ENFP 440: Fire Alarm Lecture #2: Basic Information on
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire Alarm Components
1. Inputs: initiating devices (including but not limited to smoke detectors, manual pull
stations, waterflow, sprinkler tampers)
2. Fire Alarm Control Panel
3. Uder Interface
4. Outputs: Notifications, Appliances and Emergency controls (including but not limited
to bells/horns, strobes, smoke control, door holders, fire department)
5. Auxiliary devices: Annunciators, printers, PC interface
When selecting initiating devices you must...
consider that fire signatures need to be detectable over variation in ambient conditions.
What are the five types of dectors?
1. Spot detectors
2. Linear detectors
3. Beam detectors
4. Air sampling detectors
5. Cameras
Which of the five types of detectors are smoke detectors only? (2)
1. Beam detectors
2. Air sampling detectors
Which of the five types of detectors are heat detectors only? (1)
1. Linear detectors
Which of the five types of detectors are both heat and smoke detectors? (2)
1. Spot detectors
2. cameras
When considering discrimination vs non-discrimination, we must identify that...
personnel is discriminating and detectors are non-discriminating.
Restorable detectors
detectors that can be reset after activation.
Non-restorable detectors...
after actuation, detector must be replaced.
How do spot and line detectors compare?
spot detectors respond to conditions at a single point and line detectors respond to
conditions along a linear path.
What are the five main considerations when selecting detectors?
1. ceiling configuration (height, shape, volume, slope, obstructions)
2. surrounding air flow
3. Ambient environment (Temperature, humidity, dust, smoke)
4. Spacing of detector
5. sensitivity of detector
Automatic detectors include...
1. smoke detectors
2. heat detectors
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire Alarm Components
1. Inputs: initiating devices (including but not limited to smoke detectors, manual pull
stations, waterflow, sprinkler tampers)
2. Fire Alarm Control Panel
3. Uder Interface
4. Outputs: Notifications, Appliances and Emergency controls (including but not limited
to bells/horns, strobes, smoke control, door holders, fire department)
5. Auxiliary devices: Annunciators, printers, PC interface
When selecting initiating devices you must...
consider that fire signatures need to be detectable over variation in ambient conditions.
What are the five types of dectors?
1. Spot detectors
2. Linear detectors
3. Beam detectors
4. Air sampling detectors
5. Cameras
Which of the five types of detectors are smoke detectors only? (2)
1. Beam detectors
2. Air sampling detectors
Which of the five types of detectors are heat detectors only? (1)
1. Linear detectors
Which of the five types of detectors are both heat and smoke detectors? (2)
1. Spot detectors
2. cameras
When considering discrimination vs non-discrimination, we must identify that...
personnel is discriminating and detectors are non-discriminating.
Restorable detectors
detectors that can be reset after activation.
Non-restorable detectors...
after actuation, detector must be replaced.
How do spot and line detectors compare?
spot detectors respond to conditions at a single point and line detectors respond to
conditions along a linear path.
What are the five main considerations when selecting detectors?
1. ceiling configuration (height, shape, volume, slope, obstructions)
2. surrounding air flow
3. Ambient environment (Temperature, humidity, dust, smoke)
4. Spacing of detector
5. sensitivity of detector
Automatic detectors include...
1. smoke detectors
2. heat detectors
