A fire alarm system is intended to enable a fire to be detected at a sufficiently early stage so that people who are at risk can be made safe either by escaping from the fire, or by the fire being extinguished (also to prevent extensive property damage). Neither of these measures can be used until people are made aware of fire. A fire alarm system has a number of devices working together to detect and warn people through visual and audio appliances when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other emergencies are present. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors, and heat detectors or may also be activated via manual fire alarm activation devices such as manual call points or pull stations. Alarms can be either motorized bells or wall mountable sounders or horns. They can also be speaker strobes which sound an alarm, followed by a voice evacuation message which warns people inside the building not to use the elevators.
The effectiveness of the fire detection and alarm system depends on the stage of the fire at which it is operated. In order for all the occupants to escape without too much difficulty, an early alarm should operate before the escape routes become smoke-logged to such an extent as will cause occupants to have difficulty finding their way out of the building.
Components forming the System
1. Smoke / Heat Smoke / Heat Detectors ( Detectors (Fire Detectors Fire Detectors)
2. Alarm Panels ( Alarm Panels (Control and Indicating Equipment Control and Indicating Equipment)
3. Alarm Bells ( Alarm Bells (Fire Alarm Devices Fire Alarm Devices)
4. Manual Call Points Manual Call Points
5. DECAM Panel ( DECAM Panel (Fire Services Fire Services Signalling Signalling Transmitter Transmitter)
6. DECAM Station ( DECAM Station (Alarm Monitoring Station Alarm Monitoring Station)
7. Extinguishing Panels ( Extinguishing Panels (Control for automatic fire protection equipment Control for automatic fire protection equipment)
8. Gas/Sprinkler ( Gas/Sprinkler (Automatic fire protection equipment Automatic fire protection equipment)
9. Charger/Battery ( Charger/Battery (Power Supply Equipment Power Supply Equipment)
Non-Addressable System Addressable System – also commonly known as also commonly known as “ conventional conventional” – fire detectors are wired to th fire detectors are wired to the panel in groups known as zone e panel in groups known as zone – identification of alarm status by zone identification of alarm status by zone – fire detectors indicates either fire detectors indicates either “ Fire” or “ Normal” status the only status only – system only indicate events but without event recording system only indicate events but without event recording feature
Addressable System Addressable System – each fire detector is each fire detector is provided with an address provided with an address – identification of alarm status by zone and by address identification of alarm status by zone and by address – fire detectors indicates vari fire detectors indicates various condition such as smoke ous condition such as smoke level – indicates and records system events indicates and records system events.
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