DAY 3 – SESSION 1
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
FIRE ALARM AND DETECTION SYSTEM
• FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS
ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE WARNING
OF THE OUTBREAK OF FIRE AND ALLOW
APPROPRIATE FIRE FIGHTING ACTION
TO BE TAKEN BEFORE THE SITUATION
GOES OUT OF CONTROL
FIRE ALARM AND DETECTION SYSTEM
BUILDING BYLAWS CODES AND STANDARDS
• UBBL 133 • BS5839 Part 1:1988 – Code of
• UBBL 225(1) Practice for system design,
installation and servicing
• UBBL 237
• UBBL 238 • BS5389 Part 2 :1983 –
Specification for Manual Call
• UBBL 239 points
• UBBL 240 • BS5389 Part 3 :1988 – Spec.
• UBBL 241 for Automatic release
• UBBL 244(g) mechanism
• UBBL 245 • MS1404 :Part 4: 1996 – Spec.
• UBBL 246 for control and indicative
equipment
• TENTH SCHEDULE
FIRE ALARM AND DETECTION SYSTEM –
TYPE OF PROTECTION AND COVERAGE
• MANUAL – A SYSTEM WHICH PROVIDES MANUAL ACTIVATION :
MANUAL CALL POINTS OR BREAKGLASS
• AUTOMATIC – A SYSTEM THAT AUTOMATICALLY DETECTS A FIRE
AND INITIATES EFFECTIVE ALARM (EG SMOKE AND HEAT
DETECTOR)
• ACTUATION OF ANCILLARY SERVICES - PROVISION TO OPEN AND
CLOSE THE CIRCUIT OF ANCILLARY SERVICES – TRIPPING OF
AHUS, INITIATION OF PRESSURISATION FANS, SMOKE SPILL
FANS, ETC.
• LIFE PROTECTION – PROVISION OF PROTECTION OF LIFE, WHICH
IS THE SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS. WITH DETECTION OF FIRE,
INITIATES AN ALARM OF FIRE, AND PROVIDES SUFFICIENT TIME
FOR OCCUPANTS TO ESCAPE FROM THE BUILDING
• PROPERTY PROTECTION – PROVISION OF PROTECTION OF
PROPERTY AND CONTENTS. IN AN EVENT OF A FIRE DETECTED,
ALARM IS INITIATED AND INDICATES LOCATION OF FIRE, AND
SUMMONS FIRE BRIGADE.
TYPES OF FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
• CONVENTIONAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM –
HARDWIRING INDIVIDUALLY.
• ADDRESSABLE SYSTEM
• ANALOGUE ADDRESSABLE SYSTEMS
MAIN COMPONENTS
• FIRE ALARM PANEL – TO BE LOCATED IN THE FIRE
CONTROL ROOM. ABLE TO FAULT, TEST, AND ISOLATE
EACH POINT, COMPLETE WITH PRINTER
• MIMIC DIAGRAM INDICATING THE BUILDING
INCLUSIVE OF ZONE INDICATION LIGHTS.
• FIELD DEVICES – FIRE DETECTORS : SMOKE
DETECTORS, HEAT DETECTORS
• ALARM SOUNDERS – ALARM BELL / VISUAL ALARM
• MANUAL CALL POINTS - BREAKGLASS AND ALARM
BELLS
MAIN COMPONENTS
• INDICATION OF FIRE RELATED EQUIPMENT SUCH AS
FIRE PUMPS, GENSET, FIRE RELATED FANS, HI / LOW
WATER LEVEL ALARM FOR FIRE TANKS
• BATTERY BACK UP AND CHARGER FOR FIRE ALARM
SYSTEM
• CONTROLS OF SPECIFIC FIRE RELATED FANS SUCH AS
PRESSURISATION FANS, SMOKE SPILL FANS, ETC.
• FIRE SIGNALLING TO INITIATE OPERATION OR TO
TRIP OPERATION OF SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT
• CONNECTION TO THE NEAREST FIRE BRIGADE
STATION VIA CMS
AUDIO AND VISUAL ALARM
• NORMALLY ONLY AUDIO ALARM PROVIDED –
ALARM BELLS
• ALARM BELLS SHOULD HAVE MINIMUM SOUND
LEVEL OF 65db(A), SUSTAINABLE FOR
MINIMUM 30 SECONDS
• NORMALLY LOCATED AT THE FIRE CONTROL
PANEL, ALL ESCAPE STAIRCASES TOGETHER
WITH THE MANUAL CALL POINTS
• VISUAL ALARM NORMALLY PROVIDED FOR
AREAS WHICH ARE SENSITIVE TO NOISE SUCH
AS HOSPITALS.
MANUAL CALL POINTS
• LOCATED ON EXIT ROUTES AND IN
PARTICULAR ON THE FLOOR LANDINGS OR
STAIRWAYS AND AT EXITS TO OPEN AIR.
• TO LOCATED AS SUCH THAT TO RAISE AN
ALARM, NO PERSON IN THE PREMISES NEED
TRAVE MORE THAN 30 METERS
• MUST BE LOCATED FOR EASY SIGHTING AND
NORMALLY IS RED IN COLOUR.
FIRE DETECTORS – HEAT
DETECTOR
VARIOUS TYPES AVAILABLE :
• FIXED TEMPERATURE HEAT DETECTOR
• RATE OR RISE TEMPERATURE HEAT
DETECTOR
• LINEAR – LINE DETECTOR
HEAT DETECTOR – DESIGN
CONSIDERATION (POINT DETECTION)
• GENERALLY ONE POINT HEAT DETECTOR CAN COVER
50M2 OF AREA OR 5.3M RADIUS OF COVERAGE
• FOR PITCH ROOF HEAT DETECTORS TO BE INSTALLED
ON THE APEX
• LIMITS OF HEIGHTS FOR HEAT DETECTOR
INSTALLATION (GL – GENERAL LIMITS; RA – RAPID
ATTENDANCE TYPE):
GRADE 1 : GL – 9.0 M ; RA – 13.5M
GRADE 2 : GL – 7.5M ; RA – 12.0M
GRADE 3 : GL – 6.0M ; RA – 10.5M
FIRE DETECTORS – SMOKE
DETECTORS
TYPES OF SMOKE DETECTORS
• IONISATION SMOKE DETECTOR
• OPTICAL SMOKE DETECTOR
• ASPIRATING SMOKE DETECTOR
• BEAM SMOKE DETECTOR
SMOKE DETECTOR – DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS (POINT DETECTION)
• GENERALLY ONE POINT SMOKE DETECTOR CAN COVER APPROX.
100M2 OF AREA OR 7.5M RADIUS OF COVERAGE. FOR ASPIRATING
SMOKE DETECTOR DEPENDING ON SENSITIVITY AND RESPONSE TIME
REQUIRED, COVERAGE NORMALLY LIMITED TO 100M2.
• FOR PITCH ROOF SMOKE DETECTORS TO BE INSTALLED ON THE APEX
• LIMITS OF HEIGHTS FOR SMOKE DETECTOR INSTALLATION (GL –
GENERAL LIMITS; RA – RAPID ATTENDANCE TYPE):
NORMAL SMOKE DETECTOR : GL – 10.5 M ; RA – 15.0M
OPTICAL BEAM DETECTOR : GL – 25.0M ; RA – 40.0M
GRADE 3 : GL – 6.0M ; RA – 10.5M
• OPTICAL BEAM DETECTORS
SHOULD BE INSTALLED ABOVE PEOPLE HEIGHT – NORMALLY AT
ATRIUM AREAS.
MAXIMUM LENGTH OF AREA PROTECTED BY SINGLE BEAM DETECTOR
SHOULD NOT EXCEED 100M.
FIRE DETECTORS – FLAME
DETECTORS
• SHOULD BE USED FOR AREAS WHERE THERE IS
LIKELYHOOD OF RAPID FLAME DEVELOPMENT,
SO THAT AN ALARM IS REQUIRED BEFORE
PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OR HEAT WILL
REACH A THRESHOLD LEVEL TO RAISE AN
ALARM.
• FLAME DETECTORS ARE ESSENTIALLY A ‘LINE
OF SIGHT’ DEVICE WHICH SENSE FLAMES IN A
SET FIELD OF VIEW (NORMALLY A CONE OF
VISION ANGLE )
