Section 908.7 of the 2012 IFC and IBC requires CO detection to be installed in “newly” constructed Group-R and Group-I occupancies if the building contains a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage. An open parking garage, as defined in the International Building Code, or enclosed parking garage ventilated in accordance with Section 404 of the International Mechanical Code, shall not be deemed to be an attached garage. Also CO alarms shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720, Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detection and Warning Equipment, and the manufacturer’s instructions.

Section 1103.9 of the IFC covers the requirements for existing Group-R and Group-I occupancies. These requirements are the same as those in 908.7 for newly constructed occupancies. As with most codes and standards, there are exceptions to the mandatory requirements. If sleeping units or dwelling units do not contain a fuel-burning appliance or have an attached garage, but are located in a building with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, CO detection is not required if:

• The sleeping unit or dwelling unit is located more than one story above or below any story that contains a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage

• The sleeping unit or dwelling unit is not connected by duct work or ventilation shafts to an attached garage or any room containing a fuel-burning appliance

• The building is provided with a common area^† CO alarm system.

Also, Section 908.7.1 of the 2012 IBC and IFC clearly permits system-connected CO detectors to be installed as a primary form of protection if they are installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720 and listed as complying with ANSI/UL 2075. It’s worth mentioning that NFPA 720 permits either CO alarms complying with ANSI/UL 2034, Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms, or CO detectors complying with ANSI/UL 2075, Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors, to be installed.

^† The term “common area CO system” is vague and is undefined in the I-Codes and NFPA 720. There is a change proposal that’s currently being considered for the 2015 edition of the IFC and IBC that will add clarity to this term. The proposed text is for “a CO detector to be provided in the common area between the attached garage and the dwelling units and it will activate an audible alarm at a constantly attended location.”

NFPA 72-2010 code focuses on intelligibility and the need for voice evacuation systems to provide alerts with information that is audible and understandable. It defines intelligibility as the quality or condition of being intelligible (3.3.124) and intelligible as capable of being understood, comprehensible, clear (3.3.126). The code also adds a key term, ADS, that helps to clarify intelligibility requirements.

Acoustically Distinguishable Space (ADS) is an emergency communication system (ECS) notification zone, or subdivision thereof, that might be an enclosed or otherwise physically defined space, or that might be distinguished from other spaces due to acoustical, environmental, or use characteristics, such as reverberation time and ambient sound pressure level (3.3.2).

Establishing ADSs is foundational to planning an intelligible system. An ADS is any space that can or cannot have intelligibility. The ADS needs to be determined at the beginning of the project.

In Chapter 18 – Notification Appliances, NFPA 72-2010 states that within the ADS, where intelligibility is required, voice systems shall reproduce prerecorded, synthesized, or live messages with voice intelligibility (18.4.10). In each of these spaces, measuring for intelligibility may or may not be required.

ADSs shall be determined by the designer during the planning and design of all ECS (18.4.10.1). Each ADS shall be identified as requiring or not requiring intelligibility (18.4.10.2). Where an ADS is required by the authority having jurisdiction, ADS assignments shall be submitted for review and approval (18.4.10.3).

Chapter 24 – Emergency Communication System provides requirements for designing an intelligible voice evacuation system for an ECS. The speaker layout of the system shall be designed to ensure intelligibility and audibility; intelligibility shall first be determined by ensuring that all areas in the building have the required level of audibility; and the design shall incorporate speaker placement to provide intelligibility (24.4.1.2.2.1).

To meet NFPA requirements, the following is needed: the average ambient background noise level of the area; room characteristics such as length, width, and height of the ceiling and reflectivity of the surfaces in the room; and the coverage angle or polar plot of the speaker.

Annex D provides guidance on the planning, design, installation, and testing of voice systems. The annex also contains recommendations for testing intelligibility methods and requirements for testing.

When testing intelligibility, Annex D.2.4.1 recommends that 90 percent of all measurements in an ADS meet required intelligibility scores to be considered acceptable. These scores fall on the lower end of the intelligibility scale: a measured Speech Transmission Index scale (STI) of not less than 0.45 (0.65 CIS – Common Intelligibility Scale) or an average STI of not less than 0.50 (0.70 CIS).

Designing a system to meet current intelligibility requirements can be challenging because of the many factors that influence intelligibility, such as room dimensions, building materials, ambient sound, and usage. However, the NFPA code has been designed to limit the complexity of these systems by minimizing the potential for over-design. Therefore, the best approach is to be familiar with NFPA requirements and definitions before attempting to design a voice evacuation system for intelligibility.

Jonathan R. Hart, Associate Fire Protection Engineer with the National Fire Protection Association, is responsible for documents addressing information technology equipment, telecommunication facilities, wet and dry chemical extinguishing systems, explosion protection, commercial cooking systems, fire safety and emergency symbols, and water mist fire protection systems. Hart holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and is finishing work toward an M.S. degree in Fire Protection Engineering.

What fire and life safety codes relate to a mission-critical facility?

NFPA 75, Standard for the Protection of Information Technology (IT) Information Equipment, and NFPA 76, Standard for the Fire Protection of Telecommunications Facilities, are the standards that pertain specifically to the protection of IT equipment, IT equipment areas, and telecom facilities. The rest of the facility will be designed to the applicable codes and standards for hazards other than fire and life safety.

The purpose of NFPA 75 is to set forth the minimum requirements for the protection of IT equipment and IT equipment areas from damage by fire or its associated effects, namely smoke corrosion, heat, and water.

Chapter 4 of the standard addresses Risk Consideration. It states in section 4.1 that “the following factors shall be considered in determination of the need for protecting the environment, equipment, function, programming, records, and supplies: (1) Life safety aspects of the function (e.g., process controls, air traffic controls), (2) Fire threat of the installation to occupants or exposed property, (3) Economic loss from the loss of function or loss of records, (4) Economic loss from value of the equipment, (5) Regulatory impact, and (6) Reputation impact.”

The following chapters address building construction, materials and equipment permitted in the IT equipment area, the construction of IT equipment, fire protection and detection equipment, records kept or stored in IT equipment rooms, utilities, and finally, emergency and recovery procedures.

NFPA 76 provides the requirements for fire protection of telecom facilities where telecom services such as telephone (landline, wireless) transmission, data transmission, voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) transmission, and video transmission are rendered to the public. Telecom facilities include signal-processing equipment areas, cable entrance facility areas, power areas, main distribution frame areas, standby engine areas used to run standby power, technical support areas, administrative areas, and building services and support areas occupied by a telecom service provider.

The purpose of the standard is to provide a reasonable level of fire protection in telecom facilities, to provide a reasonable level of life safety for the occupants, and to protect equipment and service continuity. NFPA 76 is intended to avoid requirements that could involve unnecessary complications for or interference with the normal use, occupancy, and operations of telecom facilities and equipment.

Chapter 4 of this standard also addresses Risk Considerations. Section 4.1 Risk Factors reads:

Fire protection programs for telecommunications facilities shall be determined based on an evaluation of the risks and hazards associated with the site and services provided from the facility and the business continuity planning and disaster restoration capabilities of the telecommunications service provider specific to the site.

4.1.1 Fire protection programs shall be established with consideration given to the following factors:

(1) Exposure threat to facility occupants, the general public, and exposed property from a fire occurring at, adjacent to, or within the facility.

(2) The importance of telecommunications service continuity in supporting public safety through emergency communications (such as 911), national defense communications requirements, video transmission of critical medical operations, and other vital data.

(3) Methods employed by a service provider, as part of a risk management or business continuity strategy, that allow service to remain viable during and after an event or to be replaced or restored within a reasonable period post-event.

(4) The potential for a given protection strategy to result in a service disruption or inhibit the ability of the service provider to restore service in a timely manner post-event.

Section 4.2 of the standard continues with this method of characterizing the risk considerations in order to provide the most suitable design.

The following three chapters address performance-based design approaches, prescriptive-based design approaches, and redundant-or-replacement-based design approaches, respectively. The subsequent chapters detail the requirements for fire protection elements, fire prevention, pre-fire planning, damage control, and emergency recovery.

“If you think of how many of our work and personal records, everyday use files and information are accessible online through centralized data repositories, you can quickly see the importance of NFPA 75.”
— Jonathan R. Hart, Associate Fire Protection Engineer, NFPA

Please explain the significance of NFPA 75 and 76.

These documents have and continue to become more and more important as society grows reliant on what these documents are designed to protect. If you think of how many of our work and personal records, everyday use files and information are accessible online through centralized data repositories, you can quickly see the importance of NFPA 75. Likewise, information sent via telephone, Internet and similar transmission methods bring to bear the need to keep the routes that information travels up and running, which is a main goal of NFPA 76.

A small sampling of what is protected by NFPA 75 and NFPA 76 includes data storage/retrieval systems, ranging from criminal and medical records, financial records and transactions, insurance and legal records, and registration databases. Data processing systems are protected, including background checks, prescription compatibility, weather modeling, and defense systems, among other critical information. Data communications that are protected include wired-line, wireless (GSM, WiFi, etc.), satellite, radio, Internet, cable, and air traffic control.

What are common elements of these standards that overlap with mission-critical facilities?

Both NFPA 75 and 76 contain a Chapter 4 titled “Risk Considerations,” as stated above. These risk considerations employ an analysis of the risk factors involved both from a fire as well as from an accidental failure of the protection strategies. The overall design of these facilities is required to consider such risks and the total impact of downtime.

In addition, each of these standards requires the facilities to have an emergency fire plan, a damage control plan, and emergency recovery procedures.

How do the standards apply to different areas within a mission-critical facility?

NFPA 75 only applies to the protection of IT equipment and IT equipment areas. The rest of the facility will be designed to the applicable codes and standards.

NFPA 76 simply requires that telecom facilities be separated from the rest of the building by two-hour fire resistance-rated partitions. The standard contains additional conditions for telecom facilities housed in multiple tenant buildings that require either specific building construction types AND require automatic suppression, or limit them to one story.

How do the standards address instances that go beyond traditional fire detection?

NFPA 75 requires the installation of automatic detection equipment to provide early warning of fire. This needs to be a listed smoke detection-type system installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 72^®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. The automatic detection systems are required to be located at ceiling level throughout the IT equipment area, below raised floors containing cables, and above suspended ceilings that recirculate air.

NFPA 76 requires Very Early Warning Fire Detection (VEWFD) for rooms containing over 2,500 square feet of signal-processing equipment areas and Early Warning Fire Detection (EWFD) systems for facilities containing less than 2,500 square feet of signal-processing equipment. Raised floors require fire detection depending on their use and the detection used in the area above them. The standard requires that EWFD and VEWFD use sensors or ports with spacing that is less than normally required by NFPA 72. Specific requirements for each type of detector are contained in Section 8.5 of the standard.

Which emerging topics affect safety considerations in these facilities?

Trends that are driving some of the changes that occur in NFPA 75 and NFPA 76 protected facilities include increasing power densities, which produce greater amounts of heat and therefore require increased amounts of airflow through these areas for cooling. The movement toward making buildings more environmentally friendly is leading to innovative HVAC solutions to increase system energy efficiencies. A demand for faster speed of product from concept to market creates issues in keeping on top of the newest technologies. In general, information technology equipment and telecommunication facilities change at a very fast rate. This creates some challenging issues in determining exactly what is being used, what arrangements are being used, and how these can be protected.

The nature of electronic data and the potential for the important use of that data leads to an ever increasing “critical” nature of these services. The need for some combination of physical protection, detection and alarm, use of appropriate suppression systems, redundancy and a higher-than-average level of reliability for system performance results in improved chances of continuity of operations when something goes wrong and access to important data when it is needed.

For more information on NFPA Codes and Standards, including NFPA 72^®, NFPA 75^® and NFPA 76^®, visit www.nfpa.org/codes.

NFPA 72^®, NFPA 75^® & NFPA 76^® are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association.

A. Yes. We cover the NFPA requirements and how they relate to real-life situations, and we discuss how to interpret or understand what the NFPA says.

Q. What is new and what has changed over the past 5, 10 and 20 years?

A. Going back a little bit further, I would say 30 years ago, sprinkler protection was installed primarily to protect the property with no expectations or thoughts about life safety. In the ’80s with the adoption of ADA, the industry began to focus more on life safety in more applications. Ten years ago, sprinklers became important for protection of life and property. Smoke detection and fire alarms became more of a design criteria, specifically for evacuation.

Within the past five years, I think most of the building standards have been written with the assumption that fire sprinklers are in place. With fire sprinklers, you reduce the requirements for wider corridors and the number and size of exits. A fully sprinkled building is much different than one that is not, which is good and bad alike, in my opinion.

A comprehensive fire- and life-safety design requires a cohesive blend of alarm/detection capabilities, an appropriate suppression system and a number of other building construction features that depend on occupancy, type of facility and use of space. An often overlooked component — planning — is integral to keeping occupants safe.

In buildings, like an apartment complex, the alarm and detection system is a critical component because occupants may be asleep. Alarm and detection features can provide functions such as early warning for occupants, fire department notification and unlocking of doors. In large public venues, like a shopping mall or arena, the notification system may integrate a voice-communication function to give emergency instruction.

For healthcare occupancies, correctional facilities, high-rise buildings or other places where evacuation would cause considerable disturbance or not be a desired option, suppression becomes the focus of the system.

“An automatic fire sprinkler system has the ability to control the situation, thereby limiting the effects of the fire, the generation of products of combustion, and in general, allowing additional time for occupants to move to a safe area,” said Solomon.“Of course, the presence of a well-thought-out means of egress, with adequate exits, stairs and doors, is also crucially important.”

In general terms, the means of egress should also be thought of as a “system,” as well. The number, type and arrangement of the egress components are important factors to consider.

Some construction options may require the integration of firewalls, fire barrier walls and smoke compartments, as well as protection schemes for vertical openings between floors.

“There are even criteria for interior finish materials such as floor, wall and ceiling coverings,” explained Solomon.“Each of these building construction features can be specified to achieve the desired level of fire resistance, which is usually measured in hours for a firewall based on the building’s structural system, or for flame spread and smoke-developed characteristics for an interior wall finish. The level of fire-safety performance intended for the building is contingent upon the use of the occupancy.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) encourages public participation in its code and standards development. Codes and standards are revised every three to five years in a systematic and inclusive process that provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to submit input through key points in the development cycle.

Responding to the Call

The cycle begins with a call for input from a wide range of stakeholders.

NFPA will publicize calls for proposal submissions through NFPA Journal magazine and the NFPA Web site, as well as other standards-related media. The NFPA Web site also has links (see Table) to all the forms needed for drafting and submitting a proposal, such as the Online Submission Form for revisions to existing codes or standards.

A completed proposal must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST of the proposal closing date to be considered. When drafting a code revision, remember: Don’t propose a revision simply because it will mandate one of your products or services. Biased, special interest group proposals will be rejected.

Report on Proposals: The First Review

Once submitted, the proposal will be routed for review by a Technical Committee. An NFPA Technical Committee is a group of technical individuals, selected and appointed by the NFPA Standards Council, who comprise a cross section of the stakeholders for the particular standard. Individual members are appointed on the basis of technical knowledge as well as to maintain a balance of interest groups. For example, members might be drawn from such diverse areas as installing companies, product manufacturers and suppliers, trade associations and government agencies.

The product of this initial review is a report that is published and made available to the general public, called the Report on Proposals (ROP). This initial report represents the findings and decisions of the Technical Committee on each proposal.

Committee findings can be in agreement or disagreement — or anything in between — for each proposal. At this point, the findings of the committee are far from the final word. In fact, the ROP is circulated for a 60-day public review and comment period, which enables stakeholders to review the findings of the Technical Committee and submit comments on those findings; again, with proposed language and technical justification.

Understanding detection and suppression requirements is vital to protect patients, staff and facilities.

The importance of fire and life safety in healthcare facilities is paramount given the vulnerability and diversity of their occupants and the high potential for fire, compounded by the expected growth within the industry.

Today, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), an estimated 2,500 fires occur each year in medical facilities, resulting in $8.7 million in property loss. The USFA cautions, “Fires in these facilities can be particularly dangerous due to the presence of flammable substances, such as oxygen, and the challenges of evacuating patients who may not be ambulatory.”

Complexity dictates that detection and suppression systems react quickly, so most facilities are equipped with alarms and sprinkler systems. According to National Fire Incident Reporting System statistics, a smoke alarm was present and activated in 63 percent of medical facility fires, a higher percentage than is found in other property types. In addition, 94 percent of the facilities had installed sprinkler systems.

When it comes to regulating the operation of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) must review the facility in accordance with numerous life safety and fire protection standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Among those codes and standards are NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code^®, NFPA 101^®: Life Safety Code^®, and NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities.

The Life Safety Code

Complying with the Life Safety Code is essential because the code is linked to a healthcare facility’s ability to receive reimbursement from the federal government for its Medicare expenses. The industry accepts the 2000 edition of NFPA 101, which emphasizes sprinklers, as the current standard and uses it extensively.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees the accreditation process for U.S. healthcare facilities. It mandates that all facilities comply with the 2000 edition. The accreditation agency for the federal government, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO), also requires compliance with the 2000 edition of the NFPA Life Safety Code.

The JCAHO Statement of Conditions explains how a facility meets the requirements of the Life Safety Code. The Statement of Conditions answers whether the facility, for example, has the proper alarm system in place, and if not, how it will meet that deficiency. The requirements also include specific procedures and plans; drills; proper equipment installation and inspection; testing; and maintenance of fire alarm and fire protection systems.

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The System Sensor CO1224 model detects this invisible, odorless, tasteless, and deadly gas using electrochemical sensing technology. This electrochemical technology is the industry’s most reliable. It accurately measures levels of carbon monoxide in the air and provides early warning.

Learn more about CO1224 CO detectors by clicking on www.systemsensor.com/co,

• A CO Flash demo (with free Flash plug-in downloads)
• Data sheet
• Frequently asked questions
• Installation and maintenance manual
• In the media
• Legislation and codes by state
• Online training
• System Sensor white papers

White Papers

Two System Sensor white papers have been written to eliminate confusion associated with CO detectors.

The first white paper explains the National Fire Protection Agency’s (NFPA) requirements for the proper placement, testing, and maintenance of system-connected carbon monoxide detectors. The paper covers the requirements of NFPA 720, 2005 edition and addresses the fact that system-connected carbon monoxide detectors are still in a stage of infancy. Many manufacturers and states have different installation and maintenance requirements for CO detectors, which cause confusion for fire protection professionals in search of consistent codes.

The second white paper defines the limited life gas sensor of system-connected CO detection devices and outlines Underwriters Laboratories (UL) requirements and the benefits of supervising the CO sensor. This white paper seeks to clarify the confusion that exists because system-connected CO detectors have different replacement criteria than system-connected smoke detectors.

To view these white papers and other CO resources visit www.systemsensor.com/co.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has published the Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities for developing plans to protect disabled individuals during emergencies. This free guide can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word® or Adobe Acrobat® PDF document at www.nfpa.org.

The guide brings various planning components for the disabled community into one comprehensive evacuation planning strategy. It is written for those in building management who are involved in life safety decisions. Sections explore the egress requirements of individuals with one or more mobility, visual, hearing, speech or cognitive impairment.

Chapter 3, “Building an Evacuation Plan for a Person with a Visual Impairment” highlights the capability of a device that uses directional sound to lead people to a safe exit.

Directional sound is an audible signal that leads people to safety in a way that conventional alarms cannot, by communicating the location of exits using broadband noise. The varying tones and intensities coming from directional sound devices offer easy-to-discern cues for finding the way out. As soon as people hear the devices, they intuitively follow them to get out quickly.

The ExitPoint™ directional sounder from System Sensor is an advanced egress device that can accelerate evacuation times by as much as 75%. The ExitPoint device acts as an audible exit sign, directing people to the nearest safe exit using broadband sound. It can also use a recorded voice message to provide verbal instructions in 15 field-selectable language choices. It is listed to UL 464, FM, MEA and CSFM. The technology of exit-marking audible notification is referenced in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code, 2007 Edition.

The guide’s “Personal Emergency Evacuation Planning Checklist” prompts emergency planners to consider a full range of appropriate devices and notification actions. References and links are provided for applicable life safety codes and studies.

This NFPA guide is based on input from the disability community. The NFPA is a nonprofit organization that serves the fire, electrical and life-safety field with code and standard writing, research, training and education. The guide will be updated annually, or when new ideas, concepts, and technologies become available.

Selecting the correct fire alarm system for a home renovation project hinges on understanding your state and local codes and then installing the right products to meet those codes, according to Fire Alarm Specialist Greg Smizer, owner of Sprint Security Inc. in Waltham, Mass. He should know. For more than 30 years, Smizer has been installing fire alarm and security systems in renovated homes across New England.

Smizer has appeared on the Emmy Award-winning TV show “This Old House®,” and offers his expertise on security, fire, and carbon monoxide (CO) detection and notification systems, which he provided for the show’s most recent project in Newton, Mass. “This Old House” airs Thursdays on PBS (check your local listings).