This post provides a comprehensive guide on fire alarm strobes and their requirements in residential occupancies. The starting point for determining strobe requirements is the applicable code, which typically requires strobes to be strategically placed in common areas, hallways, and bedrooms to alert occupants in case of a fire or emergency. The latest edition of NFPA 72 outlines the most common inquiries surrounding fire alarm systems, including smoke detection and carbon monoxide detection.
The code mandates that strobe lights used for fire alarm signaling or meant to indicate evacuation of an area or building must be strobeless and not located within 25 feet of a flow alarm. In New Zealand, some systems require a strobe to indicate where the fire alarm panel is on the outside. Strobes are required in public and common use areas, with the exception of employee work areas, which can be provided with spare circuit capacity.
Outdoor strobes are weatherproof and built to withstand the elements, making them perfect for use outside buildings where they can withstand the elements. Interior notification is not required in the form of horns and strobes unless a fire alarm is installed. In summary, fire alarm strobes are essential for residential occupancies, and their requirements are determined by state laws and local ordinances.
📹 Why Are There Red Fire Alarm Strobes Outside of Buildings on the East Coast?
What is the NFPA code for strobe lights?
Chapter 18 of NFPA 72 outlines the installation requirements for visible signaling lights. Building and fire codes dictate whether strobes are required, and NFPA 72 provides guidelines for proper installation. Strobes can be installed on the ceiling up to 30 feet or on the wall between 80 and 96 inches. Ceiling strobes are preferred as they are harder to obstruct and provide better light distribution. Fire alarm system designers must indicate the candela rating based on the area to be covered and the installed location on the fire alarm shop drawings.
However, many designers leave the selection of strobe lights to the installation company, leading to mistakes. Each strobe has a maximum coverage area based on the candela rating, and wall-mount strobes installed on the ceiling and vice versa may not meet the code due to different light patterns.
When must strobe lights be on?
Navigation lights are essential components of aircraft, providing red, green, and white lights on the left/port wing tip, right/starboard wing tip, and tail. Dual systems are often installed to provide redundancy in case of bulb failure. Beacon lights are red and flash or rotate to provide a pulsating warning light. They are typically installed in pairs on the top of the fuselage and bottom, and are turned on prior to engine start and turned off after engines have been shut down.
Strobe lights are high-intensity white lights that flash at regular intervals and are usually turned on when entering an active runway for takeoff and turned off when leaving the runway after landing. They can also be used to provide additional visibility during ground manoevering.
Pilot visibility is greatly improved by external lights such as taxi lights, runway turnoff lights, landing lights, wings inspection lights, and ice detection probe lights. Taxi lights are medium-intensity lights mounted on the nose landing gear strut, aircraft nose, or wing roots, while runway turnoff lights are similar but mounted on an angle pointing to the left and right of the aircraft nose. Landing lights are high-intensity lights used to illuminate the runway surface for takeoff and landing and facilitate the aircraft’s visibility to other pilots.
Wing inspection lights are mounted in the fuselage and are used during hours of darkness for preflight inspection and illumination during engine start. Some aircraft are fitted with visual ice detection probes, which can be internally or externally lit to enable pilots to see any ice accumulation during hours of darkness.
What are the NFPA 72 requirements?
In accordance with the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72), smoke alarms are required to be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a residential property. In the case of larger properties, additional alarms are necessary.
What are the rules for strobe lights?
To reduce the risk of strobe lighting, it is recommended to mount lights high above head height, bounce them off walls and ceilings, or diffuse them to reduce glare. Storobo lights should not be used in corridors or on stairs, and continuous operation of strobe lighting should be avoided. The HSE HELA guidance note ‘Disco lights and flicker-sensitive epilepsy’ provides further information. There is no specific law covering strobe lighting, and licensing authorities may set operation requirements. The Event Safety Guide, published by the Health and Safety Executive, provides further guidance on health safety and welfare at music and similar events.
Are strobes required in bathrooms?
In accordance with NFPA 72, strobes are a requisite component of new public restrooms, spaces with two or more employees, and hotel rooms that necessitate fire alarm coverage. Additionally, strobes may be a necessary inclusion in select rooms.
Are fire alarm strobes required in stairwells?
In accordance with 23, the provision of visual signals is not mandatory within the context of exit stair enclosures, passageways, and elevator cars. 8. 6. 2 Protected Premises Fire Alarm Systems and Notification Appliances in Exit Stair Enclosures, Exit Passageways, and Elevator Cars This is in accordance with 23. 8. 6. 2. 1 through 23. 8. 6. 2 underscores the significance of safety protocols.
Where are fire alarm speaker strobes required?
During evacuations, building occupants should be greeted by more strobe lights in hallways and corridors, as per NFPA 72 requirements. Strobes should be installed no further than 100 feet apart, within 15 feet of either end of a hallway, and have strobe lights at each end for visibility. Kauffman Co. offers fire alarm design and installation services in Houston, TX, ensuring safety and compliance with code. They provide a wide range of fire protection services to keep your building safe and compliant. Contact Kauffman Co. today to schedule the necessary fire protection services in the Houston area.
Are fire alarm strobes required in hotel rooms?
Smoke alarms with ADA-compliant strobe lights would be required in designated hearing impaired guest rooms, but none of the building codes or ADA require installation in guestroom bathrooms. This has raised a redundancy issue. The fire inspector discussed compliance with the rule requiring synchronization of three or more strobe lights in “the field of view”. However, in the scenario, there are potentially four strobe lights within the field of view, which suggests they should be synchronized per NFPA 72.
The two fire alarm system strobe lights were synchronized to each other, making it impossible for someone to witness three flashes per second, which is the intent of the rule. A discussion with the code official could be held regarding compliance with the law and the intent of the law. An experienced plan reviewer could have prevented this situation by bringing the situation to the building owner or architect/engineer of record.
Where should the fire alarm control panel be located?
In non-high-rise buildings, the fire alarm control panel should be located in the main lobby or a dedicated room such as a utility closet, electrical room, or telephone room. To ensure compliance with safety regulations, these rooms must be protected against unauthorized access.
What are the NFPA requirements for fire alarm monitoring?
The rapid expansion of internet access over the last 20 years has led manufacturers to explore the use of Internet (IP) Communicators (DACTs) for fire sprinkler system and alarm monitoring. IP-DACTs connect to the DACT port or phone connection at the fire panel, converting the signal to the internet instead of using standard phone lines. They are considered a form of internet monitoring and not a DACT.
However, NFPA 72 requires all fire alarm systems, including equipment used for monitoring, to have 24 hours of backup power. If an IP communicator is used for monitoring, the internet equipment must be connected to a backup power supply capable of providing power for a minimum of 24 hours.
NFPA 72 only requires two communication channels when a DACT is used for monitoring, while there is no requirement for two transmission channels when using cell, internet, or radio as the transmission means. The technical committee defines “reliable” as how quickly the fire panel knows when monitoring goes down. Cell, internet, and radio are considered reliable because the panel will know if/when the communication channel fails.
This series of blogs aims to provide sprinkler contractors and designers with a basic understanding of fire sprinkler monitoring and supervision requirements from model codes and standards, helping them better prepare for job sites and determining how the sprinkler waterflow signal will report to the supervising station.
📹 What are blue fire alarm strobes for? Explanation video.
In germany we have Key deposit safes on the outside wall of public buildings with an Electronic door that covers the lock inside behind which the keys sit It is code in 99% of germany to have a yellow flashing light located above that deposit box to also indicate that the fire alarm has triggered for this specific area of the building complex as there are sometimes multiple fire alarm systems or zones in big areas If you are curious google for “Feuerwehr Schlüsseldepot”, we also sometimes have a small key Switch behind a weather cover next to the safe to trigger the fire alarm system from the outside if it has not activated yet and we need to access the building Such boxes are usually hooked up to a Tamper-alarm anyways so its the safest way to get access to the building The Tier 3 boxes even check for presence of all keys before allowing you to lock the box again, ensuring that if we enter an unmanned site and leave it will be secured and does not need anyone to come and check
I saw one of these activating at what seemed to be a roofed outside mall in Stuttgart Germany, I only remember seeing it after the fire engines came up, and firefighters went in. The strobe looked like the big strobe light you mentioned, but instead, it was twice as long. There was another one inside the mall, but no one appeared to be rushing out, nor was there any crowd of people at the exits. It was a mall/promenade, I could see to the other side, and people were just walking through as if nothing was happening. This was back in 2017, btw.
In my area (northeast US) a lot of buildings have these red-lensed cage lamps in the exact same spots, or sometimes on the side of the building, but always facing the road. And they’re definitely normal lamps, not strobes. I’ve seen them on a couple times. Constantly on. No flashing. I wonder if they’re for the same purpose…
I’m from Ma. In the new code, some building’s may have to sound an alarm from outside the building as well. These are most common in apartment buildings and shopping mall’s. Some restaurant’s have them, but are usually unnoticeable. Our fire department’s have done a great job with upgrading the system’s. Now they alert directly to the fire department with a building address and number. Strobe’s have been becoming obsolete in many place’s due to this new system and increased training. This may differ depending on the size of the city you live in.
Canada has the same rules, except usually only when multiple buildings share the same monitoring system to show which building is actually causing the alarm and ours are typically blue and not red but in some places this differs but indicates the same thing. They are also typically outside where the alarm panel is or where a fire sprinkler/fire monitoring room is accessible to the outside.
New Zealand, where I live, has a similar idea. We usually have strobes outside, both European and American, for the use of locating the main panel of a fire alarm system. Our strobes can have either sounders or ne strobe only, and can be blue, red, or orange. They are usually located up very high, like the ones you saw. Some models are also very cheap chinese traditional strobes, which use 12V, and are more common.
My area seems to do a similar thing but they use regular notification appliances that are placed near the front door of almost every building that has a FA system. For some reason, every building in my area that has a Fire Sprinkler system also has a 120V AC sprinkler alarm on the front. Even brand new buildings with monitored FA systems. For example, the red strobe that you saw outside of Lowes would be a sprinkler alarm or regular notification appliance in my area.
In the US, we use red Fire Alarm beacons for Fire Alarm. but in Canada, they use blue strobes for Announciator locations and to tell that the alarm is going off BTW: My school has a horn/strobe outside in the front of the school facing the parking lot and the street to tell everyone the alarm is going off but the strobe doesn’t work
Really cool! These types of components are used quite often in Europe. In Germany and Austria, in most places it is required to have these strobes. In that area it is required to have a strobe but colour doesn’t really matter. Most of the times it is orange, red or yellow. It is to indicate the key box and most of the times annunciator location. In Czechia a similar law is in place with key box’s and annunciators but most of the time only red or orange strobes are used. Also it depends per municipality and not whole country like Germany. In the Netherlands it is a similar system in the US/canada to have a red strobe outside to indicate building and panel/annunciator location but the strobes are only allowed to be red. It is like that in most of the Netherlands but it depends per municipality. In Croatia there is no such regulation. Just sometimes there is a strobe or sounder outside for indication for letting people know there is a fire in that building. Unlike you guys, these are just regular fire alarm strobes just used outside.
How have I never noticed that how in all my trips into Massachusetts throughout my life have I never noticed that and trust me I’ve gone to Massachusetts a lot associate Boston in the greater Boston saw Southern an Massachusetts area I mean I’m just one State South Ave., Roma and still live in Rhode Island I have family who live in Massachusetts my brother moved to Massachusetts into the greater Boston area shortly after graduating college, he lives right near the Herbert in the airport. They clearly the harbor is in one direction from his apartment, and the airport shuttle is like a five minute walk in the opposite direction of his place, I’m always up in that area a lot growing up and even more nowadays how have I never noticed this ever in my 31 years of life – how many countless trips in the Boston SUSTO great Boston area in southern Massachusetts it’s official next time I go up into that area I am gonna make sure to look out for those sets. If I’m going up in to my brothers neck of the woods is in the harbor/airport area I’m sure they’d have them around
I live in Western Mass. and this is distinctly less common here. Quite a few building have systems with no external notification, and many that do just use regular notification appliances. Even many strip malls lack these kind of strobe lights, with Pittsfield’s Allendale Shopping Center and North Adams’ Steeple City/Parkade Plaza being examples.
FireAlarmDude5967 i thought of a crazy thought. if you test it by the button the Buzzer and the button will work but if you don’t test it by the Sensor, you never know if the sensor will work or not if you are testing the Smoke alarm by the button. Everyone Make sure You test your Smoke alarm by the Sensor by Using can of smoke.
Massachusetts electrician here, I work for a retail company and I find myself traveling state to state. Just out in Illinois putting one on that space. Interesting thing when I was in New Hampshire at the beginning of the year at hey wanted a red beacon for the alarm and also wanted a green beacon to indicate a water flow!! Never did an exterior green beacon before, what are your thoughts? Is there something new in NFPA.
For very expensive and huge venues or public areas, It’s probably for sure supposed to be set up this way to notify the fire department, but I think it’s pretty cool. When I shop at Costco, I would usually see three big red, white, and blue ceiling strobes inside the building. One is for fire, one is for emergency, and the other one (blue one) I think is for theft or lockdown.
Where I live, exterior strobes are not required for every building with a firealarmsystem, but only for those, that have an emergency key box for the fire department to gain access. Thoose strobes are then to be mounted above the box, so the firedepartment can quickly locate it. Usually every building that has devices that can activate the system automatically, such as smoke or heat detectors, also has an emergency key box. (I specified that because in the region I live in, there are a lot of older and smaller buildings, that got retrofitted with firealarmsystems, that are hooked up to callpoints only and therefore don´t have emergency key boxes. Because if there is noone there that could open the door there would be no way for the system to be activated anyways.) There are multiple types of those key boxes, but the most common one works in the way, that they have two doors of wich the first gets unlocked by the firealarmsystem and the second one can be unlocked with a key, that´s stored at the firestation, responsible for the building.
Interesting! In the US we’ve had the bells as you mentioned, or strobes outside units in multi-tenant buildings, like strip malls, but generally exterior alarms are just for water flow (this again varies by municipality). The exterior annunciators were interesting to see too! Never seen such a setup here, just knox boxes for FD/PD access when a keyholder isn’t present.
That might just be a local or a British Columbia thing; I know for certain that no building in Ottawa had this. Also, sprinklered townhouses are an anomaly in central and Eastern Canada. Either the townhouse complex building would be under the area limit (Group C, up to 3 storeys, increased area) or partitioned with firewalls to be under the area limit. Many buildings in parts of Europe have red strobes. In Poland, many commercial buildings built before the 1990s don’t even have fire alarm systems.
Excellent explanation Nic. Always wondered about those blue strobes. Funny thing though; up until the late 80’s here in Canada we also used to have the separate sprinkler bells on the outside of buildings too but then about 1991 or so they were eliminated that in pretty much all new construction. That change seemed to happen at the same time that “occupant” fire hoses were also eliminated from pretty much all new building construction. As of 1992 and later all major buildings were required to have both sprinklers and fire extinguishers in the smaller cabinets but could no longer have the larger internal fire hoses nor did they have the water driven sprinkler bell/gong on the outside of the building.
My school has these they are simplex truealerts in my state of North Dakota a lot of west Fargo schools in Fargo have blue strobes that are simplex truealerts that have I white cover that say alert they are lockdown alarms for my school and the other schools and the blue alarms are in the schools and outside of the school on the walls
Nowadays, I don’t really see the point of sprinkler alarms. At least in my area, it used to make sense. Sprinkler systems have been required in almost all buildings in my area for much longer than fire alarm systems have been. They used to make sense because they would alert people outside to call the fire department. They don’t really make sense anymore. For example, almost every new or remodeled building in my area is sprinkled and has a fire alarm system. Every sprinklered building has a Potter SASH sprinkler alarm on the outside. These are now almost completely redundant.
do you have a article about the microphone announcement system shown at the start of this article: youtu.be/Cd0qpktCpUc? i know i already asked this but i dont know if we were talking about the same thing or not so i found the article it’s in. Also, i really like the ‘cinematic’ start to this article with the camera being close to the alarm, great idea!
Over in the us we use the bells outside or Whare the main panel is at like at my old job we had 3 bells a big one a medium one and a small one it was in the main lobby with the main panel the big one was for fire the medium was for water flow and the small one I’m not sure but it might be for overflow i don’t remember
This is so interesting! I’m in Manitoba and I’ve never seen a blue strobe before. We do have exterior strobes on some buildings, but they are just white to indicate an alarm and there can be multiple of them. You mentioned the fire department hookups a couple of times. Are the fire department connections always by the annunciator panel and therefore always by the blue strobe? What would happen if the connection wasn’t by the panel? Would there be another type of light to indicate its location? I feel like that would be something important to immediately know the location of also without driving around to try to find it. I don’t know about there, but they can be in weird places sometimes here. I also found it so interesting to see so many exterior annunciator panels. They are typically inside the vestibule of the main entrance. In strip mall buildings, they are often inside the electrical or sprinkler room. I have only seen exterior panels on buildings that are residential and each unit has their own entrance with no common part of the building.