NFPA 72®: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code Handbook, 2013 Edition

Contents

Preface

About the Contributors

About the Editors

PART ONE

NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2013 Edition, with Commentary

1 Administration

1.1 Scope

1.2 Purpose

1.3 Application

1.4 Retroactivity

1.5 Equivalency

1.6 Units and Formulas

1.7 Code Adoption Requirements

2 Referenced Publications

2.1 General

2.2 NFPA Publications

2.3 Other Publications

2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections

3 Definitions

3.1 General

3.2 NFPA Official Definitions

3.3 General Definitions

4 Reserved

5 Reserved

6 Reserved

7 Documentation

7.1 Application

7.2 Minimum Required Documentation

7.3 Design (Layout) Documentation

7.4 Shop Drawings (Installation Documentation)

7.5 Completion Documentation

7.6 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Documentation

7.7 Records, Record Retention, and Record Maintenance

7.8 Forms

8 Reserved

9 Reserved

10 Fundamentals

10.1 Application

10.2 Purpose

10.3 Equipment

10.4 Installation and Design

10.5 Personnel Qualifications

10.6 Power Supplies

10.7 Signal Priority

10.8 Detection and Signaling of Conditions

10.9 Responses

10.10 Distinctive Signals

10.11 ECS Priority Signals

10.12 Alarm Signals

10.13 Fire Alarm Notification Appliance Deactivation

10.14 Supervisory Signals

10.15 Trouble Signals

10.16 Emergency Control Function Status Indicators

10.17 Notification Appliance Circuits and Control Circuits

10.18 Annunciation and Annunciation Zoning

10.19 Monitoring Integrity of In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications Systems

10.20 Documentation and Notification

10.21 Impairments

10.22 Unwanted Alarms

11 Reserved

12 Circuits and Pathways

12.1 Application

12.2 General

12.3 Pathway Class Designations

12.4 Pathway Survivability

12.5 Shared Pathway Designations

12.6 Monitoring Integrity and Circuit Performance of Installation Conductors and Other Signaling Channels

12.7 Nomenclature

13 Reserved

14 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance

14.1 Application

14.2 General

14.3 Inspection

14.4 Testing

14.5 Maintenance

14.6 Records

15 Reserved

16 Reserved

17 Initiating Devices

17.1 Application

17.2 Purpose

17.3 Performance-Based Design

17.4 General Requirements

17.5 Requirements for Smoke and Heat Detectors

17.6 Heat-Sensing Fire Detectors

17.7 Smoke-Sensing Fire Detectors

17.8 Radiant Energy–Sensing Fire Detectors

17.9 Combination, Multi-Criteria, and Multi-Sensor Detectors

17.10 Gas Detection

17.11 Other Fire Detectors

17.12 Sprinkler Waterflow Alarm-Initiating Devices

17.13 Detection of Operation of Other Automatic Extinguishing Systems

17.14 Manually Actuated Alarm-Initiating Devices

17.15 Fire Extinguisher Electronic Monitoring Device

17.16 Supervisory Signal–Initiating Devices

18 Notification Appliances

18.1 Application

18.2 Purpose

18.3 General

18.4 Audible Characteristics

18.5 Visible Characteristics — Public Mode

18.6 Visible Characteristics — Private Mode

18.7 Supplementary Visible Signaling Method

18.8 Textual Audible Appliances

18.9 Textual and Graphical Visible Appliances

18.10 Tactile Appliances

18.11 Standard Emergency Service Interface

19 Reserved

20 Reserved

21 Emergency Control Function Interfaces

21.1 Application

21.2 General

21.3 Elevator Recall for Fire Fighters’ Service

21.4 Elevator Shutdown

21.5 Fire Service Access Elevators

21.6 Occupant Evacuation Elevators

21.7 Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems

21.8 Door and Shutter Release

21.9 Electrically Locked Doors

21.10 Exit Marking Audible Notification Systems

22 Reserved

23 Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems

23.1 Application

23.2 General

23.3 System Features

23.4 System Performance and Integrity

23.5 Performance of Initiating Device Circuits (IDCs)

23.6 Performance of Signaling Line Circuits (SLCs)

23.7 Performance of Notification Appliance Circuits (NACs)

23.8 System Requirements

23.9 In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications

23.10 Fire Alarm Systems Using Tone

23.11 Suppression System Actuation

23.12 Off-Premises Signals

23.13 Guard’s Tour Supervisory Service

23.14 Suppressed (Exception Reporting) Signal System

23.15 Protected Premises Emergency Control Functions

23.16 Special Requirements for Low-Power Radio (Wireless) Systems

24 Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)

24.1 Application

24.2 Purpose

24.3 General

24.4 One-Way Emergency Communications Systems

24.5 Two-Way, In-Building Emergency Communications Systems

24.6 Information, Command, and Control

24.7 Performance-Based Design of Mass Notification Systems

24.8 Documentation

25 Reserved

26 Supervising Station Alarm Systems

26.1 Application

26.2 General

26.3 Central Station Service Alarm Systems

26.4 Proprietary Supervising Station Alarm Systems

26.5 Remote Supervising Station Alarm Systems

26.6 Communications Methods for Supervising Station Alarm Systems

27 Public Emergency Alarm Reporting Systems

27.1 Application

27.2 General Fundamentals

27.3 Management and Maintenance

27.4 Communications Methods

27.5 Alarm Processing Equipment

27.6 Alarm Boxes

27.7 Public Cable Plant

27.8 Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)

28 Reserved

29 Single- and Multiple-Station Alarms and Household Fire Alarm Systems

29.1 Application

29.2 Purpose

29.3 Basic Requirements

29.4 Assumptions

29.5 Detection and Notification

29.6 Power Supplies

29.7 Equipment Performance

29.8 Installation

29.9 Optional Functions

29.10 Maintenance and Tests

29.11 Markings and Instructions

Annexes

A Explanatory Material

B Engineering Guide for Automatic Fire Detector Spacing

C System Performance and Design Guide

D Speech Intelligibility

E Sample Ordinance Adopting NFPA 72

F Wiring Diagrams and Guide for Testing Fire Alarm Circuits

G Informational References

PART TWO

Supplements

1 Performance-Based Design and Fire Alarm Systems

2 Voice Intelligibility for Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications Systems

3 Addressing Unwanted Alarms

Index

Important Notices and Legal Disclaimers