Alarm test lasts 7 minutes

[Guest Morag]

Hi there,

I work in a multiplex office building (small businesses in a larger unit). The fire alarm gets tested every week. Each zone goes off at the same time, however in our office, the alarm continues for another 3 - 5 minutes, when everywhere else is finished. The landlords say the fire system isn't reprogrammable and is fixed. When they do it from the panel, it's a bit less time. From the fire alarm points it's hellish. Can this be true (honestly the alarm is on for about 7 min in total ,it's hellish in such a small space). The system I noticed they have is an Anatec Pro explorer panel. It's just I'm wondering if they don't want to pay to get it fixed. Any ideas. Painful ears appreciate it.

Thanks Morag

[green-foam]

Hello Morag. The panel you mention HAS the ability to have the sounder duration of any specific sounder(s) altered. However it is carried out via the programming options, so would require the services of someone who is familiar with that panel.

[Tom Sutton]

As far as I remember the weekly test was one man on the control indication equipment (CIE) and another operates a manual call point (MCP) using test key, the alarm was allowed to operate for about 15/20 secs, and the man on the CIE silenced the system then reset the alarm. A check was taken to ensure everybody heard the alarm and next week a different MCP was used. What is happening in your premises I am not sure?

[green-foam]

As far as I remember the weekly test was one man on the control indication equipment (CIE) and another operates a manual call point (MCP) using test key, the alarm was allowed to operate for about 15/20 secs, and the man on the CIE silenced the system then reset the alarm. A check was taken to ensure everybody heard the alarm and next week a different MCP was used. What is happening in your premises I am not sure?

What you say is how most people carry out a fire alarm test. However the panel that Morag mentions is an analogue addressable panel.

(For any one reading this who does not know what that means, in short every device on the fire alarm, be that a manual call point, smoke detector, heat detector, electronic sounder, flashing light etc has its own unique address. All devices in one area are connected to the same cable loop. The idea is that you can identify which detector has initiated the alarm by its address. The fire panel will display something like "Fire, smoke detector main corridor"

With this type of panel it is possible to make any sounders activate differently than others.

For example: A device in a large building operates, sounders in the "same area" as this device could signal: Fire, immediate evacuation, where as sounders on the other side of the building could signal: Fire, prepare to evacuate. How it does this depends on the system, some have different coloured lights, some even have voice messages etc)

Like wise, it is possible to programme different sounders with different timings. I suspect that this is what has been done in Morag's situation.

Its only analogue addressable fire alarm panels that can do this (Even then, some of the features are only on the bigger panels) The most common fire panel is called "conventional" and operates on the principal of "one out, all out"

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks green-foam well explained but I do not understand why the programming needs sounders, during a test, to operate for more than a very limited time. It seems the landlords need to talk to the fire alarm engineers to reprogram the system.

PS At the moment it doesn't conform to BS 5839 -1:2002 + A2:2008 section 44.2.

e) The duration for which any fire alarm signal is given (other than solely at control and indicating equipment) at the time of the weekly test by the user should not normally exceed one minute, so that, in the event of a fire at the time of the weekly test, occupants will be warned by the prolonged operation of the fire alarm devices.

[Guest Morag]

Thanks for this information. They said they had contacted the fire maintenance company and they said it couldn't be altered. However I'm not sure they actually did this (contacted the company that is).

The consensus here seems to be they can alter the length of time the alarm goes off for.

I'm interested In Tom's post re: At the moment it doesn't conform to BS 5839 -1:2002 + A2:2008 section 44.2.

e) The duration for which any fire alarm signal is given (other than solely at control and indicating equipment) at the time of the weekly test by the user should not normally exceed one minute, so that, in the event of a fire at the time of the weekly test, occupants will be warned by the prolonged operation of the fire alarm devices.

I'll see if I can email them this and see if this pushes them into sorting the alarm duration!

I must say thank you to all for your comments, although some are very technical! :) You've been very helpful.

Thanks, Morag

[Guest John Phillips]

How long should the sounders within a fire alarm system activate for under battery (not under test) but under code before the batteries run out.

[Tom Sutton]

If the premises does not have standby generator the the batteries should be able to operate the system, on a mains failure, for 24 hours and the operate the sounders for an addition 30 minutes. There is a formula in BS 5839 pt1 2013 to calculate the capacity of the batteries required.