The first fire-alarm system was invented in 1852, while the first electric fire-alarm system was invented in 1890. These were very primitive systems, but as technology changed, so did fire-alarm systems. From the very beginning these systems were invented to evacuate buildings to help save lives. These principles continue today in the advancements of current fire-alarm and mass-notification systems.
The first electric fire alarms began with either a conventional or coded relay logic system design that both utilized 120V Alternating Current (AC) routed through relays and switches to activate either a constant output to a bell to evacuate a building or a coded system that would pulse a coded signal (such as a 1-2-1 code) to activate a bell sequence sounding that code for larger facilities. The occupants in that area would know what that predetermined code meant and would follow the predetermined response for that code. These systems were manufactured from the 1800s to the 1970s and were developed to reduce the amount of time to evacuate areas to help save lives.
The fire-alarm industry in the late 1980s began the technological advances to evolve from conventional hardwired relay logic to multiplex systems and addressable systems in the commercial and industrial markets. These fire-alarm systems were, in the beginning stages, to be processor-based fire-alarm systems. The processor-based fire-alarm systems were required to utilize a computer-based Disk Operating System (DOS) software, which at the beginning were basic building blocks to provide a digital version of a diode matrix board and a digital readout for zone location descriptions. As advancements were made, so did the advancements in programming ability. The software in today’s fire-alarm systems can do so much more by networking multiple panels together, showing how addressable detectors are virtually wired, troubleshooting various system troubles and faults, programming virtual notification paging zones by active event, and programming different sequences based upon the detection element in a multi-sensor detector.
All these advances changed the qualifications and education required for fire-alarm technicians. Technicians that started working on fire alarms in the 1970s and 1980s didn’t know what a computer was or didn’t need to know how to use a computer. They only needed to know how to troubleshoot a fire-alarm system with basic tools, such as using a multimeter and Ohm’s law. The technicians of today need to know so much more. They need to know how to use a computer and know programming language to program these very sophisticated systems while also knowing how to troubleshoot using a multimeter and Ohm’s law. One issue with programming a fire-alarm system with untrained technicians is that with a wrong click or an incorrect logic variable, a fire-alarm system can cease to function correctly and thus could fail their Authority Having Jurisdiction’s (AHJ) final inspection.
All these new advancements did increase education, time, effort and the cost of the installation of a fire-alarm system. But it laid the groundwork to provide the advances we see in today’s fire-alarm and mass-notification systems. System designers, like technicians, had to receive education and training on these advancements to provide accurate designs. Understanding when to deploy advanced forms of detection and where to place this detection is a critical factor in both accurately detecting emergency events and avoiding costly and disturbing nuisance alarms. Like technicians, system designers must keep up to date on current technology advances in order to benefit the facilities they are designing.
Fire-alarm systems with addressable detection have been in use for many years and now the majority of the systems use this technology due to their flexibility in function, installation cost savings and other technological advancements. Recently, a new technology has emerged that brings addressable initiating device technology to notification appliances. This advancement adds capabilities that are simply not possible with the older conventional notification appliances by adding a new layer of flexibility, intelligibility and control. Addressable notification appliances can be wired with t-taps (i.e. branch-off circuit from main circuit runs), provide identification of individual notification appliance troubles in lieu of circuit troubles only, can be tested at each device while not disturbing the entire facility, systems can schedule periodic automatic after-hour testing, provides two-way intelligent communications to each notification appliance which provides feedback to the fire alarm panel to verify compliance, allows creation of dynamic notification zones by event or button activations, plus many more. These advances allow for better fire-alarm system design based upon changing criteria, events, AHJ requirements and dynamic solutions needed for today’s fire-alarm and mass-notification systems required in a changing world.
As fire-alarm addressable initiating device and notification appliances have advanced and become more widely used in facilities, these developments are continuing to create more advanced and smarter systems to help reduce property loss, increase cost savings for installation and long-term maintenance, reduce false alarms, provide multi-sensor detection in a single device, adjust sensitivity settings based upon time of day or occupancy loads, provide notifications that help the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, notifications that are clear and intelligible to help direct occupants to safe locations during an emergency, and notifications that can dynamically change notification zones based upon an event or sequence to only notify the required occupants in any specific emergency. All these advances in technology identified are a small fraction of the improvements and projected cost savings that have been the result of the advancement in technology. These advances haven’t stopped, and, in some ways, it seems that they are only beginning. The fire-alarm industry will continue to work to develop the next advancement that will continue to help with saving lives in the future.
About the Author
Michael Naber
Michael Naber, SET currently works in the fire-alarm industry with over 32 years of experience. He started his career as a technician and held positions in Operations, Sales, Design and Consulting throughout his career. He currently works at Jensen Hughes in its Denver, Colorado office as the Service Line Leader for Fire Alarm and Integrated Solutions in the Western Region and holds a NICET IV certification in the field of fire-alarm systems.
