Systems tied to Fire Alarm Panels
When most people think of what is connected to a fire alarm system they think of smoke detectors, heat detectors and the flashers and sounders which are speaker strobes or horn strobes. They also may think of the red pull stations that can activate the system and possibly monitoring the fire sprinkler system to call the fire department when there is a fire and that is all true.
Here is a list of some other items that often can be tied into a fire alarm system.
Smoke Control Systems can be installed so that the Fire Department or other authorized people can control air flow, fans and dampers to control the flow and move air throughout or expel smoke from the building. In large buildings there is a separate room connected to the building where the fire department can go to control this system and often there is an annunciator for the fire alarm system in this same room.
VESDA systems can detect a fire using system of tubes. Example would be computer rooms, prisons or a Hospital MRI room where metal should not be in the room. This system basically sucks air and tests the air on an ongoing basis. Air aspiration systems can be installed for various types of buildings. We can help you with the design and pricing for these systems. When installed in prisons it is very effective and there is nothing much prisoners can do to mess with the system other than clogging the tube holes with toothpaste so they do need to be inspected periodically.
Door Holders are magnets that release when there is a fire alarm, this drops the doors closed so the air and fire does not spread. Often these magnets are powered by 120 volt or can be 24 volt and then a relay is tied to the doors so they drop when there is a fire. On older buildings we need to know if they are powered by 120V or off separate power supplies or if they are powered via the fire alarm system. When we do upgrades or system replacements we need to know if the door holder magnets are being powered with 120V or 24 and if they are powered off the panel or not.
When a fire occurs the fire alarm system is supposed to release the doors if they have locked doors on an access control system.
AOR or TWV Area of Refuge systems are two way voice systems in specific stairwells that are rated for fire so a person in a wheel chair could go there and wait for rescue. They could make a call and let the dispatcher know where they were to inform the fire department. TWV or Two Way voice emergency communication systems are often in an elevator lobby or other area and basically they work the same way, the person could talk to a dispatcher or a person that was at a 24 hour desk to let them know that they needed help.
BDA Bi Directional Antenna systems can enhance the emergency responder radio system so it will function well in a large building. This is more and more common and being a requirement of code and this helps the city so the radios they use will work throughout the building. It used to be firemen would have a box of red telephones downstairs and they could take the phone and plug it into jacks throughout the building. These are still in many buildings although it is more common for fire fighters to use the radios in their helmets.
There is another system that can be added to large buildings or malls that enhances the emergency responder telephone systems. Many people don’t know that in a disaster the emergency responders have phones that are on a different network or cell systems than normal cell phones. Installing special booster antennas throughout the building helps with coverage for this purpose.
HVAC systems have Fire Smoke Dampers (Relay and sometimes a monitor module to monitor if the damper is open or shut and a relay to control the damper) There is also a duct detector next to the damper that is monitored by the fire alarm panel and often those are in duct detectors with a remote test switch and these can be monitored and programmed or wired to shut the air handler/dampers down upon alarm. We also can provide or monitor normal duct detectors that are on the supply or return sides and we can provide the duct detector, remote test switch, tubes. We can also just provide monitor modules to monitor duct detectors that are provided by others. When global shutdown is required we can provide an additional relay for that purpose. Most often when a duct detector detects smoke the duct detector is wired or programmed to shut down just that one air handler. We normally monitor just the duct detectors that are on air handlers over 2000 cfm. When the fire marshal requires global shut down that means that when one duct detector detects smoke that the fire panel can tell all of the air handlers throughout the building to shut down.
Another system we tie to in hospitals are the HUGS systems. These systems are set up in the maternity areas so if a baby is taken out of the area the doors lock and the elevators shut down. This system is to help prevent kidnapping of the babies. There is a special band that goes on the wrist or ankle and if it is cut off the system goes into alarm and puts the area into lockdown. This system ties into the fire alarm system with relays so when the fire alarm system goes off the doors will not lock. We can help integrate with these systems.
There are also special smoke detectors in OR operating rooms that are connected to exhaust fans so if the doctor is cauterizing flesh during a procedure or operation that the smoke detector will detect smoke and then turn on the fans to get the smoke out of the room.
In theaters we can provide relays to shut off the sound so that the voice system or fire alarm system can be heard to evacuate the building. Many smaller fire alarm companies are not as familiar with the integration and relay logic as Johnson Controls is.
There are other systems that the fire alarm system can tie to depending on each individual system and we can help with all of those situations.