Smoke detector requirements

[Leo Li]

Hi Friends, Our project for pharma including Lab, production line, warehouse and also with office, training room etc. So I wolud like to double check if smoke detector should be required for office, meeting room, training room and Lab area as per NFPA72? My understanding it should supply smoke detector for all these area except toilet room but now design firm only design smoke detetor for equipment room (such as elctrcial room, IDF, chiller room etc,.). As below sample, there is smoke in Electrcial room with red rectangle and no detector for office area as green rectangle. By the way those rooms will be full coverage by sprinkler system. So is my understanding wrong? Thanks!

 

[gadfly56]

Hi Friends, Our project for pharma including Lab, production line, warehouse and also with office, training room etc. So I wolud like to double check if smoke detector should be required for office, meeting room, training room and Lab area as per NFPA72? My understanding it should supply smoke detector for all these area except toilet room but now design firm only design smoke detetor for equipment room (such as elctrcial room, IDF, chiller room etc,.). As below sample, there is smoke in Electrcial room with red rectangle and no detector for office area as green rectangle. By the way those rooms will be full coverage by sprinkler system. So is my understanding wrong? Thanks!
View attachment 2558455

Your understanding is...incomplete. NFPA 72 does not say where you need smoke detection, except for some limited cases such as elevators. You must go to the International Building Code (IBC) and review the requirements based on occupancy. I assume this is still in New Jersey? There is a New Jersey edition of the IBC and you can view it for free on line. In short, for other than residential occupancies, there is not much of a requirement for smoke detector coverage, especially in a fully sprinklered building.

 

[Leo Li]

Your understanding is...incomplete. NFPA 72 does not say where you need smoke detection, except for some limited cases such as elevators. You must go to the International Building Code (IBC) and review the requirements based on occupancy. I assume this is still in New Jersey? There is a New Jersey edition of the IBC and you can view it for free on line. In short, for other than residential occupancies, there is not much of a requirement for smoke detector coverage, especially in a fully sprinklered building.

Yes, this project is in NJ. Thanks !

 

[Fred B]

Gad, where would you get requirements for pull alarms? Assume if there is a larger facility that should be a requirement. IBC as well? Also assume that if a sprinkler were to activate it should activate the general alarm as well.

 

[gadfly56]

Gad, where would you get requirements for pull alarms? Assume if there is a larger facility that should be a requirement. IBC as well? Also assume that if a sprinkler were to activate it should activate the general alarm as well.

Look in the same place, the IBC. For NJ no local amendments are allowed, so YMMV depending on jurisdictions outside NJ. The requirement is usually stated as a "manual alarm system". For a fully sprinklered building, the pull goes where the AHJ wants it, but typically we like to put it in the sprinkler room. That way, if the pipefighters are servicing the system and someone sees something amiss, they can hotfoot it to the station. Sometimes it's placed at the building's main entrance. The key thing is that when the sprinkler goes off, the occupant notification has to be activated. The only way you can install proper notification is to put in a fire alarm panel, and possibly notification booster panels, if needed. For commercial accounts in NJ, you also need to transmit the alarm off-premises to a Central Station for retransmittal to the local FD. That's easiest done by the fire alarm panel.