This self-paced online course covers requirements for proprietary station supervising systems and manual fire alarm systems. Proprietary systems are established by owners of properties that want to control the fire alarm signaling systems themselves. Manual systems give occupants a method to initiate a fire alarm signal.

Upon completion you should be able to:

• Understand the other fire protection/life safety systems that are allowed to be interconnected with proprietary station fire alarm systems
• Understand construction and access requirements for proprietary stations
• Define key concepts, including subsidiary station, contiguous property, retransmission, non-contiguous property, and manual fire alarm system
• Explain proprietary station requirements for recording, personnel, retransmission, signal retransmission, signal disposition
• Explain mounting requirements for manual stations
• List the requirements for location of manual stations, relative to exits and travel distance

Who Will Benefit

Anyone whose job involves designing, reviewing, evaluating or installing fire protection systems, including: designers, installers, engineers, electrical contractors, technicians, project managers, fire marshals, and architects

Course Summary

• Proprietary station fire alarm systems are used by owners of properties that want to control the fire alarm signaling systems themselves. Basically, the owner establishes the fire alarm monitoring station in one of their properties and connects all of their buildings to that system. The properties can be in the same geographic area, in different areas, or in a large single building or campus, such as a high-rise structure or college campus.
• The alarm receiving station has to be constantly attended by at least two people, but one can leave the station to become a runner, as long as the runner stays in contact with the alarm station.
• Retransmission of alarm signals to emergency responders can be manual or automatic. Manual retransmission is governed by specific requirements for the retransmission of the signal to the fire department.
• Manual fire alarm boxes are provided to give occupants a method to initiate a fire alarm signal. NFPA 72 has specific wording that outlines the mounting height and location of manual fire alarm boxes relative to travel distance and exits.
• Manual boxes have to be installed so that they don't become hidden because they blend into a wall or background. There is no specific wording in NFPA 72 that dictates whether manual boxes are single or double acting boxes, and pull box protective covers are allowed.