Book Description

Automatic fire detection and alarm systems are a relatively recent development in the range of equipment that is available to combat the threat of fire in commercial and domestic buildings. These systems have been successfully integrated to create an effective and reliable means of detecting fires within a building and signalling an alarm to the occupants. This guide introduces these systems and explains how they are developed. It discusses how to manage them in use, and ensure that regulatory requirements are met.

Contents

1 Introduction
2 Background
- The consequences of fire
- Regulatory background
- Brief historical context of automatic fire detection and alarm systems
- Building types and hazards
- Fire detection systems and other fire precaution measures
- Life safety and property protection
- Reasons for installing an automatic fire detection and alarm system
- Cost benefit considerations
3 What is an automatic fire detection and alarm system?
- Key components
- System types
4 Operation and performance of automatic fire detection system components
- Heat detectors
- Smoke detectors
- Multi-sensor detectors
- Multi-criteria fire detectors
- Carbon monoxide fire detectors
- Beam detectors
- Flame detectors
- Aspirating detectors
- Duct detectors
- Video detection
- Manual call points
- Bells and sounders
- Voice sounders
- Visual alarm devices
- Input - output units
5 Standards
- Standards for design, installation and maintenance
- Standards for components
6 False alarms
- UK position
- CFOA policy on reducing false alarms
- False alarm reduction
7 Avoiding problems with automatic fire detection and alarm systems
- System schemes
- CE marking on components
8 References