Fire Alarm Reporting Protocall

[GOTWW]

We have reached the electronic capacity of substriber telephone unit fire alarm reporting. Both in obsolete equipment issues and in basic propriatory limitations in functionality.

What are the big boys doing now days. Is it dual phone line, dual phone line code ID. Or is the prefered system now IP based.

Need to Know, what the most current, interoperable industery standard is?.

As A side note, before I have to look it up. What is the NFPA 72 requirements on dual phone line systems. do they need to be dedicated, as the over power-tripped fire insector insist, or can they be oridinary lines, people use. customers get irrate at paying for lines that only service the FACP.

 

[rbulsara]

Well there is no substitue to looking up NFPA 72 by your self . The final requirement has to be coordinated with one of the following:

1) With the local fire department, if they are the ones being notified and they are the ones going to respond to a fire.

2)Your central security company, if that is where the fire signal is going.

3) Your insuarance carrier.

4) A professional jusdgement to make the system reliable, beyond the minimum code requirements.

They may have dialer (phone lines) or radios which are more common today. Web based notification is not heard of yet for the fire alarm.

I phone lines does not have to be dedicated as fas as I know.

 

[GOTWW]

Per 72, two phone lines are required, and should land on the FACP first. The FACP should then be able the "seize" the lines and disconnect any current users down stream, the FACP has priority. This makes a alot of sense. Somehow the panels we got stuck designing around do not "seize" the line, only share it, or to be 72 compliant must be dedicated. This and the fact these panels are not listed for release, and require a propriatary reporting protocal, makes one wonder how much longer dispatch engineer will have a job.

 

[LGENE]

GOTWW,

Using the proper wiring and an RJ31X block the Fire Alarm Contractor can have the FACP seize the line. Many fire marshals in our area require that the Primary is dedicated and the Secondary can share but will sieze the line in the event the primary is not functional. Rbulsara has good advice and the Fire Marshal locally will also let you know their expectations. As far as Internet Monitoring of Fire Alarm Panels goes Bosch does have different modules that are now UL listed for LAN/WAN and Web Monitoring. They have modules that monitor their own panels with two way communication and Bosch has modules that monitor any of the Fire Panels for one way. I still do not feel comfortable using the Web based monitoring since I have problems getting my email from time to time but the LAN/WAN seems to be a great thing. A university here just installed 134 of these panels and modules. Most fire panels dial out every 24 hours but these are constantly monitored. The University had their phone line costs go from $7 per line to ~$80 per line and they did the cost analysis and found that installing this type of monitoring would not take long to pay for itself. DMP also has a module that will monitor their own panels however I don't think it will monitor Simplex, FCI, EST etc... like the Bosch module will. Recently we attended this seminar and it was incredible. We talked to the University and they only had their network down one time last year but their phones had problems more often than that. These same modules can also be used for security.

 

[GOTWW]

A few questions. Is the Bosch IP module considered a UL approved combination with all the panels you have listed?

Is it UL listed as a DACT?

What becomes of all the expensive central site equipment? To be replaced by a cheap PC with an internet connection?

 

[LGENE]

The D6680-E120 Converts the Serial output of the D6600 receiver to an IP based format that can be used over a network. The D9133TTL-E module only works with the Bosch 9000 series panels and the C900TTL-E works with any panel. It captures the information from the dialer and sends it over the network. The dialers see what they think is a dial tone and they send out their Contact ID or SIA etc... This may not fit every need but it is nice to know about. Most central stations are using Radionics/Bosch revceivers already. The D6600 is expensive but was cost effective for the University of Utah when they installed 134 panels and Network modules. If you are interested I would check

http://www.boschsecurity.us

for UL listings. We will be attending another demo with this equipment Oct 26th and 27th in SLC. I am sure that you could see a demo in your area as well and ask the questions you have at that time. The Western States Rep's number is 303 604 9066 and his name is Mark Baxter. I am not trying to sell this equipment and the only reason I give you this number is so you will have a source to get your questions answered.