False Alarms, Notification, Annunciation

FALSE ALARMS

Along with fire alarms comes false alarms. Unfortunately, that's a part of a firefighter's job and it's what you're there for. Chalk it up to being an easy call, let it go, and move on. Maybe the next one will be a real fire.

Malicious false alarms are when somebody sets the fire alarm off on purpose (and yes, it is illegal).

Unwanted alarms occur when a detector initiates an alarm when no fire is present, but still functioned properly. For instance, the brilliant homeowner smoking inside directly under a smoke detector may cause an unwanted alarm.

Nuisance alarms are caused by malfunctioning alarm systems.

Before detection systems set off an alarm, they may have a cross-zoned system which will require two initiation devices to set off the fire alarm. Verification Systems have a 30-60 second delay between the initiation and notification periods. This gives the control panel time to reset the initiation device to see if it will signal again.

NOTIFICATION

Notification appliances are bells, whistles, horns, electronic speakers, or screaming monkeys that produce an audible signal when the alarm is activated. Modern devices are usually required by fire code to use a temporal-3 pattern. Newer notification devices also provide an incredibly annoying strobe or flashing light as a visual warning that a fire has been detected. This addition is very helpful for deaf occupants (unless they have epilepsy. Just kidding).

ANNUNCIATION

Oftentimes, alarm systems will give you jack crap for information at the remote annunciator or the control panel. If you're lucky, you'll get the exact location on which device triggered the alarm. Either way, you'll usually be working with a zoned system and/or a coded system, which can give you any of these combinations:

Non-Coded Alarm System- The control panel has no information where the fire is. You'll have to search the building to find the activated device. Have fun with that. These are usually in older buildings.

Zoned Non-Coded Alarm System- Most common type you'll find. The building is divided into zones. The control panel will say which zone the device that triggered alarm is in.

Zoned Coded Alarm- Similar to the previous system. In addition, this alarm setup will also specify audibly which zone has been activated over the announcement system. Hospitals use this one.

Master-Coded Alarm- System is also zoned and coded, but also used for any emergency (not just fire).

FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTIFICATION

I know it's a crazy notion to think that the fire department should get a call when an alarm goes off, but some things just defy common sense. There are a few different systems in which the FD can be alerted to an alarm:

Local- The least useful kind, a local alarm system simply sets off an alarm within the building to its occupants. The fire department will only be notified when a plume of smoke begins to fill the sky.

Remote Station- The remote station systems send a direct signal to the fire department. Not all fire departments are equipped for this system.

Auxiliary- Similar to a remote station system, the auxiliary systems have a master alarm box outside the building. If an alarm goes off, the master box sends a direct signal to the fire department.

Proprietary- Proprietary systems have their alarms linked with a location that is under the same management as the building itself. A college, for example, may have dozens of buildings linked together with a monitoring site somewhere on campus. The alarm will alert the monitoring site, and the staff there will notify the FD.

Central Station- The central station is an off-site monitoring facility that watches multiple alarm systems. When anyone under their watch has an alarm, the local authorities are notified. If it helps, picture OnStar. They watch thousands of vehicles, and alert the proper people when there is an accident. Now, on to standpipes!!