Detailed explaination of how fire alarm system works in a building, its networking systems and what are the minimum requirements needed for a fire protection system in a building.

1. Fire Alarm &
Resistance System
Al Ghurair University, Dubai
Done by
Azra Maliha
Sara Hashim

2. CONTENTS
2
▪Introduction
▪Principle of operation
▪Fire alarm systems –
*smoke detectors
*heat detectors
*alarm bell/ voice alert
*manual pull/break glass stations
▪Fire fighting systems-
*sprinklers
*hose reel cabinets
*fire extinguishers : Water, Foam, Co2, Dry powder, Wet chemical
▪Fire doors
▪References

3. “
3
Introduction
A fire alarm system consists of a number of
devices networked and operated together in order
to warn people of a building during any sort of
emergencies, by both audio and voice alert. The
system also includes a number of fire protection,
fire fighting and fire resistance systems.

4. 4

5. Principle of operation
5
• Also known as Fire Indicator Panel (FIP) is the main area controlling the fire detection and
alarm system.
• FIP consists of various components like:
• It monitors each circuit, zone or point on any condition and work accordingly to fix or act on
the faced problems, as per the system is designed. For example, fire cause by a short circuit
somewhere in the building will be detected, fire alarm is operated and fire brigade is notified.

6. 6
• Circuit: there are collection of wires which are directly connected to the main
electricity circuit and the FIP in or to scan and monitor every connection of a
building. The wiring will be connected to the detectors in the panel.
• Zone: it is a group of detectors based on a common location. A zone can be
directly connected to single collective circuit or can be connected through a
software which can detect the circuit location using computing.

7. 7

8. 8
FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS
heat
detectors
smoke
detectors
alarm
bell/
voice
alert
manual
pull/break
glass
stations

9. Smoke detectors
9
• Smoke detectors are devices that detect
smoke caused by fire and enables fire alert
and other fire protection systems
(sprinklers) in the building.
• The installation and placement of smoke
detectors depend upon the building type
and standard codes of that particular
country or location. They should also have
battery backup.
• The wiring of these should be connected
to all the fire alarm devices, meeting to the
FIP at the end. This is because all the
alarm system, protection system devices
are inter-connected to each other, either
floor wise, or zone wise.

10. 10

11. Heat detectors
• These work similar to the smoke detectors, which are
designed in order to detect thermal change due to
fire in a building
• There are two main types of heat detectors:
 Rate-of-rise: these operates when there is a rapid
rise of heat of 12-15 degrees F per minute
 Fixed temperature: this is the most common type, in
which a heat sensitive allow is present, which at a
fixed temperature melts down and activates signal
• Like smoke detectors, heat detectors also must be
connected to the FIP networking

12. 12
Alarm bell/ Voice alert
• The fire alarm bell is very common and
conventional way of alerting people about a
potential hazard or emergency in the building.
The bell is directly connected to the FIP so it
gets the signal to operate as soon as
something happens.
• Now days instead of a bell, an automated voice
alert system is also used in modern buildings.

13. 13
Manual pull/Break glass stations
• This is operated manually but triggers the alarm bell/ voice alert when used.
• This is for a purpose of faster action, which can be done by any person witnessing any fire
starting or any other emergency which is not been detected by the smoke/heat detectors yet.

14. 14
Fire fighting systems
Hose reelSprinklers
Fire
extinguishers

15. 15
• The sprinkler system comes into action when there is a fire
emergency triggered by the fire alarm system to stop further more
spread of the fire.
• In the sprinkler a heat sensitive socket is made so that it could open
automatically as soon as heat is within the sprinkler. Which is made
when a fire breaks out.
• Materials used:
 In some fire sprinklers the plug is made from an alloy called wood’s
metal which is basically a combination of bismuth, tin, cadmium and
led which melts at a really low temperature. There are also
sprinklers that it’s plug is made from a small glass bulb filled with
glycerin based liquid made to explode and shatter when a fire
breaks in. both sprinklers have the same results. It is meant to
break and open it’s sprinklers as soon as a fire occurs
Sprinklers

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18
Hose reel cabinet
• One of the first invention system that is used to fight a fire
when it occurs is the fire reel cabinet, it is also called a fire hose
cabinet.
• Those fire cabinets are available and equipped in all buildings
in case of a fire “such as a public assembly, logistics or an
industrial buildings, it is also usually put where it’s a hazardous
place to start a fire such as a restaurant’s kitchen
• The fire hose cabinet includes:
 A rating plate and operating instructions on how to use it in
case of an emergency
 A spreader tip
 A water supply stop next to the hose reel and a basic length
hose and it’s length is a 30m maximum

19. 19

20. 20
Hose reel plumbing connection
Hose reel
cabinet

21. Fire extinguishers
There must be four elements so that a fire could
occur. These elements are heat, oxygen, fuel and a
chemical reaction between those three elements.
And the concept of a fire extinguisher is that it is
based upon keeping all of these elements separate.
There’s a lot of different types of fire extinguishers,
these are CO₂, Dry Powder, Water, Foam, Clean
Agent and Wet Chemical.
Dry powder is usually a mix of monoammonium
phosphate and ammonium sulfate

22. 22

23. Fire doors
• A fire door is known as a door
with fire resistant.
• It contributes as a protection
system and decrease the
spreading of smoke and fire
between different floors or
compartments.
• It also enables safe way out
from a building

24. “
References
24
• http://www.naffco.com/uae/en/products/fire-doors
• http://www.naffco.com/uae/en/products/fire-protection-system
• http://www.naffco.com/uae/en/products/fire-extinguishers
• http://www.universalfirefighting.com/products.php
• http://firewize.com/page/training/fire-alarm-systems-principal-operation
• http://firefighting.com.my/hose-reel-system/hosereelsys