2015 CFAA NCR CHAPTER TECHNICAL SEMINAR Paul Latreille, CET. - Secur Fire Protection
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING WHAT IS THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT? I wasn’t sure when I started. Started based on suggestions from previous seminars but they were general in nature The Code DOES offer lots of design options! This is not going to be what you’re thinking likely For example, it’s like expecting this for Christmas: www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING Lamborghini Veneno Roadster: $4.5 million www.secur-fire.com
• And getting this instead: – Chevy Roadster $1.99 www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS OBC APPROACH OBC APPROACH TO “SPECIAL APPLICATIONS” OBC fire alarm requirements that are out of the norm or can be interpreted several ways OBC permitted design options for different occupancies How grammar and punctuation affects our interpretation www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING GRAMMAR MATTERS: www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS GRAMMAR MATTERS PUNCTUATION MATTERS: www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BUILDING CODE GRAMMAR 1.2.3.4. – (a), – (b), – (c), and – (d) EQUALS = All of a, b, c, and d must be achieved to comply www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BUILDING CODE GRAMMAR 1.2.3.4. – (a), – (b), – (c), or – (d) EQUALS = You can do a, or b, or c, or d to achieve compliance. www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BASIC APPLICATION ISSUES CONTINUITY OF FIRE ALARM 3.2.4.2 if there is a fire wall, and there are any openings other than for piping, tubing, and non- combustible raceways, 3.2.4 applies to the both sides of the fire wall as if it was a single building. If one major occupancy requires a fire alarm then all occupancies require a fire alarm If a fire alarm system is required in any portion of a building, it is required to be installed throughout the building If you have a building less than three stories, 3.2.4 can be applied to each portion of a building if there is a fire separation and there are no openings in that fire separation (does not apply to storage rooms or service rooms) Buildings interconnected by code permitted walkways and vestibules, can be treated as separate buildings (ie can have separate fire alarm systems). www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BY DEFINITION HOW DO MALLS GET SILENT FIRST STAGE FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS? By Definition, that’s how: Alert: an audible signal designed to alert designated persons of a fire emergency. If system is constantly monitored in person 24/7, then no signals need to ring in a mall. This can apply to ANY type of building www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BY DEFINITION APPENDIX NOTE FOR ALERT SIGNALS: Alert signals are part of a two stage system. The intent of the first, alert, stage is to notify persons in authority of a potential threat to building occupants. In certain occupancies, such as a hospital, it may not be desirable for an alert signal to sound throughout the floor area. In such cases, the alert signal may be restricted to a continuously staffed location. Examples are: a nursing station, a building security desk in an office tower, where staff are available every day at all times. www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS BY DEFINITION SECOND APPENDIX NOTE FOR ALERT SIGNALS (be prepared to have your mind blown) 3.2.4.4.(2)(c) In a two stage system, the alert signal may be transmitted to audible signal devices in designated locations or to all devices throughout the building. If activated, the second stage alarm signal may sound throughout all zones in the building and typically activated by a keyswitch on an manual pull station A zoned two stage operation is permitted where the alarm signal sounds in the zone of key switch activation (and perhaps in adjacent zones which may be the floor above and below) and the alert signal throughout the rest of the building. This sequence would be created automatically by the fire alarm control unit. www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS Special rules apply NOT a defined term in the code What the heck is this anyway? www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS basic intent of a coded system was to audibly identify what area an alarm was initiated in by sounding a coded signal over the bells (or gongs) in a building (2-3-2 = Area 2, Level 3, Stair 2) Why do we have this now? Never once used in my 30 year career – not even hospitals for where they were originally intended. Can cause confusion with the temporal pattern that will play for the EVAC message that is legislated www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONE CODED FIRE ALARMS • OBC Requirements: – must be a two stage system in the building, AND – first stage broadcasts the coded alert signals indicating the zone of alarm; AND – repeated a minimum of 4 times then the continuous alert signal is sounded afterwards AND – If not acknowledged after 5 minutes, then the temporal pattern is to be broadcast. www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ARE YOU STILL WITH ME? www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONING 3.2.4.9. NEED SPECIFIC ZONES FOR: Contained Use Area ( a supervised area containing one or more rooms in which occupant movement is restricted to a single room by security measures not under control of the occupant ) Impeded Egress Zone ( a supervised area where occupants have free movement but require the release, by security personnel, of security doors at the boundary before being able to leave the area, but does not include a contained use area ) www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONING 3.2.4.9. NEED SPECIFIC ZONES FOR: 2 hour fire rated compartment with vertical fire separations ( Appendix says: if multi level room – zone based on entry level of space. Elevator shaft zones on annunciator should be lettered or numbered to reflect the elevator car numbering/lettering ) Interior undivided open spaces (rinks, swimming pool, air hangar) can exceed Code area limitations but: Rest of building to be zoned per code www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONING 3.2.4.9. A building having a hotel provided with a “trouble signal sounding device with a silence switch” requires a trouble light at the main reception desk or at another continually supervised location Interesting ( to me ) fact: a trouble signal sounding device is not a defined term and is not a device prescribed to be installed anywhere in the OBC www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONING 3.2.4.9. In a long term care home, a remote “audiovisual fire alarm trouble signal” shall be located at the main nursing station This is not a defined term in the Code or the fire alarm world. Often this ends up being an LCD display. www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ZONING 3.2.4.9.(4) “ if an annunciator is not provided as part of a fire alarm system in conformance with sentence 1, a visual and audible trouble signal device shall be provided inside the main entrance of the building” Sentence 1: except as permitted by sentences 3 to 5, an annunciator shall be installed in close proximity to a building entrance that faces a street or access route for fire department vehicles” Sentence 3: annunciator not required if only one zone is required by sentence 2 Sentence 4: this clause we are talking about Sentence 5: no annunciator required if the building is not more than 3 storeys and not more than an aggregate of 2000m 2 This can be interpreted to mean that an annunciator does NOT have to be installed in any building if you so chose. Why have the requirements for an annunciator then? www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS ELECTRICAL SUPERVISION 3.2.4.10. 3.2.4.10.6. if a building is regulated by 3.2.6. and is sprinklered, the indication of a supervisory signal in accordance with sentence 3.2.4.10.(3) must be transmitted to a proprietary control centre or independent central station. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? If building is sprinklered and under 36 m in height, 18 m residential, then you don’t have to monitor the supervisory signals of the sprinkler system. How is the risk reduced any further solely based on building height? Contrary to 3.2.4.8.(2) : a fire alarm system that has waterflow indicating devices shall be designed to notify the fire department… www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS LATERAL THINKING (EDWARD DE BONO) www.secur-fire.com
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SPECIAL APPLICATIONS DETECTION Fire detector required in rooms where hazardous substances are to be used or stored. (“hazardous” not defined). Fire detectors required in “hazardous class rooms and change rooms in an elementary or secondary school” www.secur-fire.com
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