NFPA 72, IFC, OFC Question - Single Fire Alarm Panel monitoring multiple outbuildings with different addresses

[yematul]

Hi there,

I've got a question regarding a Campus environment for Fire Alarm monitoring and setup.

Is it allowed to have a single fire alarm panel using monitoring modules out in the field spread through a campus and each monitor module is tied into the alarm, supervisory, and trouble outputs of different local fire panels at buildings with different physical addresses in a giant loop.

In short, each building (over 100 buildings), each have their own fire panels, but there's a monitor module for the "Main Central Fire Panel" tied into each buildings' fire panel so in essence, each monitor module is a different zone on the main fire panel and when alarms come in they come in on different points and the only way an alarm can be discerned as to where it's coming from is by the zone/point description that comes in.

Is this a legal setup?

 

[gadfly56]

Hi there,

I've got a question regarding a Campus environment for Fire Alarm monitoring and setup.

Is it allowed to have a single fire alarm panel using monitoring modules out in the field spread through a campus and each monitor module is tied into the alarm, supervisory, and trouble outputs of different local fire panels at buildings with different physical addresses in a giant loop.

In short, each building (over 100 buildings), each have their own fire panels, but there's a monitor module for the "Main Central Fire Panel" tied into each buildings' fire panel so in essence, each monitor module is a different zone on the main fire panel and when alarms come in they come in on different points and the only way an alarm can be discerned as to where it's coming from is by the zone/point description that comes in.

Is this a legal setup?

The short answer is it's probably legal. If the campus doesn't have street addresses that the fire department can drop in a GPS, they'll have to come to the main fire alarm panel location regardless. They may need a security escort when they do go to the building, for example. Local jurisdictions may have differing requirements based on the peculiarities of the site. We do one college campus that is basically done this way. The fire department responds to the security building and is escorted to the alarm site.