Alright my vocational School has Advanced Speaker Strobes and Strobes and they say ALERT on them instead of the typical FIRE that fire alarms usually have and my question is. Are they required by NFPA code to say FIRE on them?
I don’t believe they are for some reason (which one would think would lead to confusion), but if the notification appliances at your vocational school are marked “ALERT” then that most likely means the building has a mass notification system, which can warn occupants of more than just fire (general emergency (standby, shelter-in-place, or evacuate), chemical spill, active shooter, medical emergency, etc.).
Nope. several museums in my area have the same deal. it’s usually for general announcements, of for an actual emergency. the strobes are just used to get your attention for the announcement, even if it is casual.
There is no requirement for “FIRE” lettering on fire alarm signals, per NFPA 72.
Per Section 18.3.3.2 of NFPA 72, “notification appliances used for signaling other than fire shall not have the word FIRE, or any fire symbol, in any form (i.e., stamped, imprinted, etc.) on the appliance visible to the public.”
So, that means that if you aren’t using it for fire, the letting can’t say anything else. Doesn’t actually say that it must be labeled “FIRE” if it used for fire.
The annex gives additional guidance: “The intent is to prohibit labeling that could give an incorrect message. Wording such as “Emergency” would be acceptable for labeling because it is generic enough not to cause confusion. Fire alarm systems are often used as emergency notification systems, and therefore attention should be given to this detail.”
If having a FIRE alarm signal labeled “EMERGENCY” or “ALERT” or “EVAC” is allowable, then having no labeling at all is also acceptable providing that there is no confusion of signals. We are starting to see this in places like the Department of Defense, where their own requirements will outright say to not have any letting on their devices at all.
Besides… what if someone doesn’t read English? Or read at all? What if they decide to refit the system down the line to add mass notification, but keep existing strobes where possible?
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