When Should the Alarm Bell Ring on a Fire Suppression System?

A fire suppression system can be the sprinkler system found in any commercial building, the system over the grill area in a restaurant or anywhere an automatic firefighting system has been setup. When activated, these systems will dispense the firefighting agent they were equipped for and sound an alarm. These alarms are to alert building occupants to a situation that requires their immediate action.

History

• Modern sprinkler systems are designed to extinguish a fire in its early stages.

  The invention of the first sprinkler or fire suppression system occurred in 1806 in England. The idea didn't catch on until 1874, when New England textile mill owners wanted a way to protect their investments. These early systems consisted of piping with small perforations that allowed water to spray out when the water was turned on. These systems did little to suppress a fire, let alone extinguish one. It would not be until the 1880s that a heat-activated sprinkler head was invented.

Alarms

• Alarms give early warning to evacuate.

  Alarms are intended to do one thing, sound an alert. Alarms are also limited by certain variables; an individual's complacency, not being heard right away, and dead or missing batteries. Alarms do provide early warning, especially in a residential dwelling. With many homes in the U.S. being built in the 1950s and '60s, it takes less than 10 minutes for a home to be engulfed, trapping its occupants. Alarms allow these occupants to escape before entrapment occurs.

Function

• Early warning allows for early evacuation and early response.

  Today, alarms and fire suppression systems are part of the same system. In an occupied area, the glass bubble of a sprinkler head is designed to break at 130 degrees F. The broken bubble opens a valve and water flows through, and is dispersed by the sprinkler head. Two other things happen at the same time; the building alarm sounds, alerting its occupants, and a signal is sent to the fire department alarm center, alerting firefighters.

Sound the Alarm

• Knowing how to get out when the alarm sounds is critical.

  There are many different companies that manufacture alarm and suppression systems. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) mandates their function. OSHA and local ordinances also give guidance as to how these systems will operate. It's logical to assume that the alarm is activated when the suppression system is activated. This is true in most cases. The NFPA actually allows 90 seconds for the first alarm to be sounded from the time the first sprinkler is activated.