A fire alarm system warns people when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other fire-related

emergencies are detected. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors and
heat detectors or may also be activated via manual fire alarm activation devices such as manual call
points or pull stations. 

Fire Alarm System is designed to alert us to an emergency so that we can take action to protect
ourselves, staff and the general public.

What is the purpose of a fire alarm system?

The fire alarm system is designed to give you an early warning when there is a
smoke or fire condition in your building. NEVER ignore the alarms just because your
area is clear, there may be a fire or smoke condition on another floor that the sensitive
detection devices have alerted you to.

What does a fire alarm system consist of?

In essence, a fire alarm system has four key functions: detect, alert, monitor, and
control. These sophisticated systems use a network of devices, appliances, and control
panels to carry out these four functions.
 Consider a few of these statistics about the impact of
residential and commercial fires in the United States:

According to the National Fire Protection Association

 355,400 home structure fires happened between 2012-

2016
 2,560 civilians died due to home fires
 11,670 civilians injured due to fires
 6.5 billion dollars in property damaged in fires
 On average, seven people die in home fires per day
Fires cause an unbelievable amount of damage.
Understanding the types of fire alarm monitoring systems,
and how a central station monitors fire alarms can greatly
decrease the chance of fire impacting you or your
business.

Types of Fire Alarm Monitoring Systems

There are three main types of fire alarm monitoring
systems: ionization, photoelectric, and combination
alarms. Below we will discuss each type of alarm and how
they can help detect fires.

Ionization
Ionization fire alarms are best for detecting flaming fires.
Inside of the alarm is a tiny bit of radioactive material
(don’t be alarmed – pun intended) that sits between two
electronically charged plates. This causes a constant
current of ionized air between the two plates. When smoke
enters between the ionized current, it interrupts the current
and sets the alarm off. These alarm systems are better for
detecting fast, flaming fires.

Photoelectric
These types of alarms are better for detecting smoldering
fires. The smoke that is produced by a slow flaming,
smoldering fire is much different than a raging flame fire. A
photoelectric fire alarm uses a beam of light that is sent
into a chamber away from a light sensor. When smoke
enters the chamber, it reflects the light towards the sensor,
and triggers the alarm to sound.

Combination
Combination alarms feature both ionization and
photoelectric fire detecting technologies. There are
arguments for having combination alarms in your home, or
having both ionization, and photoelectric alarms in your
home to maximize your home protection, as combination
alarms aren’t as great as one detection method or the
other, compared to the single units.

What Type of Fire Alarm Monitoring System is

Recommended?
There has been quite a bit of debate on the subject matter
of what fire alarm system is best. The United States Fire
Administration issued a statement regarding the use of the
three aforementioned types of fire alarms. According to
the United States Fire Administration:
Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms
are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially
fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of
fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends that
every home and place where people sleep be equipped
with either (a) both ionization and photoelectric smoke
alarms, or (b) dual sensor smoke alarms (which contain
both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors).

Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms

are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially
fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of
fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends that
every home and place where people sleep be equipped
with either (a) both ionization and photoelectric smoke
alarms, or (b) dual sensor smoke alarms (which contain
both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors).
So, the best bet is to have a combination of both alarms
where people sleep. That is the best way to prevent
property damage and reduce the amount of physical harm
from a fire.

Does a Fire Alarm Need To Be Monitored By a Central

Station?
Fire alarms don’t, by law, have to be monitored by a
central station, but a central station like AvantGuard can
monitor your fire alarm system and provides 24-protection
compared to a system that is not monitored.
Not all fires happen when someone is around. AvantGuard
can alert you or someone on your contact list when a fire
has occurred at your property or place of business. Having
AvantGuard monitor your fire alarms can save your home
or business from property damage and get EMS where
they need to be quickly. Reach out to AvantGuard today to
see how our monitoring services can benefit you.

HOW DOES A FIRE ALARM

SYSTEM WORK?
Posted  August 07, 2020  by  Koorsen Fire & Security
If you own, manage, or are building any type of commercial structure, you are
likely all too aware of the codes which require your building(s) to have a
working fire alarm system.

Yet many do not understand how these systems work and often confuse them
with individual fire protection apparatuses, such as fire sprinklers or smoke
detectors. But fire alarm systems are a far more comprehensive and complex
approach to fire protection than any individual device.

In this blog, you will learn what the role and primary components of a fire
alarm system are and the basics of how these components work together to
protect your building and its occupants in the event of a fire.

Fire Alarm System Questions?

Click to Contact Us Now!
What is the Role of a Fire Alarm System?
In the simplest terms, the role of a fire alarm system is to detect fires and alert
both building occupants and emergency personnel from a centrally monitored
and controlled location.

These systems also self-monitor, identifying where within the building(s)

alarms originate from and detecting when errors occur in wiring and
connections that may hinder the system from working correctly.

In essence, a fire alarm system has four key functions: detect, alert, monitor,
and control. These sophisticated systems use a network of devices,
appliances, and control panels to carry out these four functions.

What are the Parts of a Fire Alarm

System?
As stated above, a fire alarm system is a collection of many separate parts,
each with their own unique function. Knowing what these parts are and how
they work together is necessary to better understand how the system works
as a whole.
The following are the five key elements that make up every fire alarm system:

 Initiating Devices: initiating devices are the part of the alarm system

which detects smoke or a fire. These devices include smoke detectors
of various kinds, heat detectors of various kinds, sprinkler water flow
sensors, and pull stations.

 Indicating Appliances: indicating appliances are the part of the system

that sounds the alarm and alerts occupants to the fire hazard.

Indicating appliances include horns, chimes, bells, and in some

situations, even strobe lights for the hard of hearing and deaf. Most of
these appliances are deliberately loud so as not to be missed and to
encourage everyone to leave the building quickly.

Where those who are deaf or hard of hearing are present, or code

requires, strobe lights are also used in conjunction with the other
indicators so that there is a visual warning of the fire as well.

 Fire Alarm Panel: the fire alarm control panel is the user interface
and central monitoring and controlling element of the system. It has a
display revealing the current state (alarm or no alarm) of the fire alarm
system and a touch pad, which allows onsite personnel to program,
troubleshoot, silence, and reset the system.

The fire alarm panel monitors and has supervisory function over all of

the system’s initiating devices, indicating appliances, and all related
telephone ties, field wiring, and its circuit cards and internal wiring.

It is also via the fire alarm panel that a call is sent out to a monitoring
agency in the event of a triggered alarm so that emergency personnel
are alerted.

 Power Supplies: Power supplies cover main power from the breaker,

(2) 12V batteries as backup for 24 hours, and sometimes a generator as
backup power for many fire alarm systems. The batteries may be
contained in either the control panel or in a separate enclosure. The
batteries will take over should the power fail, allowing the system to
continue protecting the building from fire for 24 hours. A generator can
provide power for longer periods of power outages.
  Auxiliary Devices: many additional devices can be added onto a fire
alarm system to bolster fire protection in a facility.

Additional devices include things like visual LED indicators showing

which zone in a building a fire alarm was initiated, remote annunciators,
alarm silence switches, electromagnetic door holders, fire doors,
elevator capture and shutdown, etc.

As can be seen, these systems can be as simple or as elaborate as a facility

needs, and for each element listed above, there is a wide variety of options.

Creating or updating the ideal system for your facility can be a huge
undertaking and should be done in consultation with experts like Koorsen and
professional electricians who both understand the host of capabilities these
systems and their parts offer as well as the local requirements of your AHJ.

The 3 States of Fire Alarm Systems

As mentioned above, the fire alarm panel monitors and indicates what state
the system is in at all times. For most systems, there are three states of
operation: Normal, Alarm, and Trouble.

When all devices, appliances, wiring, and circuitry are operating correctly, and
no alarms are activated, the system is operating in a Normal State.

When an initiating device is activated, the system goes into an Alarm State.
The indicating appliances will sound, alerting building occupants to the
danger, and the alphanumeric display on the control panel will indicate from
which zone of the building(s) the alarm is originating from so that emergency
personnel can quickly respond to the correct area.

Should a short or open wiring develop in the circuits connecting the fire alarm
panel and initiating devices, or within the panel’s wiring or zone cards, or if the
system’s phone line connection is not functioning, then the system goes
into Trouble State and is displayed on the control panel. The panel will
indicate which zone the issue is in, and a buzzer will sound to alert
maintenance personnel to the problem. While the buzzer is loud enough to be
heard, it is not nearly as loud as the indicating appliances and will not be
confused with an actual alarm.
How Do Fire Alarm Systems Detect a
Fire?
The way a fire alarm system detects a fire is through its initiating devices,
discussed above.

The fire alarm panel is connected to the system’s initiating devices through
either 2- or 4-wire circuits. This circuitry allows the control panel to monitor the
state of its initiating devices, usually by zones, identifying whether the devices
are in normal or alarm mode. The control panel shows these readings on its
display panel.

When a fire starts, the smoke or heat will activate one of the initiating devices,
or someone will activate the manual pull station, alerting the fire alarm system
to the fire and putting it in alarm mode.

What Happens Once the Fire Alarm

System is Activated?
Once the system goes into alarm mode, two things should happen:

 The indicating appliances should sound the alarm, notifying everyone in

the building of the danger.

 A call should go out via the system’s telephone lines to the monitoring
company.

In some fire alarm systems, it may also activate fire suppression systems to

help fight the fire until emergency personnel arrives.

How Do You Disarm a Fire Alarm?

It is important that the building manager or maintenance crew understand how
to read and use the fire alarm panel, especially if it is in trouble state or is
experiencing false alarms.
On the touch pad of the control panel, there are alarm and trouble silence
options as well as a system reset option. These should only be used once the
source of the alarm or notification has been identified and can be correctly
addressed.

Need Help?

Effectively protecting your facility against fire is pivotal to protecting the lives
within it and the investment that it represents. But as should be evident,
designing and implementing these systems is no easy task.

Don’t leave the safety of those in your building and your investment up to
chance. The team at Koorsen Fire & Security has been in the fire protection
business for over 70 years and has served a wide variety of business types,
from medical to industrial to educational and retail.

Koorsen understands how the unique environment and proceedings of each

business impact the fire protection required to protect the facility and its
people. Furthermore, they are experts in working with the codes and local
authorities to ensure that you won’t be hit with unwanted snags and fines in
your building and inspection processes.

If you are getting ready to build, or if your current fire protection system needs
updating or maintenance, don’t wait – give the experts at Koorsen a call
today.

Questions?
Contact Us Now!
HOW DOES A FIRE ALARM
SYSTEM WORK?
Posted  August 07, 2020  by  Koorsen Fire & Security
If you own, manage, or are building any type of commercial structure, you are
likely all too aware of the codes which require your building(s) to have a
working fire alarm system.

Yet many do not understand how these systems work and often confuse them
with individual fire protection apparatuses, such as fire sprinklers or smoke
detectors. But fire alarm systems are a far more comprehensive and complex
approach to fire protection than any individual device.

In this blog, you will learn what the role and primary components of a fire
alarm system are and the basics of how these components work together to
protect your building and its occupants in the event of a fire.

Fire Alarm System Questions?

Click to Contact Us Now!
What is the Role of a Fire Alarm System?
In the simplest terms, the role of a fire alarm system is to detect fires and alert
both building occupants and emergency personnel from a centrally monitored
and controlled location.

These systems also self-monitor, identifying where within the building(s)

alarms originate from and detecting when errors occur in wiring and
connections that may hinder the system from working correctly.

In essence, a fire alarm system has four key functions: detect, alert, monitor,
and control. These sophisticated systems use a network of devices,
appliances, and control panels to carry out these four functions.

What are the Parts of a Fire Alarm

System?
As stated above, a fire alarm system is a collection of many separate parts,
each with their own unique function. Knowing what these parts are and how
they work together is necessary to better understand how the system works
as a whole.
The following are the five key elements that make up every fire alarm system:

 Initiating Devices: initiating devices are the part of the alarm system

which detects smoke or a fire. These devices include smoke detectors
of various kinds, heat detectors of various kinds, sprinkler water flow
sensors, and pull stations.

 Indicating Appliances: indicating appliances are the part of the system

that sounds the alarm and alerts occupants to the fire hazard.

Indicating appliances include horns, chimes, bells, and in some

situations, even strobe lights for the hard of hearing and deaf. Most of
these appliances are deliberately loud so as not to be missed and to
encourage everyone to leave the building quickly.

Where those who are deaf or hard of hearing are present, or code

requires, strobe lights are also used in conjunction with the other
indicators so that there is a visual warning of the fire as well.

 Fire Alarm Panel: the fire alarm control panel is the user interface
and central monitoring and controlling element of the system. It has a
display revealing the current state (alarm or no alarm) of the fire alarm
system and a touch pad, which allows onsite personnel to program,
troubleshoot, silence, and reset the system.

The fire alarm panel monitors and has supervisory function over all of

the system’s initiating devices, indicating appliances, and all related
telephone ties, field wiring, and its circuit cards and internal wiring.

It is also via the fire alarm panel that a call is sent out to a monitoring
agency in the event of a triggered alarm so that emergency personnel
are alerted.

 Power Supplies: Power supplies cover main power from the breaker,

(2) 12V batteries as backup for 24 hours, and sometimes a generator as
backup power for many fire alarm systems. The batteries may be
contained in either the control panel or in a separate enclosure. The
batteries will take over should the power fail, allowing the system to
continue protecting the building from fire for 24 hours. A generator can
provide power for longer periods of power outages.
  Auxiliary Devices: many additional devices can be added onto a fire
alarm system to bolster fire protection in a facility.

Additional devices include things like visual LED indicators showing

which zone in a building a fire alarm was initiated, remote annunciators,
alarm silence switches, electromagnetic door holders, fire doors,
elevator capture and shutdown, etc.

As can be seen, these systems can be as simple or as elaborate as a facility

needs, and for each element listed above, there is a wide variety of options.

Creating or updating the ideal system for your facility can be a huge
undertaking and should be done in consultation with experts like Koorsen and
professional electricians who both understand the host of capabilities these
systems and their parts offer as well as the local requirements of your AHJ.

The 3 States of Fire Alarm Systems

As mentioned above, the fire alarm panel monitors and indicates what state
the system is in at all times. For most systems, there are three states of
operation: Normal, Alarm, and Trouble.

When all devices, appliances, wiring, and circuitry are operating correctly, and
no alarms are activated, the system is operating in a Normal State.

When an initiating device is activated, the system goes into an Alarm State.
The indicating appliances will sound, alerting building occupants to the
danger, and the alphanumeric display on the control panel will indicate from
which zone of the building(s) the alarm is originating from so that emergency
personnel can quickly respond to the correct area.

Should a short or open wiring develop in the circuits connecting the fire alarm
panel and initiating devices, or within the panel’s wiring or zone cards, or if the
system’s phone line connection is not functioning, then the system goes
into Trouble State and is displayed on the control panel. The panel will
indicate which zone the issue is in, and a buzzer will sound to alert
maintenance personnel to the problem. While the buzzer is loud enough to be
heard, it is not nearly as loud as the indicating appliances and will not be
confused with an actual alarm.
How Do Fire Alarm Systems Detect a
Fire?
The way a fire alarm system detects a fire is through its initiating devices,
discussed above.

The fire alarm panel is connected to the system’s initiating devices through
either 2- or 4-wire circuits. This circuitry allows the control panel to monitor the
state of its initiating devices, usually by zones, identifying whether the devices
are in normal or alarm mode. The control panel shows these readings on its
display panel.

When a fire starts, the smoke or heat will activate one of the initiating devices,
or someone will activate the manual pull station, alerting the fire alarm system
to the fire and putting it in alarm mode.

What Happens Once the Fire Alarm

System is Activated?
Once the system goes into alarm mode, two things should happen:

 The indicating appliances should sound the alarm, notifying everyone in

the building of the danger.

 A call should go out via the system’s telephone lines to the monitoring
company.

In some fire alarm systems, it may also activate fire suppression systems to

help fight the fire until emergency personnel arrives.

How Do You Disarm a Fire Alarm?

It is important that the building manager or maintenance crew understand how
to read and use the fire alarm panel, especially if it is in trouble state or is
experiencing false alarms.
On the touch pad of the control panel, there are alarm and trouble silence
options as well as a system reset option. These should only be used once the
source of the alarm or notification has been identified and can be correctly
addressed.

Need Help?

Effectively protecting your facility against fire is pivotal to protecting the lives
within it and the investment that it represents. But as should be evident,
designing and implementing these systems is no easy task.

Don’t leave the safety of those in your building and your investment up to
chance. The team at Koorsen Fire & Security has been in the fire protection
business for over 70 years and has served a wide variety of business types,
from medical to industrial to educational and retail.

Koorsen understands how the unique environment and proceedings of each

business impact the fire protection required to protect the facility and its
people. Furthermore, they are experts in working with the codes and local
authorities to ensure that you won’t be hit with unwanted snags and fines in
your building and inspection processes.

If you are getting ready to build, or if your current fire protection system needs
updating or maintenance, don’t wait – give the experts at Koorsen a call
today.

Questions?
Contact Us Now!