Fire Alarm Requirements for Group M Occupancies

[cce-eng]

Per IBC 907.2.7 a manual fire alarm system is not required for group M occupancies if less than 500 occupants and/or less than 100 occupants above or below the lowest level of exit discharge. Therefore, no fire alarm notification appliances.
If the occupant load is less than the threshold for requiring a "manual" fire alarm system, but a fire protection (sprinkler) system is installed, does the fire sprinkler system force you to provide fire alarm notification appliances throughout the facility as would be required with a fire alarm system?
I understand the fire sprinkler system has to be monitored and emergency outcall provided to a certified monitoring agency.

 

[gadfly56]

Per IBC 907.2.7 a manual fire alarm system is not required for group M occupancies if less than 500 occupants and/or less than 100 occupants above or below the lowest level of exit discharge. Therefore, no fire alarm notification appliances.
If the occupant load is less than the threshold for requiring a "manual" fire alarm system, but a fire protection (sprinkler) system is installed, does the fire sprinkler system force you to provide fire alarm notification appliances throughout the facility as would be required with a fire alarm system?
I understand the fire sprinkler system has to be monitored and emergency outcall provided to a certified monitoring agency.

If you look further in the 907.2.7 you'll see a requirement under Exception 2 to send notification to the occupants if there is water flow. Also as you pointed out, commercial accounts at least are usually required to send the appropriate signals to a supervising station. The easiest way to accomplish both of these tasks is to install a fire alarm control unit (FACU). Just because you have an FACU doesn't mean you now have to provide full smoke detector and pull station coverage. You will need to put a smoke detector in the immediate vicinity of the FACU, and also any remote annuciator panels. Even though you don't have to put a manual station in, I would suggest one by the panel and/or in the sprinkler riser room. When the service company is working on the sprinkler system they can send a signal to the central station in the event of a fire by using the pull station.

 

[Fire Pro]

Per IBC 907.2.7 a manual fire alarm system is not required for group M occupancies if less than 500 occupants and/or less than 100 occupants above or below the lowest level of exit discharge. Therefore, no fire alarm notification appliances.
If the occupant load is less than the threshold for requiring a "manual" fire alarm system, but a fire protection (sprinkler) system is installed, does the fire sprinkler system force you to provide fire alarm notification appliances throughout the facility as would be required with a fire alarm system?
I understand the fire sprinkler system has to be monitored and emergency outcall provided to a certified monitoring agency.

Not all throughout the facility. You'll want to contact the AHJ for this. In my experience, some AHJ's want just 1 hornstrobe at the facp, some want a wp strobe above the fdc on the exterior and some don't want any because they notification at the facp/annuncaitor is good enough for them.