Are buildings with fire alarm systems not required to have pull stations if they are fully sprinklered?

Are buildings with fire alarm systems not required to have pull stations if they are fully sprinklered?

As far as I know, all buildings where I live are required to have pull stations.

It’s all up to the local AHJ…

I thought that all buildings had to have pull stations REGARDLESS or not if they had a fully sprinkled system for a fire in order to alert the occupants.

Depends on the occupancy, but generally, no. Under the latest codes most fully sprinkled buildings don’t require pull stations. (except for a single pull station by the FACP or some other area for testing purposes).

Some AHJ’s require them anyways, but for the most part we don’t put in pull stations anymore.

Huh. Never thought that they would end up ditching pull stations even if there was sprinklers put into the building. That’s kind of unusual but then again what do I know?

[quote="Simplex 4051" post_id=80398 time=1526102806 user_id=18]

Huh. Never thought that they would end up ditching pull stations even if there was sprinklers put into the building. That’s kind of unusual but then again what do I know?

[/quote]

Yeah. Pull stations allow for faster activation of the fire alarm. Someone spots a fire and then they go pull a pull station in a time shorter than it will take the sprinkler to activate.

I can see though doing away with pull stations if the building has smoke detectors throughout.

I’ve heard that in some areas certain buildings that are fully sprinklered don’t even require NAs throughout or at least used to not, requiring only one NA to indicate sprinkler activation. I remember someone on here saying they’ve been to Target and Walmart stores that only have one NA in the entire store.

[quote=Housedays post_id=80402 time=1526136246 user_id=2894]

I’ve heard that in some areas certain buildings that are fully sprinklered don’t even require NAs throughout or at least used to not, requiring only one NA to indicate sprinkler activation. I remember someone on here saying they’ve been to Target and Walmart stores that only have one NA in the entire store.

[/quote]

I have never been to a Walmart, but the Target stores in my area have full fire alarm systems, with pull stations and signals.

pull stations are responsible for the majority of false alarms, and evacuating a large building can cause lots of injuries. Smokes aren’t needed if sprinklers are installed because the sprinkler heads act as the detection, as soon as they melt and water starts flowing, the fire alarm is activated.

Really no need for smokes throughout or pull stations at all, which is why they’ve been eliminated. Full smoke coverage hasn’t been required in sprinkled buildings since the 90s.

That is very interesting. I will have to keep that in mind.

Are pull stations needed if a building has any form of automatic detection even if it’s just smoke or heat detectors not sprinklers? It seems like pull stations are the remains from a time when automatic detection devices weren’t commonly used with fire alarm systems and they had to be activated manually.

[quote=chris+s post_id=80410 time=1526183913 user_id=3064]

Really no need for smokes throughout or pull stations at all, which is why they’ve been eliminated. Full smoke coverage hasn’t been required in sprinkled buildings since the 90s.

[/quote]

But heat detectors aren’t life safety devices right? They’ll only trip if a fire gets hot enough and high enough to reach the heat head. For smokes, it will catch a fire in its early stages.

[quote=jelimoore post_id=80416 time=1526241174 user_id=4193] [quote=chris+s post_id=80410 time=1526183913 user_id=3064]

Really no need for smokes throughout or pull stations at all, which is why they’ve been eliminated. Full smoke coverage hasn’t been required in sprinkled buildings since the 90s.

[/quote]

But heat detectors aren’t life safety devices right? They’ll only trip if a fire gets hot enough and high enough to reach the heat head. For smokes, it will catch a fire in its early stages.

[/quote]

Yeah, I think places considered high risk such as hospitals are still required to have smokes. At least all the hospitals I’ve been inside I remember having smokes.

[quote=jelimoore post_id=80416 time=1526241174 user_id=4193] [quote=chris+s post_id=80410 time=1526183913 user_id=3064]

Really no need for smokes throughout or pull stations at all, which is why they’ve been eliminated. Full smoke coverage hasn’t been required in sprinkled buildings since the 90s.

[/quote]

But heat detectors aren’t life safety devices right? They’ll only trip if a fire gets hot enough and high enough to reach the heat head. For smokes, it will catch a fire in its early stages.

[/quote]

sprinklers are protection devices though and should theoretically take care of the fire before it turns into something serious or spreads.

[quote=chris+s post_id=80410 time=1526183913 user_id=3064]

pull stations are responsible for the majority of false alarms, and evacuating a large building can cause lots of injuries. Smokes aren’t needed if sprinklers are installed because the sprinkler heads act as the detection, as soon as they melt and water starts flowing, the fire alarm is activated.

Really no need for smokes throughout or pull stations at all, which is why they’ve been eliminated. Full smoke coverage hasn’t been required in sprinkled buildings since the 90s.

[/quote]

What about if a building has smoke or heat detectors but no sprinklers? Does the building still need to have pull stations? Aren’t pull stations leftovers from a time when automatic detection devices weren’t commonly used with fire alarm systems and they had to be activated manually?

I believe they should still have pull stations throughout. But I know that in OBC, it states that if you have a fully sprinklered room, you don’t need any fire detectors (smoke or heat).

[quote=EdwardsFan post_id=80446 time=1526520967 user_id=85]

I believe they should still have pull stations throughout.

[/quote]

Agreed! :smiley:

[quote=Housedays post_id=80436 time=1526495817 user_id=2894]

What about if a building has smoke or heat detectors but no sprinklers? Does the building still need to have pull stations? Aren’t pull stations leftovers from a time when automatic detection devices weren’t commonly used with fire alarm systems and they had to be activated manually?

[/quote]

Pulls are still required if it’s not sprinkled.

And they’re pretty much legacy devices in my opinion.