LA Fire Alarm flashcards
LA Fire Alarm · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Dedicated branch circuit
- An unswitched circuit supplying only the fire alarm panel, with a lockable disconnect or labeled breaker and a visible disconnect means, so power cannot be removed accidentally.
- Battery amp-hour sizing
- Required amp-hours equal standby current times standby hours plus alarm current times alarm hours, then multiplied by a derating factor for end-of-life capacity.
- Pathway survivability Level 2
- Circuits in a protected environment plus a 2-hour rated enclosure for the control equipment, used where the system must survive a fire for a defined period.
- Class A versus Class B
- Class A circuits return to the panel and survive a single open; Class B circuits do not return and lose the entire circuit on a single open.
- Manual pull station location
- Within 5 ft of the exit door, mounted 42 to 48 in. above the floor in the adopted edition, and unobstructed along the path of egress.
- Spot smoke detector spacing
- Use the manufacturer's listed spacing on a smooth ceiling, with 0.7 times that spacing to walls and a 4 in. minimum distance from the wall.
- Public-mode audibility
- At least 15 dBA above the ambient sound level or 5 dBA above the maximum sound level lasting 60 seconds, whichever is greater.
- Strobe synchronization
- Visible appliances in the same field of view must flash in sync; unsynchronized flashing is not acceptable and must be corrected.
- NAC voltage-drop calculation
- Compute the voltage at the end of each notification appliance circuit to confirm every appliance still operates at its listed minimum voltage.
- Waterflow switch
- An initiating device on a sprinkler system that alarms on sustained flow, typically set to alarm within 90 seconds of flow.
- Tamper switch
- A supervisory device that reports an off-normal valve position; it annunciates as supervisory, not as an alarm, and is not interchangeable with a waterflow switch.
- Addressable device
- A device that reports individually by address, allowing the panel to identify the exact device rather than only the zone.
- Record of completion
- The NFPA 72 form filled out at installation documenting the system as built; it is the baseline for future inspection, testing, and maintenance.
- Annual testing baseline
- Most initiating devices and notification appliances require annual testing; some devices require semi-annual or quarterly testing per the ITM tables.
- Impairment procedure
- Notify the AHJ, the building owner, and the monitoring company before taking a system out of service; document the impairment and the restoration.
- Acceptance test
- The AHJ-witnessed test at completion; the record of completion and as-built drawings must be available at the test.
- Riser diagram content
- A drawing showing every circuit, its class, its pathway survivability level, and the devices on it, submitted with the fire alarm plans.
- Code-compliance matrix
- A table mapping each code requirement to the code section and the design feature that satisfies it, used to demonstrate compliance at plan check.
- Code hierarchy
- LAMC amendments layer on the California Fire Code and adopted NFPA 72; where requirements conflict, the stricter one governs unless stated otherwise.
- Listing requirement
- Equipment must be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory for the specific application; manufacturer self-approval is not accepted.
- Lockout/tagout on panel
- Tag the fire alarm panel and notify the monitoring company before working on it, then restore normal supervision before leaving the site.
- Bypass documentation
- Record every bypass placed on a supervised circuit and restore it before leaving; never leave a system in bypass at the end of the shift.
- Daily report content
- Record the work performed, the devices tested, any impairments, and relevant conditions; it supports the ITM record and the owner's documentation.
- Duct smoke detector
- Required where the code requires HVAC shutdown; install per the manufacturer's listed airflow and straight-duct requirements.
- Beam detector supervision
- The receiver supervises the beam; loss of beam is a trouble, not an alarm, unless the system is specifically designed otherwise.
- Remote annunciator
- Must display the same alarm, supervisory, and trouble conditions as the main panel and must itself be supervised.
- Plenum-rated cable
- Required in environmental air spaces unless installed in a raceway that is itself plenum-rated, per the adopted code and the listing.
- Splicing rule
- Splices are permitted only in listed junction boxes with listed connectors; no splices in conduit bodies unless listed for the purpose.
- Battery load test
- A test of the battery under load plus a check of the charger; a battery that fails the load test must be replaced, not just recharged.
- Voice intelligibility
- Voice evacuation messages must be understandable in every occupied space, verified by an intelligibility measure such as STI.
- Revised submittal
- Changes after approval require a revised submittal; field changes that deviate from the approved plans are not permitted without AHJ approval.
- Occupancy alarm trigger
- The California Fire Code as amended by the LAFD sets occupancy-based alarm requirements; the LAMC amendments layer additional requirements on top.