International Association of Fire Chiefs
Responding to Fire Alarm Systems and Activations

Fire alarm training on your desktop, designed for you and your crews!

The Fire & Life Safety Section released a series of videos aimed at providing the fire service additional insight in responding to fire alarm systems and activations. This is not about installation, rather what our crews will face on a regular basis, and provide them the tools they need! The IAFC’s Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS) has developed a series of educational videos with representatives of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

Fire Alarm Basics

Have you ever wondered as a responding firefighter what are the basic components tied into a fire alarm system? In this video Richard Roberts of Honeywell, Dan Finnegan with Siemens, and IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section (FLSS) Board members Andy King and Michael O’Brian discuss the basics of all fire alarm systems.

Principles of Fire Protection

This video provides a better understanding of fire alarm systems, we are going to take many of you back to your first exposure to fire science. This program is aimed to review the basics of fire and lay the foundation for the activation of fire alarm systems. Fire alarm systems provide a key component in many strategies in fire prevention. This includes early notification, providing a response and activating an alerting system.

In the fire service, many of our fire prevention strategies and code requirements are based on the fundamentals of breaking the fire triangle or even the basic understanding of the type of fire. Today's video goes back to basic fire science and reminds us how those basics can serve as the basis of fire prevention and how a fire alarm system is set up to respond to the core items.

NEMA/FLSS Fire Alarm Control Panel Basics

This video dives into the brains of a fire alarm system, formerly known as Fire Alarm Control Panels, now referred to as Fire Alarm Control Units. This webinar will review the various components of fire alarm control units and how they supervise and control the various connected devices. The Fire Alarm Control Unit can give the incident commander great situational awareness of a working fire in a building.

Today board member Dan Finnegan of the FLSS joins Chief King and O’Brian on a tour of what a typical FACU layout is, what the key components are and how we as a user interact with it.

In addition to serving the FLSS Dan Finnegan is a key member of The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the principal trade group representing US-based manufacturers of electrical products and systems and medical imaging technology. The Fire, Life Safety, Security & Emergency Communications product section includes leading manufactures of fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide detection and warning equipment. The products and solutions provided by these manufacturers enable real-time responses to a wide range of emergency situations. Integrated systems typically combine voice communication, computer networking, texting, and other notifications to send the right message to the right people at the right time.

  • Topics:
    • Featured Fire Prevention
    • Fire Prevention
    • Alarms and Detectors
  • Resource Type:
    • Video
    • Public education material
  • Organizational Author:
    • External
    • Fire Life Safety Section
    • IAFC

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