![]() A conventional fire alarm control panel, photographed at Oklahoma State University. When a smoke detector or pull switch in a zone activates, the electrical current to the fire alarm panel changes, and the control panel indicates that a device somewhere in that zone has been activated. These fire alarm control units are, like fire alarm systems, often classified in the fire protection industry as either “conventional” or “addressable.”Ĭonventional panels represent a building as a series of regions known as detection zones. There can be multiple fire alarm control units in a fire alarm system. The control unit might also provide transfer of condition to relay or devices connected to the control unit. In addition to the functions identified in the definition, a fire alarm control unit might have an integral operator interface, supply power to detection devices, notification appliances, transponder(s), or off-premises transmitter(s) or any combination of these. (SIG-PRO)Ī.3.3.100 Fire Alarm Control Unit (FACU). A component of the fire alarm system, provided with primary and secondary power sources, which receives signals from initiating devices or other fire alarm control units, and processes these signals to determine part or all of the required fire alarm system output function(s). In NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, the National Fire Protection Association provides a broad definition of these devices, known in this code as a fire alarm control unit (FACU).ģ.3.100* Fire Alarm Control Unit (FACU). The below video shows doors and horizontal fire shutters that close automatically in a fire emergency in this case, access control and fire safety systems should be integrated:įire alarm control panels may connect many devices, and addressable panels are designed to manage them In these cases, the functions of a fire panel take priority over the other systems and “the other systems cannot interfere with the operation of the fire alarm.” For example, if an access control system locks down certain outer doors in a building due to an external security threat, that command would need to be overridden in the event of a fire evacuation. Panels for fire alarm systems in some facilities go even further, locking or unlocking doors, disabling elevators, turning off the electricity, or shutting off or turning on ventilation.įire panels can also be integrated with building management systems and security systems. However, panels installed with some deluge sprinkler systems, for example, can open or close a deluge valve, which allows fire suppressant to be distributed to many sprinkler heads simultaneously. Many of these panels aren’t equipped to activate or send water to fire sprinkler heads, which usually activate one by one in response to rising ambient temperatures. The fire alarm control panel responds to any of these signals by lighting up or making noise, activating local bells or other signals, and/or sending a signal to fire officials or a private monitoring company tasked with notifying the authorities. Fire sprinkler systems equipped with a flow switch or alarm pressure switch – devices designed to detect sprinkler activation – can also transmit a signal to the panel when water begins to flow through an activated sprinkler system. Here’s how that works: when a fire starts, a smoke detector, heat detector, hand-activated pull switch, or manual call point sends a signal to a fire panel. Every fire panel acts as a middleman between devices that watch for hazards and devices tasked with alerting people to danger or problems with fire protection systems. Some transmit a signal used to alert first responders, while others simply sound alarms in or around the building. Some activate fire suppression or fire sprinkler systems, while others don’t. ![]() What does a fire alarm control panel do?įire alarm control panels perform a wide range of life-saving and property-protecting tasks. If you’re simply looking to buy monitoring and notifying devices compatible with fire alarm control panels, check out our line of alarm bells and accessories and our electronic switches for fire sprinkler systems. In this article, we’ll take a look at how a fire alarm control panel features in a complete fire alarm system, what’s required by the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and what these standards mean for choosing a fire panel. Known as a fire alarm control panel (FACP), fire alarm control unit (FACU), or fire panel, these appliances choreograph the activities of countless life-saving appliances to facilitate safe evacuation and swift emergency response during a fire. The design, features, and code requirements of addressable and conventional fire alarm control panels
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