapter 10 tells us that fire alarm breakers must have a red marking, be locked, and have the location noted on the panel. Chapter 12 prohibits T-tapping of all Class A and X circuits and Class B circuits with non-addressable devices.
Devices – Chapter 14 tells us that we need to use a manometer to verify the pressure differential of duct-mounted smoke detectors. Chapter 21 says we have to install smoke detectors at the top of the elevator shaft in a way that they can be tested and serviced from outside the shaft. Side note: I guess young techs today won’t get to experience the thrill and terror of riding atop the elevator cab 60 stories up so they can test a smoke detector.
Another essential how code is NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code (NEC). NFPA 70 has important requirements that cover everything from the maximum number of fire alarm conductors in a box to how wire must be secured when run above the ceiling.
Unfortunately, NFPA 70 is not well understood in the fire alarm trade. In my experience, electrical code violations are the most common violations in the fire alarm industry.
Included Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Required
One thing that threw me for a loop early in my career is the fact that just because a how code describes how to install something, it doesn’t mean the equipment is required to be installed. For example, the NEC has requirements for conduit size – that doesn’t mean that fire alarm wiring always has to be run in conduit.
Similarly, NFPA 72 tells us that pull stations must be mounted within 5 feet (1.5 m) of the exit. You might assume – as I did – that this means pull stations must be installed at every exit. That’s not the case; instead, it is merely specifying how to install a pull station at an exit if one is installed.
I will point out that NFPA 72 23.8.5.1.2 (2022 ed.) requires a manual means of activation for automatic fire alarm systems connected to a monitoring station; therefore, it is standard practice to install at least one pull station – usually next to the panel or at the main entrance – even if the IFC waives the requirement for a manual fire alarm system.
Technicians are not the only people who need a thorough understanding of the how rules. These rules are also crucial for fire alarm system designers. For example, NFPA 72 is where we find the distances that a smoke detector or a strobe can cover and the methodology for calculating voltage drops.
Why Codes Matter
I first learned the how rules by having other technicians explain them to me. Some of what I learned was spot on; some of what I was taught amounted to urban fire alarm legends and myths. The reality is I learned a lot of incorrect practices. There were other rules that I didn’t learn until much later.
Challenges like the high cost and limited access to code books (they were print-only at the time) and the business owner's apathy contributed to my limited understanding of fire alarm how rules, but they don’t justify my ignorance – especially after I obtained my license.
It is even less excusable today for fire alarm practitioners to not know the how rules. NFPA has made all of its codes and standards available online for free. That being said, if you take the codes seriously, you should buy the NFPA 70 and 72 Handbooks. The cost is well worth it for the explanatory notes.
Reading code can be dull, but that’s part of the job. There are plenty of classes that can help. I highly recommend the courses at the Automatic Fire Alarm Association. You might also check out the Electronic Security Association, Fire Tech Productions, Jensen-Hughes Academy and National Training Center. You can find my training courses at https://firealarm.training.
With a career spanning nearly every role in the life safety industry and a NICET Level IV certification, Ben Adams is a sought-after author and speaker. In 2021, he launched FireAlarm.Training (https://FireAlarm.Training) to accelerate training for companies, shrinking time-to-value for new techs from months to just days. Part of this column was taken from Fire Alarm 101 training content, which can be found at the link above.
