What is a fire department reporting alarm?

What is a fire department reporting alarm?

With fire alarm monitoring, the system is connected to the fire department. When smoke sets off a fire alarm, heat triggers a sprinkler head, or someone activates a manual pull station, a message is sent to the central monitoring station where an operator immediately notifies the appropriate local fire department.

Is fire alarm servicing a legal requirement?

According to legal requirements, a commercial fire alarm system must be subject to periodic testing and inspections so that faults can be identified and preventive measures can be taken to ensure continued reliability on the system.

How often should a fire alarm system be serviced?

once every 6 months
More specifically BS 5839 recommends that your fire alarm / alarm system should be inspected and serviced by an accredited professional at least once every 6 months. At Fireout we recommend that companies using more complex and larger scale fire alarm systems are serviced and inspected at least quarterly.

What NFPA covers fire alarm systems?

NFPA 72
NFPA 72 only provides requirements for the installation, performance, testing, inspection, and maintenance of the fire alarm system. NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® and other codes determine whether a fire alarm system is required in a given occupancy.

Can I service my own fire alarm?

Can I service my own fire alarm? The service and inspection of your fire alarm should only be carried out by a professional fire alarm engineer.

Can you call a fire station for advice?

What is a home fire safety visit? So we have introduced a service where we can visit you, a loved one, or someone you care for at home to provide personalised advice about fire safety. It’s totally free, available 24/7, and we will even fit free smoke alarms during the visit if you need them.

Is NFPA Code 72?

The NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code) is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association every 3 years for installation of fire alarm systems and emergency communication systems in the United States.

What is an IDC circuit?

In a fire alarm system, the Initiating Device Circuit (IDC) is an input circuit or detection circuit: it carries the alarms detected by devices like flow switches, pull stations, heat detectors, tamper switches, etc. If the wire loses continuity, the panel will show that there’s trouble on the circuit.

Does a fire alarm need to be tested?

Because parts of any system fail or degrade over time, fire alarm systems have to be tested to make sure all of the fire alarm system has stayed in good working order. Anything that is discovered not to be in good working order can then be fixed. A fire alarm system is made up of many individual parts, all working together.

How often should a fire alarm system be tested?

According to the fire safety regulations, you should make every effort to ensure your system is adequately maintained. Some businesses take this to mean inspections once every year. BS 5839, however, suggests that your fire alarm system should be inspected at least every 6 months.

Should your fire alarm be monitored?

In some cases, it may not be required to have fire alarm monitoring in your building however, it is still a good idea to have the fire alarm system in your building monitored. A fire alarm system is designed to detect alarms and prompt people to get out of the building, they do not automatically notify the fire department of the alarm.

How is a fire alarm activated?

A fire alarm pull station is an active fire protection device, usually wall-mounted, that, when activated, initiates an alarm on a fire alarm system.