What is a fire alarm system?
Typically, a fire alarm system is made up of the following components:
A typical fire alarm system has numerous initiating devices divided among separate zones - each connected via an initiating device circuit to a central control panel. The control panel performs supervisory functions over the initiating devices, indicating appliances, all associated field wiring, telephone ties, and its own internal wiring and circuit cards.
What is the main component of a fire alarm system?
The Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP). The FACP should be located where it can be responded to as necessary either around the clock or during operating hours. This can be at building security headquarters, adjacent to a telephone switchboard or in a maintenance office - whichever location offers maximum coverage. It should also be positioned in a fairly central location because if the system goes into alarm, a person needs to be able to race to the location and verify fire status before the alarm is silenced.
How does a fire alarm system operate?
A fire alarm system operates in one of three (or more) states: normal, alarm, and trouble. The state is reported at all times on the alphanumeric display. If the system goes into alarm, the indicating appliances throughout the building go off. These could be very loud horns for some occupancies, or softer chimes in others, such as a nursing home.
The control panel monitors the initiating device circuits at all times for shorts and open wiring by means of the applied DC voltage. The initiating devices are normally open. In the event of a fire they become conductive at close to zero ohms. How, then, is it possible for the control panel to differentiate between a non-alarm state and an open wiring fault? This is accomplished by means of an end-of-line resistor.
The control panel also monitors the functionality of its own wiring and zone cards, and trouble is reported in the display.
Another capability of the fire alarm system is to call out in case of alarm. Two dedicated phone lines are connected, and the system performs test calls periodically in accordance with programmed instructions. If either phone line won't connect, the system goes into the trouble state, so repairs can be made.
The essence of a fire alarm system, as opposed to individual smoke detectors, even if they are wired to indicate in concert, is that it is supervised from a central location. The whole notion of supervision is critical. It does not mean that a person sits at the console and watches it at all times. What it means is that a supervisory voltage is applied to all circuitry, and current flow is monitored electronically to verify that equipment and wiring are intact.
If the system goes into alarm and won't silence due to touchpad malfunction, for example, it can be disarmed after the zone is checked for fire by cutting off the power. First, unhook one side of the battery array, then unhook the black-white-green incoming power connector. If a fire alarm system is disabled, maintenance and security personnel should initiate fire patrols throughout the building. The telephone monitoring agency should be informed, and the insurance company contacted to verify that coverage is not voided.
" Very pro-active in finding and assessing solutions to problems on site "