EIAA

Annual Technical
PRESENTATION TITLE
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Conference
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Presented by Kevin Harrison

2008
 Presentation

• Qualification issues.
• Class B and Class A wiring.
• DCL B and DCL A wiring.
• Alberta Building Code 2006 fire alarm
systems.
• Smoke Alarms
• Alberta Building Code 2006 smoke alarms
 Qualification

Alberta Qualification in
accordance with the Alberta
Fire Code

Electrician Electrician
Alarm Technician
Before Sept 1/91 After Sept 1/91

Basic Electricity
Must complete Basic Electronics
Fire detection course Technical writing
Fire Detection

Apply to ECAA for qualification Apply to AFSA for qualification

number number
 Fire Alarm System Conductors
Rule 32-100

• Insulation rating of not less than 300 V

• Shall be suitable for the purpose of the
type listed in Table 19 and individual
conductors smaller than #14 AWG
installed in a raceway shall be equipment
wire of the type listed in Table 11.
 Fire Alarm System Conductors
Rule 32-100
• Conductors shall not be smaller than:
a)#16 AWG for individual conductors pulled in a
raceway.
b)#19 AWG for individual conductors laid in a
raceway.
c)#19 AWG cable assembly of two or more
conductors.
d)#22 AWG cable assembly of four or more
conductors.
 Wiring Methods Rule 32-102
(non-combustible construction)
• All conductors of a fire alarm system shall be:
a) installed in a metal raceway
b) installed in a cable having a metal armour or
sheath.
c) installed in rigid non-metallic conduit,
where embedded in at least 50 mm of masonry
or poured concrete, or installed underground.
d) installed in electrical non-metallic tubing,
where embedded in at least 50 mm of
masonry or poured concrete.
 Wiring Methods Rule 32-102
(combustible construction)
• Conductors installed in combustible
construction shall be installed in
accordance with Section 12
a) Non-metallic sheathed cable.
b) FAS cable; or
c) installed in a totally enclosed non-
metallic raceway.
 Conventional Wiring

• Class B wiring incorporates end of line

devices. (2 conductor circuit)
• Class A wiring does not incorporate end of
line devices. (4 conductor circuit)
• T tap splices can not be used on either
wiring method.
Class B Wiring
Class A wiring
Class B wiring for flow switch and
tamper switch
Class B wiring for control vale
switch and tamper switch
 Multiplex wiring for addressable
systems
• DCL B two conductor circuits or data
loops do not incorporate end of line
devices and can be T tapped.
• DCL A four conductor circuits or data
loops do not incorporate an end of line
device and can not be T tapped
 Addressable System

D A T A C O M M U N IC A T IO N L IN K

Sa Ha Ha

CPU A D D R E S S A B L E IN P U T D E V IC E S

E
O
L

BELLS O U T P U T D E V IC E S
Wiring for addressable systems
Addressable System
Addressable monitor modules
Addressable signal module
Building Code Requirements
 Signals to Fire Department
• Single stage fire alarm system installed in a building of
assembly occupancy that has an occupant load of more
than 300 shall be designed to notify that an alarm signal
has been initiated.
• A system that includes waterflow-indicating devices shall
be designed to notify that an alarm signal has been
initiated.
• 2 stage fire alarm systems shall be designed to notify
that an alert signal has been initiated.
• Notification to the fire department shall be provided in
conformance with CAN/ULC –S561 Installation and
Services for Fire Signal Receiving Centres and Systems.
Fire Protective Signaling Certificate

• Owners shall provide evidence of

compliance to the authority having
jurisdiction by means of a certificate from a
certified listing agency showing:
a) address of building
b) the listed fire alarm installation company and,
c) the listed fire alarm monitoring company.
 Electrical Supervision

• An automatic sprinkler system shall be

electrically supervised to indicate a
supervisory signal on the building fire
alarm system annunciator for each of the
following:
Electrical Supervision Supervisory

a) movement of a valve handle that controls the supply of

water to the sprinklers.
b) loss of excess water pressure to prevent false alarms in
a wet pipe system.
c) loss of air pressure in a dry pipe system.
d) loss of air pressure in a pressure tank.
e) a significant change in water level in any water storage
container used for firefighting purposes.
f) loss of power to an automatically starting fire pump
g) temperature approaching freezing in any dry pipe valve
enclosure or water storage used for firefighting
purposes.
Electrical Supervision Supervisory

• Indication of a supervisory signal shall be

transmitted to the fire department in
conformance with:
CAN/ULC -S561 Installation and Services for Fire Signal
Receiving Centres and Systems.
 Audibility of Alarm Systems

• Sound patterns of alert signals shall be

significantly different from the temporal
patterns of alarm signals.
• Alarm signals shall conform to the
temporal pattern defined in the
International Standard ISO 8201
(T3 signal)
 Audibility of Alarm Systems

• Sound pressure level in sleeping room

from a fire alarm audible signal device
shall be not less than 75 dBA in a building
of residential occupancy when any
intervening doors between the device and
the sleeping room are closed.
 Audibility of Alarm Systems

• Audible signal devices located within a

dwelling unit or a suite of a residential
occupancy shall be connected to the fire
alarm system
a) in a manner such that a single open circuit at one
device will not impair the operation of other audible
signal devices on that same circuit that serve the other
dwelling units or suites of a residential occupancy, or
b) on separate signal circuits that are not connected to
the devices in any other dwelling unit, public corridor or
suite of residential occupancy.
 What does this mean?

• The signal circuits in the suites can be

feed from a Class B or Class A signal
circuit isolators located outside the suite
or;
• Each suite can be feed from a separate
signal circuit without the need for a signal
circuit isolator.
 Audibility of Alarm Systems

• In buildings classified as a residential

occupancy
a) separate circuits shall be provided for audible
signal devices on each floor area, and
b) audible signal devices within dwelling units or
suites of residential occupancy shall be wired on
separate signal circuits from those not within
suites of residential occupancy or dwelling units.
 Audible signal devices

• Audible signal devices located within a

dwelling unit shall include a means for
them to be manually silenced for a period
of not more than 10 min, after which time
the devices shall restore themselves to
normal operation.
 Audible signal devices

• Audible signal devices within dwelling

units that are wired on separate signal
circuits need not include manual silencing
provided the fire alarm system includes a
provision for an automatic signal silence
within the dwelling units where :
 Audible signal devices
• the automatic signal silence cannot occur within the first
60 s of operation or within the zone of initiation,
• a subsequent alarm elsewhere in the building will
reactivate the silenced audible signal devices in the
dwelling units,
• After a period of not more than 10 min, the silenced
audible signal devices will be restored to continuous
audible signal if the alarm is not acknowledged and,
• The voice communication system has a provision to
override the automatic signal silence to allow
transmission of the voice messages through silenced
audible signal circuits that serve the dwelling units.
 Visual Signal Appliances

• Visual signal devices shall be installed in

close proximity to each required audible
signal device;
• and conform to ULC-S526 Visible Signal
Devices for Fire Alarm Systems
 Smoke Alarms

• Must be installed in accordance with rules

32-110 of the CEC
• Wiring methods for smoke alarms must
comply with 32-100 and 32-102(1) for non-
combustible construction and 32-102(2)
for combustible construction.
 Location of Smoke Alarms
• At least one smoke alarm shall be installed on
each floor level, including basements that is 900
mm or more above or below an adjacent floor
level.
• On any storey of a dwelling unit containing
sleeping rooms, a smoke alarm shall be installed
in a location between the sleeping rooms and
the remainder of the storey, and if the sleeping
rooms are served by a hallway , the smoke
alarm shall be located in the hallway.
 Location of Smoke Alarms

• Each bedroom shall be protected by a

smoke alarm either inside the bedroom or
if outside, within 5 m, measured following
corridors and doorways of the bedroom
door, and
• the distance, measured following corridors
and doorways from any point on a floor
level to a smoke alarm on the same level
does not exceed 15 m.
Smoke Alarms
 Interconnection of Smoke Alarms

• When more than one smoke alarm is required in

a dwelling unit, the smoke alarms shall be wired
so activation of one alarm will cause all alarms
within the dwelling unit to sound.
• A smoke alarm required to be installed in an
existing dwelling unit as a result of developing
space for sleeping use need not be
interconnected with existing smoke alarms in the
dwelling unit, but if more than one smoke alarm
is required then all new smoke alarms shall be
interconnected.
THE END