National Fire Alarm Code 1999 Edition

1 Copyright NFPANFPA 72 National fire Alarm Code 1999 Edition Copyright 1999 NFPA, All Rights ReservedThis Edition of NFPA 72, National fire Alarm Code , was prepared by the TechnicalCommittee on Fundamentals of fire Alarm Systems, Household fire Warning Equipment,Initiating Devices for fire Alarm Systems, Notification Appliances for fire Alarm Systems,Protected Premises fire Alarm Systems, Public fire Reporting Systems, Supervising StationFire Alarm Systems, and Testing and Maintenance of fire Alarm Systems; released by theTechnical Correlating Committee on the National fire Alarm Code; and acted on by theNational fire Protection Association, Inc., at its May Meeting held May 17-20, 1999, inBaltimore, MD. It was issued by the Standards Council on July 22, 1999, with an effective dateof August 13, 1999, and supersedes all previous Edition of NFPA 72 was approved as an American National Standard on August 13, and Development of NFPA 72 NFPA s signaling standards date back to 1898.

2 The 1993 Edition of NFPA 72 was aconsolidation of the 1989 Edition of NFPA 71, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, andUse of Signaling Systems for Central Station Service; the 1990 Edition of NFPA 72, Standardfor the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Protective Signaling Systems; the 1990 Edition ofNFPA 72E, Standard on Automatic fire Detectors; the 1989 Edition of NFPA 72G, Guide forthe Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Notification Appliances for Protective SignalingSystems; the 1988 Edition of NFPA 72H, Guide for Testing Procedures for Local, Auxiliary,Remote Station, and Proprietary Protective Signaling Systems; and the 1989 Edition of NFPA74, Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Household fire WarningEquipment. Many of the requirements of these standards were identical or very similar.

3 Therecommendations that were taken from the guides (NFPA 72G and NFPA 72H) were changedto mandatory 1996 Edition of NFPA 72 incorporated many changes of a technical nature. These changesrelated to issues such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, software testing, fire modeling,and NFPAThe 1999 Edition represents a major change in code content and organization. Vertical rules arenot shown because of the extensive nature of the revisions. The chapters have been arranged tofacilitate user friendliness and provide a logical structure. A new chapter on public firereporting was added, and many technical revisions were made. Appendix B was streamlined tofacilitate ease of use, many unenforceable terms were removed, and Chapter 3 was reorganizedto facilitate a more logical editions of this document have been translated into languages other than English,including Correlating Committee National fire Alarm Code (NFA-AAC)Wayne D.

4 Moore, ChairHughes Assoc., Inc., RI [SE]Merton W. Bunker, Jr., Nonvoting SecretaryNat l fire Protection Assn., MAVic Humm, Vic Humm & Assoc., TN [SE]Ronald H. Kirby, Simplex Time Recorder Co., MA [M]Rep. Nat l Electrical Mfrs. Mande, Edwards Systems Technology, CT [M]James M. Mundy, Jr., Siemens Cerberus Division, NY [M]Rep. Automatic fire Alarm Assn., F. Norton, Norel Service Co., Inc., MA [IM]Rep. Naval Historical CenterPaul E. Patty, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., IL [RT]Walter F. Schuchard, Hingham, MA [SE]Max R. Schulman, Schulman Assoc., Ltd, CA [E]Rep. Int l Assn. of fire ChiefsDonald E. Sievers, D. E. Sievers & Assoc., Ltd, MD [SE]Tom G. Smith, Cox Systems Technology, OK [IM]Rep. Nat l Electrical Contractors NFPAL awrence J. Wenzel, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, CT [I]NonvotingDouglas M.

5 Aiken, Lakes Region Mutual fire Aid, NH [E]Rep. Int l Municipal Signal B. Aycock, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Bldg. Standards Dept., NC(Member Emeritus)Art Black, Carmel-by-the-Sea fire Dept., CA [E]Richard W. Bukowski, Nat l Inst. of Standards and Technology Bldg. and fire ResearchLab, MD [RT]Raymond A. Grill, Rolf Jensen & Assoc., Inc., VA [SE]W. Leslie Ingles, Duke Engr & Services, Inc., NC [U]Rep. Edison Electric Jeffrey Moore, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, OH [I]Martin H. Reiss, The RJA Group, Inc., MA [SE]Rep. Safety to Life CommitteeJames C. Roberts, North Carolina Dept. of Insurance, NC [E]Robert P. Schifiliti, R. P. Schifiliti Assoc., Inc., MA [SE]Evan E. Stauffer, Jr., Naval Facilities Engr Command, PARep. TC Public fire Service CommunicationsDean K.

6 Wilson, Hughes Assoc., Inc., CT [SE](Member Emeritus)This list represents the membership at the time the Committee was balloted on the text of thisedition. Since that time, changes in the membership may have occurred. A key to classifications isfound at the back of this : Membership on a committee shall not in and of itself constitute an endorsement of theAssociation or any document developed by the committee on which the member Scope: This Committee shall have primary responsibility for documents on theperformance of Alarm systems intended to alert occupants, off-site personnel, or both, of a fire , acondition normally associated with fire , or the operative condition of any system for the protectionof life and NFPAT echnical Committee on Fundamentals of fire Alarm Systems (NFA-FUN)(Chapters 1and 9)Raymond A.

7 Grill, ChairRolf Jensen & Assoc., Inc., VA [SE]William W. Rogers, SecretaryUnderwriters Laboratories Inc., IL [RT]Andrew G. Berezowski, fire -Lite/Notifier, CT [M]Rep. Nat l Electrical Mfrs. A. Bonifas, Alarm Detection Systems, Inc., IL [IM]Rep. Central Station Alarm G. Decker, Safety Systems, Inc., MI [IM]Mark Dumais, Argonne Nat l Laboratory East, IL [U]Lawrence Esch, World Security & Control Engr, IL [E]Rep. Illinois fire Inspectors C. Fannin, III, fire Protection Electronics Inc., DE [IM]David W. Frable, General Services Administration, IL [U]James M. Freeman, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, GA [I]Kevin M. Green, Schirmer Engr Corp., CA [SE]James R. Gressel, Ansul fire Protection/Tyco, WI [M]Rep. fire Equipment Mfrs. H. Kirby, Simplex Time Recorder Co.

8 , MA [M]Richard A. Malady, fire Fighter Sales & Service Co., PA [IM]Rep. Nat l Assn. of fire Equipment Distributors Marvi, Insurance Services Office, NY [I]Lloyde Mason, Lake Zurich, IL [SE]Robert Trexler McGinnis, Westinghouse Savannah River Co., SC [U]Copyright NFPAJ ames M. Mundy, Jr., Siemens Cerberus Division, NY [M]Rep. Automatic fire Alarm Assn., Nemie, Chesapeake, VA [SE]Thomas F. Norton, Norel Service Co., Inc., MA [IM]Rep. Naval Historical CenterPhilip K. Schoenheiter, Factory Mutual Research Corp., MA [I]Donald C. Tully, Orange County fire Authority, CA [E]Rep. Int l Assn. of fire ChiefsEd Vaillancourt, E & M Int l, Inc., NM [M]Rep. fire Suppression Systems M. Wyatt, Washington Public Power Supply System, WA [U]Rep. NFPA Industrial fire Protection SectionDennis R.

9 Yanek, ADT Security Services, NJ [M]AlternatesJames G. Bisker, Dept. of Energy, MD [U](Alt. to M. Dumais)Daniel C. Colin, Siemens Cerberus Division, NJ [M](Alt. to A. G. Berezowski)Chad M. Counard, Ansul fire Protection/Tyco, WI [M](Alt. to J. R. Gressel)John Craig, Jr., Safety Systems, Inc., MI [IM](Alt. to D. G. Decker)Manuelita E. David, Schirmer Engr Corp., CA [SE](Alt. to K. M. Green)Robert W. Elliott, Factory Mutual Research Corp., MA [I](Alt. to P. K. Schoenheiter)Charles Erichsen, ADT Security Services, Inc., NJ [M](Alt. to D. R. Yanek)Copyright NFPAD avid L. Foster, Insurance Services Office, NY [I](Alt. to M. Marvi)Daniel J. Gauvin, Simplex Time Recorder Co., MA [M](Alt. to R. H. Kirby)Isaac I. Papier, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., IL [RT](Alt. to W.)

10 W. Rogers)Edward P. Reid, E. P. Reid Inc., NJ [M](Alt. to J. M. Mundy)Max R. Schulman, Schulman Assoc., Ltd., CA [E](Alt. to D. C. Tully)Allyn J. Vaughn, Rolf Jensen & Assoc., Inc., NV [SE](Alt. to R. A. Grill)William F. Wayman, Jr., fire Protection Electronics, Inc., DE [IM](Alt. to J. C. Fannin, III)Lawrence J. Wenzel, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, CT [I](Alt. to J. M. Freeman)Merton W. Bunker, Jr.,NFPA Staff LiaisonThis list represents the membership at the time the Committee was balloted on the text of thisedition. Since that time, changes in the membership may have occurred. A key to classifications isfound at the back of this : Membership on a committee shall not in and of itself constitute an endorsement of theAssociation or any document developed by the committee on which the member Scope: This Committee shall have primary responsibility for documents on commonsystem fundamentals for signaling systems, including definitions, requirements for approvals,installation, service, power supplies, equipment locations, compatibility, and system Committee on Household fire Warning Equipment (NFA-HOU)(Chapter 8)Richard W.