Low Frequency Alarm Committee

The Low Frequency Alarm Committee (LFAC) is hosted by the IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section. It is comprised of experts from multiple industries and convenes to discuss the benefits and challenges of providing low-frequency alarm technology in single- and multi-station smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and audible notification appliances.

The committee has established four workgroups which will be addressing issues such as:

  • Aligning terminology across codes and standards
  • Evaluating existing research and addressing gaps
  • Considering cost and value factors
  • Exploring the technical challenges of devices and systems
  • Determining where low-frequency alarms should be required

The Low Frequency Alarm Committee was formed after a task group under the ICC Fire Code Action Committee (FCAC) investigated whether low-frequency alarm technology had advanced to the point where it should be required in additional locations. The 520-Hz Task Group met throughout 2023 and concluded that there were issues that required further discussion before any code requirement decisions could be made. The idea for a symposium arose to bring the various experts, industries, and interested parties together to begin this discussion. The LFAC is a collaborative project that is not affiliated with any specific organization.

Training and Education

The IAFC and the Low Frequency Alarm Committee joined with national experts to hold a series of presentations that examined multiple topics driving change in new alarms’ technical capabilities and effectiveness.

Presentation Recordings

The LFAC Leadership Team

The LFAC is composed of the members of the four workgroups as well as the leadership team.

Dan Buuck (Chair), National Association of Home Builders Bruce Bouch, U.S. Fire Administration
Dave Christian, Gentex
Karl Fippinger, International Code Council
Bill Koffel, Koffel Associates
Larry Ratzlaff, Kidde
Richard Roberts, Honeywell
Greg Rogers, International Association of Fire Chiefs

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