Finger Lakes Building Officials Association

Fire Alarm Inspections

25 Steps to FAILURE!

• RIT INN AND CONFERENCE CENTER

14 March 2022

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Presented by

Asset Protection Associates

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REFERENCES

• Text on following slides refers to The Building Code of New York State

• All references are accurate to the 2020 Edition of Building Code of NYS

• Consider most references synonymous

With the IBC and IFC

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2020 Fire Code of NYS

• Section 907.1.2 NYSFC and NFPA 72-7.2.1

• Shop Drawings

• Requires Floor Plans

• Requires Locations

• Requires Battery Calculations

• Requires Voltage Drop Calculations

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WIRING

Wiring SHALL comply

with the requirements

of NFPA 70 and NFPA 72.

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Fire Code of NYS (2020 edition)

• Section 907.1.2 & 907.2.2

• Refers to NFPA 72 (2016 edition)

• IAW Approved Plans & Specifications

• Requires Record of Completion

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New York State Fire Code

• Section 907.7

• Requires Acceptance Testing

• All devices shall be tested

• IAW and Refers to NFPA 72

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Fire Code of NYSInstructions

• Section 907.7.3

• Requires Operating Instructions

• Refers to NFPA 72 – 7.5.3

• Requires Record (As Built) Drawings

• And Manufacturers published instructions

• NFPA 72-7.7.2.1

• States “Storage at an Approved Location”14 March 2022 8

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Fire Code of New York StateInspection, Testing and

Maintenance

• Section 901.6

• Section 901.6 Maintenance Required

• Section 907.8 Testing Required

• Exception for Inaccessible with safety reasons extending NFPA frequencies

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New York State Fire CodeDetector Sensitivity Testing

• Check one Year After Installation

• After First Test – Alternate Years

• Section 907.8.3 Testing Required

• Exception for Inaccessible with safety reasons extending NFPA frequencies

• Specified in 907.8.214 March 2022 NFPA 72, 14.4.4.3.1

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New York State Building Code

• Section 907.6.3

• New in 2015 - states “The FAS shall ID each initiating device, address location, device type, floor level, status as normal, supervisory status, trouble as appropriate.”

• These relate to systems of ten or more devices excluding manual or waterflow

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Definitions – Acceptance Test

ACCEPTANCE TEST 901.5 and 907.7An acceptance test - act intended to verify and confirm the functional operability of all or part of a new system, device, circuit or programming.

NFPA 72, 14.2.1.1 [‘16]

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Acceptance Testing

CEO must be notified prior to the acceptance test.

The CEO may or may not witness a 100% test but must be performed before inspector arrival

Required tests at owner expense

Record of Completion shall be completed and provided at the acceptance test

10-74 BCNYS, 901.5 [‘20]; NFPA 72, 14.4.1 [’16]

Record of Completion

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Schedule includes all fire alarm devices

Control panels, power supplies, etc.

Continues with cable.

Continues on list to all fire alarm initiating devices

Next - notification appliances.

-NFPA 72, Table 14.4.3.2 [’16]

Pre CEO Inspection

2016 Edition - Frequency and Methods combined - 14.4.3.2

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Table lists how to test

Manufacturer may be more stringent

Follow manufacturer published instructions

Methods based on the listing requirements

Table 14.4.3.2 - Methods

Inspection and Testing

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Qualified

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Code says:

Examples of “Qualified and Experienced”

New in 2013 and continued in 2016:

Testing personnel shall have experience

and be knowledgeable of the testing requirements for

the fire alarm equipment on which they will work

Acceptance Test PracticesDuct Detector

Test differential pressure across sampling tubes with a magnehelic gauge to

Use punk or aerosol to ensure detector functionality

Mechanical contractor often will test duct detectors.

Annual testing performed by a Qualified Fire Alarm Technician

Follow manufacturers instructions.

DO NOT USE SMOKE BOMBS or theatrical smoke machines

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10-70

Magnehelic Gauge

Testing Instrumentation

Magnehelic gauge used to test duct smoke detectors.

10-71

Magnehelic Guage

Air flow

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Anemometer used by contractor to

measure air speed in duct.

10-72

Anemometer

Anemometer is used to verify that the detector’s environment is within its rated/listed air speeds.

Initial Notification Appliance Testing

Test all audible appliances using a decibel meter.

Measure dB levels - intervening doors closed.

Minimum sleeping rooms 75 dBA maximum reading 110 dBA.

NEW in 2013 (2016): Test any visible appliances to make sure they flash, both at Acceptance Test and annually afterwards. ly.)

10-58

-NFPA 72, 14.4.3.2(22) [’16], BCNYS and FCNYS, 907.5 [‘20],

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Use a digital decibel meter to take your readings.

Digital Decibel Meter

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Testing

Reasons Why Inspections Fail

• Conducted National Survey

• Administered to Varied AHJ’s and CEO’s

• Asked for Top Ten Reasons

• Received Up to 37 Reasons

• Only 25 presented – Some with References

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Reason Number 25

Building Occupant Interference

Preparatory Initiatives Necessary

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Reason Number 24

Inadequate Engineering

Design

Performed by an Unqualified

Individual

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Reason Number 23

Miscommunication Among

Participants

Inspection Date, Time, Rendezvous

Location Unclear

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Reason Number 22

Contractor and/or Owner

Coordination with Vendor

Lacking

Who reports to Whom?

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Reason Number 21

Untimely

Participant

Arrival

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JM1

Reason Number 20

Premature Occupancy

Persons in Unapproved Areas

Interfering with Inspection Progress

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Slide 29

JM1 Jim Mundy, 3/10/2020

Reason Number 19

Building Unfamiliarity

Participants Unfamiliar

With Actual Installation

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Reason Number 18

Field and Design Changes

Not Recorded

With Appropriate Detail

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Reason Number 17

MAJOR Design Changes

Not Filed with CEO/AHJ

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Reason Number 16

Repairs

UNENFORCED!!!

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Reason Number 15

Inspection Notification

Occupants not Informed

Notice Improperly Posted

Untimely Notification

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Reason Number 14

Inspection Scheduled

Without Approved Drawings On site

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Reason Number 13

Documentation Insufficiencies

Variances, Permits, Supervising Station Contract, Correspondence, C.O.,

Specifications

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Reason Number 12

Inspector Stall

Attempts to Delay Inspector

While Final Program Changes Affected

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Reason Number 11

Devices Not Permenantly Installed

Includes wiring, Supervising station

Permanence, Emergency and Permanent Power, Drawing Cabinet, HVAC Equipment

Non-operational, Phone Lines Incomplete14 March 2022 39

Reason Number 10

No Water

Impossible to Test Waterflow Device

with Empty Sprinkler Piping

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Reason Number 9

Hidden or Covered Devices

Shipping Covers on Smoker Detectors,

Devices Hidden behind Drywall,

Access Doors Lacking

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Reason Number 8

Vertical Transportation Issues

Elevator Phase I & II and

Shunt Trip incomplete

Smoke Hatches Non-operational

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Reason Number 7

Inspector Test Valve

Missing or Drain Valve Used

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Reason Number 6

Major System Component Missing

Fire Safety Functions Not Performing

Purge, Stair Pressurization, Systems Interoperability, Door Release, etc.

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Reason Number 5

Manpower Inadequate

Ya Need the Fitter, Tinknocker,

Electrician, Elevator Guy, HVAC Technician,

Supervising Station Rep,

Commissioning Agent – ON SITE!14 March 2022 45

Reason Number 4

Unqualified Fire Alarm Technician

Some Licensees ar NOT enough!

Qualified as in NICET Tech at

Appropriate Certification Level

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Reason Number 3

Inadequate/Improper Tools to Perform

Ladders, Canned Smoke, Test Equipment,

Laptops, Hand Tools, Hi-lo or Scaffold

NO MAGNETS, Radios

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Reason Number 2

Incomplete Documentation

Record of Completion, Record Drawings,

Test Notations (including Static Differentials for Duct Detectors and SPL for Notification

Appliances), Permanent Site-Specific Software, Approved Drawings, Permits

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Reason Number 1

NO PRETEST!!!!

Operational Pre-test Never Performed

First 3 or 4 Devices Fail – AUTOMATIC

Inspection Cancellation or Failure & Violation Order Issuance

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SUGGEST

• Develop Company Pre-test Checklist

• Record ALL Test Results (FNS, DBA, “WC”)

• Call CEO/AHJ Day Before Inspection

• Prepare and Present “Plan for Inspection”

• Use All Resources

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SUGGEST

• Staff Training

• Know More than the Product

• Reward Advancement in Qualifications

• Pre-test As if You are the Inspector

• GET GOOD OR GET GONE !

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•Important Notice: This document has been provided for NFPA technical committee member use only. This document is the copyright property of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Copyright 0 2014 NFPA, and may not be used for any other purpose or distributed to any other persons or parties outside of the technical committee.

•NFPA® 170

•Standard for •Fire Safety and

•Emergency Symbols

•2018 Edition

NFPA

•NFPA®, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471, USA An International Codes and Standards Organization

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SYMBOLS – NFPA 170

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AlarmExtinguishing System(CO2, CA, HL, WC, FO, DC)

Emergency Connection

Exit Sign

Exhaust FanEmergency Phone

Exhaust Outlet Fire

Flammable Liquids

Gas Detector

High Pressure Gas

Heat Detector

Manual Pull Station

People

Smoke

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Thank you for yourkind attention!

Any questions?

James M. Mundy, Jr. NYS CCEO, SET, CFPS

Asset Protection Associates, Ltd.smokedetector@msn.com

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