NFPA 72F

Standard for the

INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE and
USE OF EMERGENY VOICE/ALARM
COMMLTNICATION SYSTEM
1985 Edition
 O 1985 NFPA, All Rights Resewed

NFPA 72F

Standard for
the Installation, Maintenance and
Use of Emergency VoieelAlarm
Communication Systems
1985 Edition

This edition of NFPA 72F,Standard for t h Inrfaflatbn, M a i h t m c e a d Use of

E m s t g a y Voics/Alamt Cornmunicut~onSystamr, was prepared by the ~ t c h n i c i l
Committee on Protective Signaling Systems, released by the Comlating Committee on
Signaling Systems. and acted on by the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. at
its Fall Meting held November 12-15. 1984 in San Diego. California. It was issued by
the Standards Council onJanuary 18, 1985. with an effective date of February 9, 1985.
and suptrscda all previous editions.

Origln and Osveiopment of NFPA 72F

This standard is a new part of the protective signaling system standards having a
long history dating back to 1898. The Voice/Alarm Signaling Scrvicc Subcommittee
was formed in 1975 and immediately began work on the development of NFPA 72F.
One of the primary concerns of the subcommittee in the preparation of this document
centercd upon unifying the various voice/alamn signaling service designs being in-
stalled in buildings where the potential for entrapment and injury of large numbers of
persona cxius.
During the preparation of this document. several significant fim occurred in
buildixlgs having voice/alam signaling ervices where, fortunately. the loss of life was
limited. The subcommittee considered the minimal l a of life due primarily to chance
events more than any preconceived plan or the operation of the voicc/alarm signaling
services. This standard waa written to provide proper design, manufacture and usc of
voict/alarm signaling services for these buildings.