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FIRE PROTECTION
Although a fire alarm system may be of a
reliable and state-of- the-art design,
neither it nor its peripheral detection
devices can offer guaranteed protection
against fire. Any such equipment may fail
to warn for a variety of reasons:
Control panels, communicators, dialers,
smoke detectors, and many other
sensing devices will not work without
power. Battery- operated devices will not
work without batteries, with dead
batteries, or with improperly-installed
batteries. Devices powered solely by AC
will not work if their power source is cut
off for any reason.
Fires often cause a failure of electrical power.
If the system does not contain a working
battery backup power supply, and if the
electrical circuit feeding the devices is cut
or is not providing power for any reason,
the system will not detect heat or smoke
or provide any warning of a possible fire.
Telephone lines needed to transmit alarm
signals to a central monitoring station
may be out of service.
Smoke detectors, though highly effective in
reducing fire deaths, may not activate or
provide early-enough warning for a
variety of reasons: (a) they may not
sense fires that start where smoke
cannot reach them, such as in chimneys,
walls, roofs, behind closed doors, etc.; (b)
they may not sense a fire on a different
level of the residence or building; (c) they
have sensing limitations; no smoke
detector can sense every kind of fire
every time.
Thermostatic heat detectors do not always
detect fires because the fire may be a
slow smoldering low-heat type (producing
smoke); because they may not be near
the fire; or because the heat of the fire
may bypass them. These detectors will
not detect oxygen levels, smoke, toxic
gases, or flames. Therefore, they may
only be used as part of a comprehensive
fire-detection system in conjunction with
other devices. Under no circumstances
should thermostatic heat detectors be
relied upon as the sole measure to
ensure fire safety.
Alarm warning devices such as sirens, bells,
or horns may not alert someone behind a
closed or partially-opened door. Warning
devices located on one level are less
likely to alert those on a different level.
Even those who are awake may not hear
the warning if the alarm is obscured by
noise from a stereo, radio, air conditioner,
or other appliance, or by passing traffic,
etc. Alarm warning devices, however
loud, may fail to warn the hearing
impaired.
Alarm products, as all electrical devices, are
subject to component failure. Even
though the equipment is designed for
many years of trouble-free performance,
electronic components could fail at any
time.
Above are some of the reasons that fire
alarm equipment could fail. The most
common cause of an alarm system not
functioning when a fire occurs is
inadequate testing and maintenance. The
system should be tested at least weekly
to ensure that all the equipment is
working properly.
While an alarm system may make one
eligible for lower insurance rates, it is not
a substitute for insurance. Homeowners,
property owners, and renters are
therefore urged to maintain adequate
insurance coverage of life and property.
LIMITATIONS OF FIRE ALARM WARNING SYSTEM
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