NFPA Journal - July/August 2020 - 37

In Compliance
ensure that the lights are working. The
emergency lights need to be operated
on an annual basis for a minimum of
90 minutes to test the full capacity of
the batteries.
In the self-test method, the units can
test themselves and indicate an issue
on the unit via an indicator light. These
units do not need to be manually tested
monthly or annually, but they need to
be inspected every 30 days to make
sure they are not damaged and that no
indicator lights are on. In the computer-based method, a visual inspection
is not required every 30 days, since
any issues with the lights encountered
during their self tests will be reported
and logged via a computer.
NFPA 101 also requires egress signage
to be provided in most occupancies-
including, but not limited to, assembly,
educational, hotels, mercantile, and
business-on exits other than main
exterior doors that are not obvious and
identifiable as exits. These markings
need to be visible from any direction
of the exit access and are required to
be internally or externally illuminated.
The illumination of the exit markings needs to be confirmed via a visual
inspection at intervals not exceeding 30
days. If the occupancy is also required
to have emergency lighting, these illuminated exit signs need to be provided
with emergency power. The same methods of testing the emergency lighting
can be used for testing the exit marking
illumination emergency power as well.
As building owners and facility managers prepare to reopen their
buildings to occupants, all required
inspection, testing, and maintenance
on emergency lighting and exit signs
should be up to date. This includes the
monthly 30-second test and inspection as well as making sure that the
full 90-minute test was completed
within the last 12 months. As with all
ITM, proper documentation is a must
with these tests to verify that all the
work was done and to ensure that no
required testing is overlooked.
Shawn Mahoney, P.E., is a Technical Services
engineer at NFPA. NFPA members and AHJs can
use the Technical Questions tab to post queries on
NFPA 101 at nfpa.org/101.

NFPA 72

Fire alarms, signaling, and
emergency communication

When do we sound
the alarm?
By Wayne Moore
ecently, the topic of

R

when to sound the
alarm was raised on the
NFPA Xchange forum.
The discussion brought
to light a frequently asked question
regarding when the notification appliances should operate. Many readers
of NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm
and Signaling Code®, assume that all
information regarding notification
appliances and their actuation would

If there is smoke
detected in an elevator
lobby or mechanical
room, the elevators
will automatically be
recalled to a safe floor.
The occupants of the
elevator will have no
opportunity to change
the operation, and
having the alarm sound
in the elevator would
not assist them.

be contained in Chapter 18, Notification
Appliances. However, as was stated
in last month's column, it's important
to read and use the entire code-with
the singular exception of Chapter 29,
Single- and Multiple-Station Alarms
and Household Fire Alarm Systems-
in order to properly design and install a
commercial fire alarm system.
The first direction we receive to
sound the alarm appears in Chapter

10, subsection 10.11.1, which states,
"Actuation of alarm notification
appliances or emergency voice communications, emergency control function
interface devices, and annunciation
at the protected premises shall occur
within 10 seconds after the activation
of an initiating device." That section,
at least in general terms, explains that
upon detection of a fire, or upon the
actuation of any initiating device, the
alarm must sound.
The operation of any remaining
connected appliances, such as waterflow switches, fire dampers, and smoke
doors, and whether they are connected
to the fire alarm system is up to the
system designer to describe in their
operational specifications. For example,
NFPA 72 does not specifically require
a waterflow alarm initiating device to
be connected to the building fire alarm
system. Connection to the building fire
alarm system would be determined by
the requirements established by the
authority having jurisdiction, usually
as referenced in the locally adopted
building or fire code.
The code does require that when the
alarm signals are used for occupant
notification, there must be at least one
notification appliance listed for the
purpose in each notification zone of
the building, and that the appliances
should be located so that they have the
characteristics described in Chapter
18 for public mode or private mode,
as required. This stresses the need for
proper audibility to ensure the alarm
signals are heard, and if the systems
use voice that the notification signals
are intelligible. Of course, the purpose
of the alarm notification is to cause
the building occupants to evacuate.
There are exceptions to where notification appliances are required. The
code excludes notification appliances from exit stair enclosures,
exit passageways, and elevator cars.
Knowing that the intent of the alarm
notification appliances sounding
throughout the floor areas is to alert
the occupants to evacuate, the technical committee determined that once
the occupants are in the exit enclosures, high noise levels and light
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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NFPA Journal - July/August 2020

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