6.1 Commentary

The purpose of a fire detection and fire alarm system is to support the building's fire safety strategy and facilitate appropriate evacuation procedures. System design should align with the required evacuation actions rather than predefined system specifications.

Key points:

Design considerations: Depend on the necessary actions post-alarm and the potential for multi-stage alarms.
Coordination with other alarms: Different hazard alarms must be distinct and prioritize appropriately, often giving fire the highest priority.
Consultation: Extensive consultation between the user, enforcing authority, system designer, and possibly specialist consultants is crucial, especially in complex premises.
Responsibilities: Clear definition and documentation of responsibilities for system design, installation, and commissioning are necessary, ideally managed by a single organization.
Zone plan: Responsibility for providing a zone plan should be defined early to avoid issues during installation handover.
False alarms: System design should minimize false alarms while ensuring effective fire warning.

6.2 Recommendations

The following recommendations are applicable.

1. User/Purchaser Responsibilities:

Ensure consultation at or prior to the design stage with relevant interested parties, including:
The authority responsible for enforcing fire safety legislation.
The property insurer.
Variations from BS 5839 recommendations need agreement with relevant parties.
Consultations can be handled by representatives like designers or consultants.
Advice is available from enforcing authorities and insurers even if they aren't directly involved.

2. Designer Responsibilities:

Ensure consultation at the design stage with:
The user or purchaser.
Consultants (e.g., architects, mechanical/electrical consultants, fire engineering consultants).

3.Installer Responsibilities:

Ensure consultation with relevant interested parties, including:
The designer.
The user or purchaser.
The system supplier.
Consultants (e.g., architects, mechanical/electrical consultants, fire engineering consultants).

4. Defining Responsibilities:

Clearly define and document responsibility for:
System design.
Installation.
Commissioning.
Ensure one stage includes the provision of a zone plan.

5. Integration with Voice Alarm Systems:

One organization should take responsibility for interface connections and communication between the fire detection/alarm system and the voice alarm system.

6.Interfacing with Other Systems:

Clearly define and document the responsibilities when interfacing the fire detection/alarm system with other systems (e.g., fire extinguishing systems, smoke control systems, lift grounding facilities) that are managed by different organizations.

6 Exchange of information and definition of responsibilities