Getting a head start on the

2013 edition of NFPA -72

Presented by: Jon Kapis

 Changes Proposed for 2013
Edition
Originally Presented at:
The 2013 National Fire Alarm and Signaling
Code – Panel Discussion of Changes
Presentation at the 2012 NFPA Conference &
Expo Sessions M12, M25 and M45, Monday,
11 June 2012
Changes Proposed for 2013
Edition
 Documentation
• Written narrative
• Riser diagram
• Floor plan
• Sequence of operation (matrix or narrative)
• Equipment technical data sheets
• Manufacturers published instructions
 Documentation
• Battery calculations
• Voltage drop calculations for NACs
• Completed record of inspection and testing
• Completed record of completion
• A copy of site specific software
• Record (as-built) drawings
 Documentation
• Identification of the person responsible for the
design or layout

• USE of NFPA 170 symbols or others acceptable to

the AHJ
 Documentation
• Ambient noise & audible design sound pressure
levels

• Designation of spaces to have visible notification

• Extensive ECS design document requirements

Documentation
 Fire Risk Analysis
• Fire Risk Analysis added to the Code.

• A.6.1 See NFPA 551, Guide for the

Evaluation of Fire Risk Assessments
 Control Unit Protection
• Protection of the Control Unit moved to Section 10.4,
Installation and Design.

10.4.4 In areas that are not continuously occupied,

automatic smoke detection shall be provided at the
location of each fire alarm control unit(s), notification
appliance circuit power extenders, and supervising
station transmitting equipment to provide notification
of fire at that location.
 Qualifications of Personnel
• All qualification requirements moved to Chapter 10
– System Designer
– System Installer
– Inspection Personnel
– Testing Personnel
– Service Personnel
– Programming
– Supervising Station Operators
 Signal Priority
• Signal Priority
– Carbon monoxide signals shall be permitted to
take precedence over supervisory and trouble
signals.

– Pre-alarm signals shall take precedence over

supervisory and trouble signals.
 Impairment System Procedures
• New paragraphs added to the Impairments section
of the Code.
• 10.21.3 The supervising station shall report to
the authority having jurisdiction any fire alarm
system for which monitoring has been terminated.
• 10.21.4 The service provider shall report to the
authority having jurisdiction any fire alarm system
that is out of service for more than 8 hours.
 “Unwanted” Alarms
• 10.22 Unwanted Alarms. For the purpose of
reporting, alarm signals that are not the result of
hazardous conditions shall be classified as
Unwanted and sub-classified as one of the
following:
– (1) Malicious Alarm
– (2) Nuisance Alarm
– (3) Unintentional Alarm
– (4) Unknown Alarm
Inspection/Testing/Maintenance
14.2.3.6 Service Personnel
Qualifications and Experience
Requires compliance with 10.5.3

10.5.3 lists requirements for,

inspection, testing,
maintenance, and
programming personnel
Inspection/Testing/Maintenance
14.2.10 Test Plan

14.2.10.1 A test plan

shall be written to clearly
establish the scope of
testing
14.2.10.2 The test plan
and results shall be
documented with the
testing records
Annex material to
explain test plan
 Software Changes
14.4.2.5 Reacceptance Testing After
Executive Software Changes
• Changes to the system executive software shall
require a 10 percent functional test of the system,
including a test of at least one device on each input
and output circuit to verify critical system functions
such as notification appliances, control functions,
and off premises reporting.
 Intelligibility Testing
14.4.11 Voice Intelligibility

• Voice communications shall be verified as

intelligible.

• Quantitative testing permitted, but NOT required

 Inspection\Testing\Maintenance
Table 14.3.1 Visual Inspection

• Details inspection frequencies

• Now details inspection methods
– What to look for
– Damage
– Obstructions
– Location
– Condition
 Testing\Inspection\Maintenance
Table 14.4.3.2 Testing
• Combines previous Table 14.4.2.2, “Test Methods,”
and Table 14.4.5, “Test Frequencies”
• Item identification numbers coordinated with Table
14.3.1, “Visual Inspections”
• Improved user friendliness by including all
information in one table
 Alarm Monitoring
Supervising Station Alarm Systems
• 26.6 Communications Methods for Supervising
Station Alarm Systems
– 26.6.3.2 Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter
(DACT)
– Testing interval has been reduced from 24 hours
to 6 hours (for each transmission means)
– A successful signal transmission sequence of any
type within the same 6 hour period satisfies
the testing interval requirement
 Protected Premises
Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems

• New Section 23.6.1 added to require a loss of no

more than 50 addressable devices for a signaling
line circuit.

• Section A.23.6.2 clarifies intent that this does not

apply to data/backbone circuits.
 Protected Premises
Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems

• Section 23.8.3.2 revised to permit dwelling unit

smoke alarms to be connected to a protected
premises control unit but to only initiate a
supervisory signal.
 Protected Premises
Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems

• Section 23.8.4.8 was revised to require signals from

CO detectors or CO detection systems to initiate a
CO alarm signal (Temporal – 4).

• A new exception to 23.8.4.8 permits supervisory

signals where permitted by the building response
plan.
 Emergency Control Function
Interfaces
Emergency Control Function Interfaces
• Section 21.2.4 revised to clarify terms.
• ROP 72-270 and ROC 72-247
 Emergency Control Function
Interface
Emergency Control Function Interfaces
• New exception to 21.3.3 added:
• Exception: A waterflow switch shall be permitted to
initiate elevator recall upon actuation of a sprinkler
installed in the pit, provided the waterflow switch and
pit sprinkler are installed on a separately valved
sprinkler line dedicated solely for protecting the pit,
and the waterflow switch is provided without time
delay capability.
 Initiating Devices
Initiating Devices - Definitions
• “Accessible Spaces”
– Spaces or concealed areas of construction
– Space that can be entered via panel, door
hatches, ceiling tiles
– Applies only for the purpose of determining extent
of detector coverage, relevant when “Total
Coverage” used “Gas Detector”
– Device that detects presence of a specified gas
concentration
– Spot type, line-of-sight, open path type
 Initiating Devices
Initiating Devices – New Annex Material
Effects of HVAC Systems

• Guidance on factors to consider when using smoke

detectors near HVAC registers
• Ceiling jet verses HVAC flow velocities
 Occupant Notification
Audibility Documentation/Application Information
• A.18.4.1.4.1 Audibility of a fire or emergency signal might
not be required in all rooms and spaces. For example, a
system that is used for general occupant notification should
not require audibility of the signal in closets and other spaces
that are not considered as occupiable spaces. However, a
space of the same size used as a file room would be
considered occupiable and should have coverage by
notification appliances. Also, signaling intended only for staff
or emergency forces might only have to be effective in very
specific locations.
 Occupant Notification
Audibility Documentation

• 18.4.1.4.4 The design sound pressure levels to be

produced by the notification appliances for the
various coverage areas shall be documented for
use during acceptance testing of the system.
 Occupant Notification
Audibility Documentation

• 18.4.2.1* To meet the requirements of Section

10.9, the alarm audible signal pattern used to notify
building occupants of the need to evacuate (leave
the building) or relocate (from one area to another)
shall be the standard alarm evacuation signal
consisting of a three-pulse temporal pattern.
 Occupant Notification
Intelligibility

• Relocated existing 24.4.1.2.2.4 to chapter 18 as

18.4.10.2.1

• 18.4.10.2.1* Unless specifically required by other

governing laws, codes or standards, or by other
parts of this Code, intelligibility shall not be required
in all ADSs.
 Occupant Notification
Intelligibility
• A.18.4.10.2.1 For example, based on the system design the following
locations might not require intelligibility. See also Annex D.
– (1) Private bathrooms, shower rooms, saunas and similar rooms/areas
– (2) Mechanical/electrical/elevator equipment rooms
– (3) Elevator cars
– (4) Individual offices
– (5) Kitchens
– (6) Storage rooms
– (7) Closets
– (8) Rooms/areas where intelligibility
cannot reasonably be predicted
 Occupant Notification
Intelligibility

• 18.4.10.4 Intelligibility shall not be required to be

determined through quantitative measurements.

• • 18.4.10.5 Quantitative measurements as described

in Annex D.2.4 shall be permitted, but are not
required.
 Occupant Notification
Documentation of Visible Appliances
• A.18.5.3 Occupant notification by visible signaling
is not required by NFPA 72 except in high noise
areas (see 18.4.1.1). Just as with audible occupant
notification, the requirement to have such signaling
originates from other governing laws, codes, or
standards. Those other governing laws, codes, or
standards specify the areas or spaces that require
either audible, visible or both types of occupant
notification. NFPA 72 then provides the standards
for those systems.
 Emergency Communications
System
• Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Survivability is required
for a two-way radio communications enhancement
system
• Exception: Where leaky feeder cable is utilized as
the antenna, it shall not be required to be installed in
metal raceway.
• Extensive searches and discussions with cable
manufacturers have not been able to identify a
source of listed 2 hour rated coaxial or fiber
cables.
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• Layer 1 = In-Building MNS, controlled only by
authorized users
• Layer 2 = Wide-Area MNS, controlled only by
authorized users
• Layer 3 = Distributed Recipient MNS, notification of
personnel through individual measures
• Layer 4 = Public media notification, Broadcast
Radio, TV, etc.
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• 24.3.11* Risk Analysis for Mass Notification
Systems.

• This section and its Annex material has been

relocated and expanded to provide additional
guidance for performing a Risk Analysis. Additional
references for risk analysis as well as an RA
Checklist has been added to the Annex
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• 24.4.2.2 Voice Evacuation Messages.

• In occupancies where sleeping accommodations are

provided and the voice message is intended to
communicate information to those who could be
asleep, a low-frequency tone that complies with
18.4.5 shall be used for the 2 cycles before and after
the message.
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• 24.4.2.6 Loudspeakers.
• Loudspeakers in each enclosed stairway, each exit
passageway, and each group of elevator cars within
a common hoist way must be connected to separate
notification zones for manual paging only.

• The evacuation signal shall not operate in elevator

cars, exit stair enclosures and exit passageways.
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• 24.4.3.18* Textual and Graphical Visible
Appliances.
• Textual and graphical visible notification appliances
are now permitted to be used for primary or
supplemental notification

• Textual and graphical visible appliances are also

permitted to be used for nonemergency purposes
 Emergency Communications
Systems
• 24.5.1* Two-Way, In-Building Wired Emergency
Services Communications Systems.
• Installation requirements are now more specific:
– 1. Wall mount telephones or jacks mounted not
less than 36 inches no more than 66 inches AFF
– 2. If accessible to the public one telephone or jack
must be 48 inches AFF
– 3. Clear access must be provided – minimum 30
inches wide
»QUESTIONS?