NFPA72-2010 Fire Alarm Code
The 2010 National Fire Alarm & Signaling Code has recently been released with the most sweeping changes in 20 years, to incorporate in-building mass notification systems (MNS) such as Alertus. Alert Beacons by Alertus Technologies notify building occupants of all hazards - weather emergencies, terrorist events, biological, chemical or nuclear emergencies, and other threats.
Alert Beacons are specifically highlighted in the NFPA72 Handbook Chapter 24 on Emergency Communications Systems (Figure 24.9, shown below) as an effective in-building alerting solution. The solution offers greater intelligibility than conventional public address systems and is practical for retrofitting older facilities with its reliable wireless options.
With respect to visual notification, the new NFPA72 Code states:
- Where audible notification is provided, MNS shall also provide visual information to serve the hard-of-hearing and for high-noise areas. (24.4.2.19.1)
- Textual visual notification appliances shall be permitted to be used for primary or supplemental notification (24.4.2.21.5)
- Distributed recipient (e.g., cell phones, PCs) MNS alerting shall not be used in lieu of required audible and visual alerting MNS but shall be integrated whenever possible. (24.4.4.1)
The Code recommends that MNS include at least one Tier 1 communication method (such as Alert Beacons) and at least one additional method from Tiers 1 - 4. Personal alerting such as cellular, computer pop-ups, email, and autodialers are classified as Tier 2 because such methods are "not immediate and intrusive."
The chapter requires the use of visual/tactile notification appliances in addition to high intensity strobes in sleeping and guest room for those with profound hearing loss. Alert Beacons fulfill this requirement as a single integrated unit. In fact, Gallaudet University, which serves the largest campus population of deaf individuals in the world relies on Alert Beacons.
Alertus' in-building solutions are interoperable with wide-area MNS, distributed recipient MNS, and of course in-building fire alarm audio. The Alertus system is CAP compliant.
Excerpt of 2010 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code Handbook