NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code Handbook

Contents

Preface   

Acknowledgments  

About the Contributor   

About the Editors   

NFPA 72 Summary of Technical Changes: 2019 to 2022 

NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®, 2022 Edition, with Commentary  

1      Administration  

        1.1     Scope  

        1.2     Purpose  

        1.3     Application  

        1.4     Retroactivity  

        1.5     Equivalency  

        1.6     Units and Formulas  

        1.7     Code Adoption Requirements  

   2   Referenced Publications  

        2.1     General  

        2.2     NFPA Publications  

        2.3     Other Publications  

        2.4     References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections  

   3   Definitions  

        3.1     General  

        3.2     NFPA Official Definitions  

        3.3     General Definitions  

   4   Reserved  

   5   Reserved  

   6   Reserved  

   7   Documentation  

        7.1     Application (SIG-FUN)  

        7.2     Minimum Required Documentation (SIG-FUN)  

        7.3     Design (Layout) Documentation  

        7.4     Shop Drawings (Installation Documentation) (SIG-FUN)  

        7.5     Completion Documentation  

        7.6     Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Documentation (SIG-TMS)  

        7.7     Records, Record Retention, and Record Maintenance  

        7.8     Forms 

   8   Reserved  

   9   Reserved   

10    Fundamentals  

        10.1   Application  

        10.2   Purpose  

        10.3   Equipment  

        10.4   Design and Installation  

        10.5   Personnel Qualifications  

        10.6   Power Supplies  

        10.7   Signal Priority  

        10.8   Detection and Signaling of Conditions  

        10.9   Responses  

        10.10 Distinctive Signals  

        10.11 Alarm Signals  

        10.12 Fire Alarm Notification Appliance Deactivation  

        10.13 Carbon Monoxide (CO) Notification Appliance Deactivation  

        10.14 Supervisory Signals  

        10.15 Trouble Signals  

        10.16 Emergency Control Function Status Indicators  

        10.17 Notification Appliance Circuits and Supervised Notification Appliance Control Circuits  

        10.18 Annunciation and Annunciation Zoning  

        10.19 Monitoring Integrity of In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications Systems  

        10.20 Documentation and Notification  

        10.21 Impairments  

        10.22 Unwanted Alarms  

11    Cybersecurity  

11.1 Cybersecurity  

12    Circuits and Pathways  

        12.1   Application  

        12.2   General  

        12.3   Pathway Class Designations  

        12.4   Pathway Survivability  

        12.5   Shared Pathway Designations  

        12.6   Monitoring Integrity and Circuit Performance of Installation Conductors and Other Signaling Channels  

        12.7   Nomenclature  

13    Reserved   

14    Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance  

        14.1   Application  

        14.2   General  

        14.3   Inspection  

        14.4   Testing  

        14.5   Maintenance  

        14.6   Records  

15    Reserved  

16    Reserved  

17    Initiating Devices  

        17.1   Application  

        17.2   Purpose  

        17.3   Performance-Based Design  

        17.4   General Requirements  

        17.5   Requirements for Smoke and Heat Detectors  

        17.6   Heat-Sensing Fire Detectors  

        17.7   Smoke-Sensing Fire Detectors  

        17.8   Radiant Energy–Sensing Fire Detectors  

        17.9   Combination, Multi-Criteria, and Multi-Sensor Detectors  

        17.10 Gas Detection  

        17.11 Other Fire Detectors  

        17.12 Carbon Monoxide Detectors  

        17.13 Sprinkler Waterflow Alarm-Initiating Devices  

        17.14 Detection of Operation of Other Automatic Extinguishing Systems  

        17.15 Manually Actuated Alarm-Initiating Devices  

        17.16 Fire Extinguisher Electronic Monitoring Device  

        17.17 Supervisory Signal–Initiating Devices  

18    Notification Appliances   

        18.1   Application  

        18.2   Purpose  

        18.3   General  

        18.4   Audible Characteristics  

        18.5   Visual Characteristics — Public Mode  

        18.6   Visual Characteristics — Private Mode  

        18.7   Supplementary Visual Signaling Method  

        18.8   Textual Audible Appliances  

        18.9   Textual and Graphical Visual Appliances  

        18.10 Tactile Appliances         

19    Reserved  

20    Reserved  

21    Emergency Control Function Interfaces  

        21.1   Application  

        21.2   General  

        21.3   Elevator Phase I Emergency Recall Operation  

        21.4   Elevator Power Shutdown  

        21.5   Fire Service Access Elevators  

        21.6   Occupant Evacuation Elevators (OEE)  

        21.7   Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems  

        21.8   High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) Fans  

        21.9   Door and Shutter Release 

        21.10 Electrically Locked Doors  

        21.11 Exit Marking Audible Notification Systems  

22    Reserved   

23    Protected Premises Alarm and Signaling Systems  

        23.1   Application  

        23.2   General  

        23.3   System Features  

        23.4   System Performance and Integrity  

        23.5   Performance of Initiating Device Circuits (IDCs)  

        23.6   Performance of Signaling Line Circuits (SLCs)  

        23.7   Performance of Notification Appliance Circuits (NACs)  

        23.8   System Requirements  

        23.9   In-Building Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications  

        23.10 Fire Alarm Systems Using Tone  

        23.11 Suppression System Actuation 

        23.12 Off-Premises Signals  

        23.13 Guard’s Tour Supervisory Service  

        23.14 Suppressed (Exception Reporting) Signal System  

        23.15 Protected Premises Emergency Control Functions  

        23.16 Special Requirements for Low-Power Radio (Wireless) Systems  

24    Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)  

        24.1   Application  

        24.2   Purpose  

        24.3   General  

        24.4   In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm Communications Systems (EVACS)  

        24.5   In-Building Mass Notification Systems  

        24.6   Wide-Area Mass Notification Systems  

        24.7   Distributed Recipient Mass Notification Systems (DRMNS)  

        24.8   Two-Way, In-Building Wired Emergency Services Communications Systems  

        24.9   Two-Way Radio Communications Enhancement Systems  

        24.10 Two-Way Emergency Communications Systems for Rescue Assistance

        24.11 Information, Command, and Control  

        24.12 Performance-Based Design of Mass Notification Systems  

        24.13 Documentation for Emergency Communications Systems  

25    Reserved  

26    Supervising Station Alarm Systems  

        26.1   Application  

        26.2   General  

        26.3   Central Station Service Alarm Systems  

        26.4   Proprietary Supervising Station Alarm Systems  

        26.5   Remote Supervising Station Alarm Systems  

        26.6   Communications Methods for Supervising Station Alarm Systems 

27    Public Emergency Alarm Reporting Systems  

        27.1   Application  

        27.2   General   

        27.3   Management and Maintenance  

        27.4   Communications Methods  

        27.5   Alarm Processing Equipment  

        27.6   Alarm Boxes  

        27.7   Public Cable Plant  

        27.8   Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)  

28    Reserved  

29    Single- and Multiple-Station Alarms and Household Signaling Systems  

        29.1   Application  

        29.2   Purpose  

        29.3   Basic Requirements  

        29.4   Remote Annunciation  

        29.5   Notification  

        29.6   Assumptions  

        29.7   Carbon Monoxide Detection  

        29.8   Detection and Notification  

        29.9   Power Supplies  

        29.10 Equipment Performance  

        29.11 Installation  

        29.12 Optional Functions  

        29.13 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance  

        29.14 Markings and Instructions 

Annexes

A      Explanatory Material  

B      Engineering Guide for Automatic Fire Detector Spacing  

C     System Performance and Design Guide  

D     Speech Intelligibility  

E      Sample Ordinance Adopting NFPA 72  

F      Wiring Diagrams and Guide for Testing Fire Alarm Circuits  

G     Guidelines for Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings and Campuses  

H     Carbon Monoxide  

I       Color-Coded Tagging Program

J      Guidelines for Cybersecurity

K      Informational References       

Index   

Important Notices and Legal Disclaimers

Important information about NFPA codes and standards available

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2019 Edition

Editors: Richard J. Roux, Barry D. Chase and Christopher D. Coache

Apply NFPA 72® correctly from the start. Be first with the 2019 edition of the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code® Handbook.

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eForms Table of Contents

• System Record of Completion
• Emergency Communications Systems Supplementary Record of Completion
• Power Systems Supplementary Record of Completion
• Notification Appliance Power Panel Supplementary Record of Completion
• Interconnected Systems Supplementary Record of Completion
• Deviations from Adopted Codes and Standards Supplementary Record of Completion
• System Record of Inspection and Testing
• Notification Appliance Supplementary Record of Inspection and Testing
• Initiating Device Supplementary Record of Inspection and Testing
• Mass Notification System Supplementary Record of Inspection and Testing
• Emergency Communications Systems Supplementary Record of Inspection and Testing
• Interface Component Supplementary Record of Inspection and Testing