FIRE ALARM SYSTEM LEGEND - Audible Design Criteria - Visible Design Criteria - General Notes

Oct 28, 2026

Fire Alarm System Legend content outlines key components and abbreviations for an addressable fire alarm network, including control units, secondary power supplies, surge suppressors, notification circuits, fire pumps/jockey pumps interfaces, valve supervisory switches, and various detectors and alarm devices. It specifies audible and visible notification design criteria with sound power targets, spacing rules aligned to NFPA 72, and requirements for temporal evacuation signaling. General notes cover addressable system capability, coordination obligations, schematic device determination, conduit installation practices, junction box finishing, conductor sizing, wiring restrictions, separation of power-limited and power circuits, UL/FM mounting constraints, and surge protection for power supply circuits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM LEGEND

Audible Design Criteria

Visible Design Criteria

General Notes

| FILE NAME: C:\Revit_Projects\ P IERP095- - - .1614696 F USBD_hjcho rvt PLOTTED: 3/ 16/2021 1 :44:43 PM | UNCLASSIFIED
1 2 3 4 5
D
C
B
A
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM LEGEND
FACU FIRE ALARM CONTROL UNIT
BATT SECONDARY POWER SUPPLY (BATTERY)
SS SURGE SUPPRESSOR (TRANSIENT VOLTAGE SURGE SUPPRESSOR) FPC FIRE PUMP CONTROLLER (PROVIDED BY DIVISION 21)
JPC JOCKEY PUMP CONTROLLER (PROVIDED BY DIVISION 21) VS VALVE SUPERVISORY SWITCH (PROVIDED BY DIVISION 21)
WF WATER FLOW DETECTOR / SWITCH (PROVIDED BY DIVISION 21) PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE DETECTOR

~~ ~~ P

HORN / STROBE COMBINATION

F AUDIBLE DEVICE H H = HORN
STROBE
WALL MOUNT STROBE

AOM ADDRESSABLE OUTPUT CONTROL MODULE AIM ADDRESSABLE INPUT MONITOR MODULE

GROUND
F MANUAL FIRE ALARM PULL STATION
WALL MOUNTED CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR W CO
NAC NOTIFICATION CIRCUIT POWER BOOSTER, EXTENDER PANEL FAC FIRE ALARM TRANSMITTER

AUDIBLE DESIGN CRITERIA:
1. PROVIDE AUDIBLE NOTIFICATION APPLIANCES AS INDICATED TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING DESIGN CRITERIA WITH ALL DOORS, FIRE SHUTTERS, AND WINDOWS CLOSED. WHERE THIS DESIGN CRITERIA IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED DURING ACCEPTANCE TESTING, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DEVICES TO MEET THE MINIMUM DESIGN CRITERIA WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE LIMITATIONS OF THE FACU, OR NAC (INCLUSIVE OF PRESCRIBED SAFETY FACTORS) .
2. PROVIDE A QUANTITY OF HORNS IN EACH ROOM/AREA TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED SOUND POWER OUTLINED IN THESE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.
3. PROVIDE A MINIMUM SOUND POWER OF 70 DBA AND 15 DBA OVER THE AVERAGE AMBIENT SOUND LEVEL OR 5 DBA ABOVE THE MAXIMUM SOUND LEVEL HAVING A DURATION OF AT LEAST
60 SECONDS, WHICHEVER IS GREATER, AT THE MOST REMOTE LOCATION WITHIN THE
ROOM/AREA MEASURED AT 5 FT AFF. MEASURE THE SOUND POWER OFF THE TEMPORAL THREE TONE PATTERN.
4. THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA WILL BE USED FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF SHOP DRAWINGS.
A. REDUCE THE SOUND POWER BY 6 DB EACH TIME THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE APPLIANCE AND THE LISTENER IS DOUBLED. STARTING DISTANCE IS PER MANUFACTURER'S DATASHEET, TYPICALLY 10 FT.
B. REDUCE THE SOUND POWER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S DATASHEET FOR SOUND POWER DISTRIBUTION NOT PERPENDICULAR TO THE FACE OF THE APPLIANCE. REFER TO MANUFACTURER'S TYPICAL SOUND OUTPUT DISTRIBUTION DIAGRAM.
C. IN LIEU OF THE MANUFACTURER'S PUBLISHED DB LOSS, ASSUME A MINIMUM 15 DB LOSS THROUGH A STANDARD CLOSED DOOR.
VISIBLE DESIGN CRITERIA:
1. PROVIDE VISIBLE NOTIFICATION APPLIANCES TO ACHIEVE THE COVERAGE INDICATED.
2. SPACE STROBES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN NFPA 72, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
GENERAL NOTES:
1. PROVIDE AN ADDRESSABLE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM AS INDICATED ON THE DRAWINGS.
NOTIFICATION SYSTEM MUST BE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING 3 TEMPORAL OR 4 TEMPORAL EVACUATION SIGNAL DEPENDING ON THE ALARM.
2. COORDINATE ALL REQUIRED SYSTEMS TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE ENGINEER AND AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION. ANY DEFICIENCIES, INCONSISTENCIES, OR POORLY COORDINATED INSTALLATIONS MUST BE CORRECTED BY THE CONTRACTOR AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.
3. THE FIRE ALARM DRAWINGS ARE SCHEMATIC IN NATURE AND SHOW A MINIMAL QUANTITY OF DEVICES. DETERMINE THE FINAL QUANTITY AND LOCATION OF ALL DEVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS, CONTRACT DRAWINGS, AND MANUFACTURER'S WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE COMPLIANT WITH ALL APPLICABLE CODES AND STANDARDS. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DEVICES WHEN REQUIRED FOR A FULLY FUNCTIONING FIRE ALARM SYSTEM AS REQUIRED BY NFPA 72.
4. SURFACE MOUNT CONDUITS TO WALLS AND CEILINGS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. WHERE A CONDUIT SUPPLIES A DEVICE NOT MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON THE WALL OR CEILING, ROUTE THE CONDUIT AS A SINGLE PENDENT DROP TO EACH DEVICE FROM THE CEILING SURFACE ABOVE. DO NOT TRAPEZE CONDUIT ACROSS AN OPEN SPACE.
5. ALL FIRE ALARM JUNCTION BOXES, COVERS AND CONDUITS IN UNFINISHED AREAS ARE TOBE PROVIDED PRE-FINISHED RED FROM THE FACTORY. PAINT EXPOSED CONDUIT AND JUNCTION BOXES IN FINISHE

FAQs

What audible notification performance targets are required?

Provide audible notification appliances to achieve minimum sound power levels and sustained duration at the most remote location in each room/area, measured using the specified temporal three-tone pattern.

How are visible notification strobes spaced?

Space strobes in accordance with the criteria outlined in NFPA 72, unless otherwise noted, to achieve the indicated coverage.

What general wiring and installation requirements must be followed?

Use an addressable fire alarm system, coordinate all required systems with the engineer and authority, route and support conduits per electrical/NEC requirements, size conductors to specified minimum gauges, avoid splices and wire nuts, and maintain required separation between power-limited and power circuits.

Oct 28, 2026

Upload by eBook King