We have all seen a fire alarm system in buildings, but have you ever thought about how it works?
Many of us have seen or heard a fire alarm at some point in our lives, but do you really know what goes into a fire alarm system? A lot of us haven’t given much thought to the parts of a fire alarm system and how it actually works. This is good information to know if your personal fire alarm system ever malfunctions. Here are the components of a fire alarm system.
Alarm Initiating Devices
These come in both manual and automatic forms. They inform the fire system that there is some sort of danger or emergency. The manual forms include alarm buttons or pull stations that you trigger yourself when there is a fire. Automatic initiators are things like heat detectors, flame detectors, smoke detectors, and CO2 detectors.
Alarm Notification Devices
The initiating device triggers the alarm notification, which is what makes the actual noises when an emergency occurs. If you are using a manual initiating device, pulling the lever will trigger the alarm notification device to go off. These alarms notify the people inside the building and emergency personnel as well. Examples of this include bells, horns, strobe lights, chimes, and even voice evacuation systems.
Fire Alarm Control Panel
The fire alarm control panel acts as the brain of a fire alarm system. This component monitors and manages the initiating devices and is the part that actually sends the signal to the devices if an issue is detected. More modern fire alarm systems will have digital circuits implemented that can transmit data simultaneously to all fire devices that are programmed to it. These control panels also include a display that informs you of the status of the system and allows you to control it manually.
Backup Power Supply
It is important that fire alarm systems are working at all times, so they always include a backup power supply. That way, if the power goes out, the fire system will still be able to work. They are typically 6 or 12 volt batteries that are stored within the control panel and kept charged until needed.
Remote Controls & Display Panels
Remote controls and display panels allow people to control a unit of fire alarm systems even when they aren’t near them. This is beneficial for large business with a lot of floors. Personnel can easily check, activate, and deactivate fire alarms throughout the building from the comfort of their office.
Contact Advanced Fire Protection
Advanced Fire Protection Systems is committed to providing all of our commercial and residential customers with effective and appropriate fire protection systems. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to meet all of your fire protection needs and keep your business running. We provide full-service design, construction, testing, and maintenance for all water-based fire protection systems. Let us use our years of experience to protect your residential or commercial property from fires. To get started with Advanced Fire Protection Systems today, contact us online or give us a call at 443-557-0321.