NM Fire Alarm flashcards

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

NFPA 72 scope

Defines the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems, including initiating devices, notification appliances, and supervising station systems.

Protected premises system

A local fire alarm system that sounds notification appliances within the protected building only, with no automatic transmission of signals to an off-premises location.

Central station system

A system that transmits signals to a listed, privately operated supervising station that is staffed continuously and provides runner service under a contract with the subscriber.

Addressable system

A fire alarm system in which each initiating device and notification appliance has a unique address, allowing the control unit to identify the specific device in alarm or trouble.

Spot smoke detector spacing

On smooth ceilings, spot-type smoke detectors are spaced at their listed spacing (commonly 30 ft) and no point on the ceiling may be more than 21 ft from a detector.

Ionization vs photoelectric

Ionization detectors respond faster to flaming fires with small particles; photoelectric detectors respond faster to smoldering fires with larger particles. Combination units use both technologies.

Duct smoke detector application

Required where air handling systems exceed 2,000 cfm; used to supervise duct airflow and initiate equipment shutdown, not as a substitute for area smoke detection.

Pull station mounting height

Manual fire alarm pull stations must be mounted 42 to 48 inches above the finished floor, within 5 feet of the exit door, on the latch side of the door.

NAC audibility requirement

Public mode audible signals must be at least 15 dBA above ambient or 5 dBA above maximum ambient lasting over 60 seconds, measured at 60 inches above the floor.

Visible appliance synchronization

Visible notification appliances in the same viewing area must flash in synchronization to avoid triggering seizures; spacing follows candela rating and mounting height tables.

Secondary power capacity

Commercial fire alarm systems require 24 hours of standby followed by 5 minutes of alarm operation; central station systems require 24 hours plus 5 minutes.

Battery sizing formula

Required capacity equals standby current times standby hours plus alarm current times alarm hours, multiplied by a 1.20 derating factor to select the battery rating.

Class A versus Class B

Class A circuits return to the panel so a single open fault disables no devices; Class B circuits are two-wire with a single path where one open disables devices beyond the break.

Notification voltage drop

Voltage drop equals two times the one-way length times current times resistance per 1,000 ft; the drop must leave at least the minimum operating voltage at the last appliance.

Dedicated branch circuit

The fire alarm primary power source must be a dedicated branch circuit connected ahead of other loads, with a red, marked disconnecting means protected from accidental operation.

Article 760 coverage

NEC Article 760 covers fire alarm system wiring, including non-power-limited circuits in 760.41 and power-limited circuits in 760.121, plus cable types and separation rules.

FPL cable types

FPL is general-purpose fire alarm cable, FPLR is riser-rated for vertical shafts, and FPLP is plenum-rated for environmental air spaces; selection depends on installation location.

NPLFA conductor minimum

Non-power-limited fire alarm circuit conductors must be at least 14 AWG copper or 12 AWG aluminum and installed in raceway or a listed cable assembly.

Fire alarm circuit separation

Fire alarm conductors may not share raceway, cable, or boxes with other systems unless separated by a barrier or permitted by 760.139 and 300.8.

Record of completion

A document signed by the installing contractor and owner's representative confirming the system was installed and tested per the design and NFPA 72 requirements.

Annual detector testing

Smoke detectors and duct detectors must be tested annually, with duct detectors tested while the air handling system is operating to verify airflow and shutdown.

Battery load test

Batteries must be load tested at the calculated alarm load, or discharged for 30 minutes annually, and replaced when capacity falls below 80 percent of rating.

Impairment procedure

When a required system is out of service more than 4 hours, the AHJ, owner, and monitoring agency must be notified and a fire watch implemented.

Trouble signal timing

Trouble signals must be distinctive and must annunciate within 200 seconds of the fault; supervisory signals must annunciate within 90 seconds.

Signal priority

Alarm signals take priority over supervisory and trouble signals; a subsequent alarm on another zone must still be annunciated even when a prior alarm is active.

DACT transmission

Digital alarm communicator transmitters must use two separate telephone lines or one line plus an alternate path, and the panel must detect line faults and switch paths.

Central station retransmission

Alarm signals must be transmitted within 90 seconds of activation, and the central station must retransmit to the fire department within 90 seconds of receipt.

Elevator recall phases

Smoke detectors in lobbies, machine rooms, and hoistways initiate Phase I recall; a detector in the elevator pit or car initiates Phase II recall.

Sprinkler interface signals

Waterflow switches must initiate an alarm signal and valve tamper switches must initiate a supervisory signal; both are monitored by the fire alarm control unit.

HVAC shutdown interface

Duct smoke detectors must shut down the air handling unit upon alarm and be supervised for power and airflow, without disabling the fire alarm system.

High-rise fire alarm

Buildings generally over 75 feet require a fire alarm system with voice evacuation, elevator recall, and sprinkler monitoring, capable of manual and automatic operation.

New Mexico contractor license

The Construction Industries Division requires a Fire Protection Systems Contractor license to bid, contract, or install fire alarm systems in New Mexico.