About
A fire alarm is a life safety system designed to detect potential smoke, fire or carbon monoxide incidents within a building.
Upon detection, it is used to notify building occupants and dispatch the Fire Department to the location via a connection to a NYC approved central station. These systems are normally comprised of smoke, heat, CO detectors and manual pull stations. In buildings which feature occupant evacuation or relocation, audible and visual notification appliances are utilized to provide a means of communication to direct occupants during an emergency. It is also interconnected to many of the buildings systems to create a safe environment during an emergency. These include HVAC systems, elevators, escalators, sprinkler systems, and many more.
The Fire Alarm system(s) must be designed to match the type of occupancy group as defined by NYC Building Code 2014 Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Fire Alarm systems shall be designed in compliance with the NYC BC 2014, NYC Electrical Code 2011 and meet the design standards set forth by NFPA 72, 2010 Edition as modified for NYC. The fire alarm system design will also be subject to compliance with Department of Buildings Bulletins, Fire Department Bulletins, along with Rules of the City of New York (the link to access such bulletins are listed in the additional resources section), where applicable.
In order to submit a Fire Alarm system design for review, a New York State registered design professional holding either a Professional Engineer License or a Registered Architects License must certify the proposed fire alarm system design plans. The design professional shall design the system based upon the code referenced in the section prior.
Additional resources
FDNY Business Support Team
Questions about the New York City Fire Code, call 311 and ask for the FDNY Customer Service Center or send an email to FDNY.BusinessSupport@fdny.nyc.gov.