The LWF Blog

Fire Safety for Facilities Management Personnel – Fire Detection & Fire Alarms – Part 206

June 19, 2023 11:13 am

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 205, LWF discussed the summoning of the Fire Service by the fire alarm system for property protection purposes. In part 206, we talk about the interface of the fire alarm system with other systems.

A fire alarm system is often interfaced with one or more systems or equipment to ensure that what is supposed to happen when the fire alarm sounds, is carried out. For example, when the fire alarm is triggered, the lifts may need to be returned to ground level; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems need to change state to avoid the spread of fire through such systems; fire doors with automatic closing devices need to close; fire exit doors locked in the normal state must be opened; powered sliding doors on means of escape to be set to open; smoke control systems to become operational, etc.

In a large building or complex, it may be that there are many interfaces between a fire alarm system and other systems and equipment.

BS 5839-1 does not provide guidance on interfaces with the fire alarm system as it is concerned only with the primary function of a fire alarm system – to provide warning in the event of a fire.

BS 7273 is a multi-part document which deals with the operation of fire protection measures as follows:

Part 1 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Electrical actuation of gaseous total flooding extinguishing systems

Part 2 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Mechanical actuation of gaseous total flooding and local application extinguishing systems

Part 3 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Electrical actuation of pre-action sprinkler systems

Part 4 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Actuation of release mechanisms for doors

Part 5 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Electrical actuation of water-mist systems (except pre-action systems)

Part 6 Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Fire detection and fire alarm systems. Interface with ancillary systems and equipment

In part 207 of this series, LWF will look at the areas covered by the BS 7273 codes of practice in more detail. In the meantime, if you have any queries about your own facilities or wish to discuss this blog series, please contact LWF on freephone 0800 410 1130.

 

Lawrence Webster Forrest is a fire engineering consultancy based in Surrey with over 35 years’ experience, which provides a wide range of consultancy services to professionals involved in the design, development and construction and operation of buildings.

 

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.