Lesson 1Environmental and installation considerations: mounting heights, obstructions, false-alarm causes (dust, drafts, humidity, cooking, steam)Learn how the surroundings and how you install things affect how detectors work and cause false alarms. You'll look at mounting heights, space near blocks, air flow and dust effects, humidity and steam problems, and ways to cut down on unwanted alarms.
Mounting heights for common detectorsClearances from beams and obstructionsEffects of dust, insects, and contaminationDrafts, HVAC outlets, and air movementHumidity, steam, and cooking aerosolsLesson 2Notification and alarm signalling: sounders, strobes, voice evacuation systems, audibility/alerting criteriaLearn how fire alarm systems tell people inside and emergency services. This part covers sounders, strobes, voice systems for getting out, rules for hearing and understanding, patterns over time, and code needs for how signals work.
Types of sounders and horn circuitsStrobes and visual notification rulesVoice evacuation system basicsAudibility and intelligibility criteriaTemporal patterns and coding formatsLesson 3Overview of system architecture: detectors, manual call points, control panels, sounders, interfacesGet a full view of how commercial fire alarm systems are built and how parts work together. This part looks at detectors, manual call points, control gear, notification tools, power supplies, and connection modules.
Role of the fire alarm control panelAutomatic detectors and field devicesManual call points and pull stationsNotification appliances and circuitsInterface and relay modules in systemsLesson 4Documentation and labeling: as-built drawings, device schedules, panel logs, zone maps, cable identification standardsLearn the papers and labels needed for safe upkeep and following codes. This part covers as-built drawings, device lists, zone maps, cable tags, panel logs, and updating records after changes to the system.
As-built drawings and revisionsDevice schedules and address listsZone maps and annunciator layoutsCable tags and identification schemesPanel logs and maintenance recordsLesson 5Power supplies and supervision: primary power, mains failure transfer, standby batteries, battery testing and replacement criteriaFind out how commercial fire alarm systems get power, are watched, and stay working when mains fail. This part covers main power sources, auto switchover, battery size, testing ways, and when to replace for good performance.
Primary power sources and ratingsAutomatic mains failure transferBattery capacity and sizing rulesBattery testing methods and intervalsBattery replacement criteria and recordsLesson 6Detection zoning and area coverage: zoning concepts, detector spacing calculations, protected volumesLearn how buildings are split into detection zones and how coverage is figured out. Topics include zoning goals, life safety and property zones, detector spacing rules, ceiling height effects, and checking protected areas from plans.
Zoning objectives and legal limitsLife safety versus property zonesDetector spacing rules and tablesCeiling height and configuration effectsCalculating protected volumes from plansLesson 7Signal interfaces and integration: fire panels with building management systems, sprinkler interfaces, HVAC shutdown, emergency liftsLearn how fire alarm panels connect with other building systems to control dangers and help evacuation. Topics include sprinkler watching, HVAC stop, elevator call back, door release, and linking with building management.
Sprinkler flow and valve supervisionHVAC shutdown and smoke controlElevator recall and emergency liftsDoor release and access control linksIntegration with building managementLesson 8Types of detectors: ionization, photoelectric, multi-criteria, aspirating, beam, heat and comparative usesStudy the main detector types used in commercial systems and when to use each. You'll compare ionization, photoelectric, multi-criteria, aspirating, beam, and heat detectors, looking at how they respond and where they fit best.
Ionization smoke detector behaviorPhotoelectric smoke detector usesMulti-criteria and intelligent detectorsAspirating and high sensitivity systemsBeam and heat detectors in large spacesLesson 9Wiring topologies and circuit supervision: conventional vs addressable loops, end-of-line devices, short/open fault detectionLook at wiring setups in commercial fire alarm systems and how circuits are supervised. You'll compare conventional and addressable ways, learn about end-of-line devices, and study how to spot shorts and opens.
Class B and Class A circuit conceptsConventional versus addressable loopsEnd-of-line resistors and devicesShort circuit and open fault detectionGround fault monitoring and response
