NICET Fire Alarm flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

NFPA 72

The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, which governs design, installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems and is commonly adopted into law.

NEC Article 760

The National Electrical Code article covering fire alarm system wiring, including permitted cable types, installation methods, and requirements for power-limited and non-power-limited fire alarm circuits.

Record of Completion

An NFPA 72 form completed by the installing contractor that documents the system as installed and certifies the equipment was tested and operates as described in the approved plans.

Authority Having Jurisdiction

The organization or individual, such as a fire marshal, empowered to enforce code requirements and to approve equipment, installations, and testing procedures for a fire alarm system.

UL 864

The product safety standard under which fire alarm control units and accessory equipment are listed, confirming that minimum performance and reliability requirements are met.

As-built drawings

Drawings updated after installation to show actual device locations, addresses, and circuit routing, retained with the record of completion as part of required system documentation.

NFPA 101

The Life Safety Code, which sets occupancy-based requirements for detection, notification, and egress that a fire alarm design must satisfy along with NFPA 72.

Shop drawings

Submittal documents prepared before installation showing device locations, circuit routing, and supporting calculations; they require review and approval before installation begins.

Smoke detector spacing

On a smooth ceiling, detectors are placed at the listed spacing, commonly 30 ft, and no ceiling point may be more than 0.7 times that spacing from a detector.

Wall-mounted detector position

A smoke detector installed on a wall must have its top edge between 4 in and 12 in below the ceiling so it stays out of the dead-air space.

Manual pull station height

Manual fire alarm boxes are mounted 42 in to 48 in above the finished floor and within 5 ft of the exit door they serve.

Public mode audibility

In public mode, alarm signals must be at least 15 dBA above average ambient sound, or 5 dBA above maximum ambient sound lasting 60 seconds or more.

Sleeping area audibility

Notification in sleeping areas must produce at least 75 dBA at the pillow or 15 dBA above ambient sound, whichever is greater, measured with a sound level meter.

Visible appliance mounting

Wall-mounted visible notification appliances are installed with the lens 80 in to 96 in above the finished floor and at least 6 in below the ceiling.

Waterflow alarm time

A waterflow alarm must be annunciated within 90 seconds after flow begins, and alarm signals generally must be processed within 10 seconds of activation.

Positive alarm sequence

An alarm-handling feature allowing 15 seconds to acknowledge an alarm signal and up to 180 seconds of investigation by trained personnel before general evacuation.

Class B circuit

An initiating or notification circuit that does not survive a single open fault; an end-of-line device lets the panel annunciate that open condition as a trouble.

End-of-line resistor

A device placed at the end of a Class B circuit that allows the control unit to supervise conductors and detect open or short circuit faults.

Voltage drop formula

Vd = (2 x K x I x L) / CM, where K is 12.9 ohm-circular mils per foot for copper, I is current in amperes, and L is one-way length in feet.

Battery aging factor

NFPA 72 requires the calculated standby plus alarm battery capacity to be multiplied by 1.20 to account for battery aging over the life of the system.

Standby battery duration

Commercial fire alarm systems typically require 24 hours of standby operation followed by 5 minutes of alarm load, with the battery sized to the calculated current.

FPLR cable

A listed fire alarm cable rated for risers and vertical shafts; the FPLP rating is the equivalent required for fire alarm cables installed in plenum spaces.

Cable support interval

Power-limited fire alarm cable must be supported at intervals not exceeding 4.5 ft and within 12 in of boxes, unless it is installed in raceway.

Separation from power conductors

Fire alarm power-limited cables are kept at least 2 in from electric light and power conductors or separated by a barrier, crossing at right angles where possible.

Acceptance test

A post-installation test in which 100 percent of initiating devices and notification appliances are operated to verify the system works as designed before approval.

Smoke detector sensitivity testing

Detector sensitivity is checked within 1 year of installation and then every alternate year, unless the manufacturer's published instructions require more frequent testing.

Duct detector testing

Duct smoke detectors are tested annually using smoke or approved aerosol while confirming correct airflow and sampling tube installation, and the alarm is verified at the control unit.

Impairment procedure

A documented process used when a system or portion is taken out of service, requiring notification of the monitoring company and occupants and, where required, a fire watch.

Test records retention

Inspection, testing, and maintenance records must be documented, retained, and made available to the authority having jurisdiction on request for review.

Battery capacity replacement

Batteries are replaced when measured capacity falls below 80 percent of rated capacity, as determined by a load test performed on the secondary supply.

Reacceptance testing

Testing required after any modification, repair, or addition, covering the affected components and verifying that interfaces with other systems still operate correctly.

Smoke detector test method

Detectors are tested with smoke, approved aerosol, or the manufacturer's listed method; simply disabling a detector to avoid nuisance alarms is not an acceptable test.