Evaluating the trends of fire alarms

            The term “conventional” connotes that something is commonly used or done. But this is a term that is extremely time-sensitive. Conventions change; the license to call something “conventional” runs out every few years.

In the fire alarm industry, there have always been two principal options for fire alarm systems: conventional systems and analog/addressable systems. As you might imagine, there was a time not too long ago when conventional systems were the systems of choice for most buildings. But with changes in technology, costs, perceptions and agency codes, addressable systems have become the norm over the last 10 to 15 years.

                The term “conventional” connotes that something is commonly used or done. But this is a term that is extremely time-sensitive. Conventions change; the license to call something “conventional” runs out every few years. The point is, technology is advancing at heretofore unimagined speeds, and it is up to individual buyers to determine whether “conventional” items meet their needs or they need to take advantage of newer technologies that veer from the norm.

                Though conventional systems still find refuge in some smaller facilities, it is becoming by and large the job of the newer analog/addressable systems to handle fire control safety for small and large facilities alike. Regardless of the size, however, it’s serious business when a fire alarm is activated. Everyone must remain calm. Established procedures must be followed. Response by the appropriate personnel must occur quickly. And, of course, whether or not there is an actual fire emergency must be determined. An addressable fire alarm system is one that provides the user with the status of the initiating devices that comprise the system network, be they smoke detectors, water flow switches, manual fire alarm boxes, or other emergency equipment. This status is easily viewed on the fire alarm system control unit and features not only information about the emergency device, but also detailed information about the device’s “address.” An analog/addressable system takes addressable systems one step further.

It has the characteristics and features of an addressable system but expands on the information provided to the control panel. Detectors in analog/addressable systems become “sensors” that relay information to the control panel regarding how much smoke or heat the detector is sensing. The basic system installed here has a single Signaling Line Circuit (SLC) loop that can support 127 SLC devices, expandable to 1016 points (eight total SLC loops with a maximum of 127 devices per loop) using simple expansion cards. It features six on-board circuits that can be configured for notification outputs or for conventional smoke detector inputs. Ultimately, this is a flexible system that can be customized to suit Little Sisters’ needs as they expand and change.

                It is also important to note that analog/addressable devices are far less prone to false alarms, unlike conventional alarms, which can get false readings from the accumulation of dust and other contaminants, analog detectors are able to self-compensate for these smoke-reading inhibitors. With this ‘drift compensation,’ analog detectors are able to distinguish between a long-term drift in smoke detection due to contaminants and a short-term change in smoke detection resulting from a real fire. Concurrently, when a fire alarm goes off, our communications center will call the facility. They’re instructed to verify whether there is actually a fire or if someone simply tripped a pull station or burned something in the kitchen.