Article 3.2.4.8. (or 3.2.4.9. in the OBC) has requirements for fire alarm zones (based on floor area, sprinkler coverage areas, NPFA 96 systems, air handling systems with smoke detection, etc.). I have heard from some electrical engineers that addressable systems don’t need to be zoned per these requirements, as each device has it’s own address.
Does each system having it’s own address satisfy the zoning requirements?
I am dealing with a system that is used to protect storage tanks at one of our industrial facilities, this system is an outdoor deluge
NBC 2015 Div B-9.8.9.5. Treads 1) Stair treads of lumber, plywood or O-2 grade OSB within dwelling units shall be not less than 25 mm
My question is: Is there ever a time that access needs to be provided around an entire building?
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5 Responses
That is incorrect. The zoning requirements (at least in Ontario) remain the same for both addressable and conventional systems. The benefit of an addressable system is that each zone simply requires correct zone isolation rather then a home run pair of wires from the zone to the control panel.
I dub this as the “missing link” in our system. Fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems need to be designed by someone that has specific training. Something like NICET certifications, but specific to canada would be nice.
Jeremy is correct, there are two aspects to fire alarm zoning. One is annunciation, which is treated the same regardless of the type of system. The second is isolation, which ensures that a fault in one fire alarm zone won’t impair the operation of other zones. How this is accomplished is different between the two types of systems, but the functional requirements are the same. A big challenge in the industry is that many don’t understand the isolation requirements and how to design a system that meets those requirements.
This is great, thanks for sharing your knowledge! Do you know of any ‘cheat sheet’ or additional resource I could share out to the community?
It’s also interesting that the fire alarm is a Part 3 system requiring professional design…but all the detail is often left up to the individual contractor…and there is very few municipalities who regulate what that looks like. It is unreasonable to think that the AHJ is an expert in everything (including alarm system details)… so when there is no regulatory requirements for who designs the systems, how can we ensure they are being designed appropriately?
Annex B of ULC-S524:2019 provides some additional information regarding zones and annunciation.