Slide 1:
Welcome to the AccessibilityOnline Webinar Series
 A collaborative program between the 
ADA National Network and the 
U.S. Access Board

Slide 2:
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Listening to the Webinar, continued
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Listening to the Webinar, continued
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Slide 6:
Submitting Questions
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Slide 8:
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Slide 9:
Technical Assistance
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Slide 10:
Accessible Fire Alarm Systems

Slide 11:
Presenters: Jim Pecht, U.S. Access Board, Lee Richardson Senior Electrical Engineer, NFPA
Slide 12:
Scoping

Slide 13: c
Scoping
Where Required (§215.1 & §F215.1)
New construction: “Where fire alarm systems provide audible alarm coverage, alarms shall comply with §215.” 

Slide 14:
Where Required (§215.1 & §F215.1)
Existing Facilities:  “EXCEPTION:  In existing facilities, visible alarms shall not be required except where an existing fire alarm system is upgraded or replaced, or a new fire alarm system is installed.”

Slide 15:
Where Required (§215.2 & §F215.2)
Public and Common Use Areas:  Areas of a facility open to the general public and employee areas not used solely for work must meet the standard if protected by a fire alarm system.

Slide 16:
Where Required (§215.2 & §F215.2)
Photo of an employee break room. 
Photo looking down on a public lobby.

Slide 17:
Where Required (§215.3 & §F215.3)
Employee Work Areas: 
“Where employee work areas have audible alarm coverage, the wiring system shall be designed so that visible alarms complying with §702 can be integrated into the alarm system.” 

Slide 18:
Where Required (§215.3 & §F215.3)
Employee Work Areas
Photo of a service desk with the public side up front and the employee work area behind.

Slide 19:
Where Required (§215.4 & §F215.4)
Transient Lodging Facilities:
“Guest rooms required to comply with §224.4 or §F224.4 shall provide alarms complying with §702.”
§224.4 & §F224.4 covers Transient lodging room requiring accessible communication features.

Slide 20:
Where Required (§215.4 & §F215.4)
Transient Lodging Facilities:
Photo of a transient lodging bedroom with a visual alarm above the bed.

Slide 21:
Where Required (§215.5 & §F215.5)
Residential Facilities:
“Where provided in residential dwelling units required to comply with §809.5, alarms shall comply with §702.”
§809.5 covers residential dwelling units with communication features.

Slide 22:
Technical Requirements

Slide 23:
Fire Alarms §702
“Fire alarm systems shall have permanently installed audible and visible alarms complying with NFPA 72 (1999 or 2002 edition)”

Slide 24:
Audible and Visual Combination Appliance 
Image of a fire alarm appliance with both horn and strobe capabilities.

Slide 25:
Fire Alarms §702
Audible Horn Speaker
Image of a Fire alarm horn speaker.

Slide 26:
Fire Alarms §702
Visible Alarm Appliance
Image of a visual fire alarm.

Slide 27:
Fire Alarms §702
Medical Facilities §702.1
“EXCEPTION:  Fire alarm systems in medical care facilities shall be permitted to be provided in accordance with industry practice.”

Slide 28: 
Transient Lodging Facilities §806.3
“Where emergency warning systems are provided, alarms complying with §702 shall be provided.”

Slide 29: 
Residential Facilities §809.5.1
“Where a building fire alarm system is provided, the system wiring shall be extended to a point within the residential dwelling unit in the vicinity of the residential dwelling unit smoke detection system.” 

Slide 30:
Residential Facilities §809.5.1
“Where alarm appliances are provided within a residential dwelling unit as part of the building fire alarm system, they shall comply with §702.”

Slide 31:
Residential Facilities §809.5.2
“Residential dwelling unit smoke detection systems shall comply with NFPA 72.”

Slide 32:
Residential Facilities §809.5.2
“All visible alarm appliances provided within the residential dwelling unit for smoke detection notification shall be activated upon smoke detection.” 

Slide 33:
Smoke Alarms §809.5.2.1
Hardwired Smoke Alarm with Visible Strobe 
Image of a smoke detector with a visual strobe.

Slide 34:
Fire Alarm Pulls §205, §F205, & §309 
•	Operable with one hand 
•	Not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist
•	Maximum  force required of 5 pounds to activate   
Image of a fire alarm pull station.

Slide 35:
NFPA 72

Slide 36:
NFPA 72 
National Fire Alarm Code 
Requirements for Notification Appliances
(2002 Edition)

Slide 37:
Codes and Standards
Diagram showing that there are Laws, Codes and the ADA which provide Occupant Notification Requirements.  They are all contained within NFPA 72 

Slide 38:
Codes and Standards
NFPA Codes
 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code www.nfpa.org/101 
 NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code www.nfpa.org/5000 
 NFPA 1 Fire Code www.nfpa.org/1 
 NFPA “Installation Standards”
 NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems www.nfpa.org/13 
 NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code www.nfpa.org/72 

Slide 39:
Codes and Standards
What edition of the installation standard should be used?
 The edition being enforced 
 By reference from law, code or ADA 
 The ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities 
 The 2002 edition of NFPA 72

Slide 40:
Occupant Notification
What is needed? 
 From laws, codes and ADA
 Usually depends on occupancy
 Possibilities
 Audible (tone, voice)
 Visible  (strobe, textual)
 Often both audible and visible signaling is required
 Off site forces notification 
 May be required 

Slide 41:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Types of audible notification
•	 Operating modes
•	 Public mode – see 3.3.122.2
•	 Private mode – see 3.3.122.1
•	 Audible signals (tones) – chimes, bells, horns or speakers
•	 Audibility (sound pressure level)
•	 Voice communications – speakers
•	 Intelligibility (not audibility)
Slide 42:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.1 (general requirements)
•	 Average ambient sound levels greater than 105 dBA require visible signaling 
•	 Average ambient sound level – see 3.3.18
•	 Total sound pressure level (ambient + alarm) can not exceed 120 dBA  - changed later to 110 dBA 
•	 Sound pressure level is measured using the A-weighted scale (dBA)

Slide 43:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.2 (public mode)
•	 General areas – the greater of:
•	 15 dB above average ambient sound level
•	 5 dB above the maximum sound pressure level having a duration of at least 60 minutes
•	 Measure 5 feet above the floor 
•	 Continued, next slide 

Slide 44:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.2 (public mode)
•	Allowances to reduce or eliminate audible signal 
•	 Must be approved and must use visible signaling 
•	 Allowances to use private mode
•	 Elevators and bathrooms
•	 Allowance to stop or reduce ambient noise
•	 Must be approved and must use visible signaling

Slide 45:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.3 (private mode)
•	 General areas – the greater of:
•	 10 dB above average ambient sound level
•	 5 dB above the maximum sound pressure level having a duration of at least 60 minutes
•	 Measure 5 feet above the floor 
•	Allowances to reduce or eliminate audible signal 
•	 Must be approved and must use visible signaling 
•	 Allowance to stop or reduce ambient noise 
•	 Must be approved and must use visible signaling 
Slide 46:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.4 (sleeping areas)
•	 Sleeping areas – the greater of:
•	 15 dB above average ambient sound level
•	 5 dB above the maximum sound pressure level having a duration of at least 60 minutes
•	 75 dBA minimum
•	 Measure at pillow level 
•	 Measure with doors closed or barriers in place

Slide 47:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Audibility – 7.4.6 (location of appliances)
•	 Listed wall-mounted 
•	 Tops at least 90 inches above finished floor
•	 Tops at least 6 inches below the ceiling
•	 Combination horn/strobe must follow mounting requirements for visible signaling in 7.5.4
•	 Listed ceiling-mounted permitted 
•	 Location/spacing
•	 Any location/spacing that results in the required audibility (public mode, private mode, sleeping area) in the occupiable area

Slide 48:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Narrow Band Tone Signaling – 7.4.5
•	 Can be used instead of public mode or private mode audibility requirements
•	 Use for troublesome situations 
•	 high ambient levels such as machinery areas
•	 Requires narrow band analysis 

Slide 49:
Audible Notification Appliances
•	Voice communications – 7.4.1.4  
•	 Voice Intelligibility 
•	 Free from distortion, capable of being understood
•	 Guidance in A.7.4.1.4
•	 Not the same as audibility
•	 Requirements and guidance completely updated in the 2010 & 2013 editions – see later slides

Slide 50:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Types of visible notification
•	 Operating modes
•	 Public mode (strobes)
•	 Private mode (control unit displays, etc)
•	 Public mode visible signaling – strobes
•	 Indirect viewing – spacing in rooms
•	 Direct viewing – spacing in corridors
•	 Textual and graphical displays 
Slide 51:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Basic requirements for strobes – 7.5.2, 7.5.3
•	 Flash rate must be between 1 and 2 flashes per second
•	 Color must be clear or white
•	 Must be listed to ANSI/UL 1971, Standard for Safety Signaling Devices for Hearing Impaired
•	 Strobe ratings are given as Effective Intensity (cd)

Slide 52:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Wall-mounted strobes
•	 Mounting  – 7.5.4
•	 Bottom of lens at least 80 inches above floor
•	 Top of lens not more than 96 inches above floor
•	 Indirect viewing – room spacing  – 7.5.4.1
•	 Use wall-mounted spacing table
 See next set of slides

Slide 53:
Visible Notification Appliances
Image of Table 7.5.4.1.1(a) Room Spacing for Wall-Mounted Visible Appliances from NFPA 72.

Slide 54:
Visible Notification Appliances
Table from NPFA 72 showing the square foot versus Candella for one light per room.

Slide 55:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Square rooms – 7.5.4.1.3
•	 The maximum room size for wall-mounted strobes assumes the appliance is mounted at the halfway distance on the wall
•	 See next slide for square room configuration 

Slide 56:
Visible Notification Appliances
NFPA 72 Figure 7.5.4.1.1 Room Spacing for Wall-Mounted visible Appliances.

Slide 57:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Non-square or large rooms – 7.5.4.1.5
•	 If the room is not square or is very large, subdivide the room into squares that will work
 See next two slides

Slide 58:
Visible Notification Appliances
NFPA 72 Figure A.7.5.4.1(a) Irregular Area Space

Slide 59:
Visible Notification Appliances
NFPA 72 Figure A.7.5.4.1(c) Room Spacing Allocation

Slide 60:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Ceiling-mounted strobes – 7.5.4.1.6
•	 Mounting 
•	 Mount on the ceiling
•	 Suspend below the ceiling
•	 Indirect viewing – room spacing
•	 Use ceiling-mounted spacing table 
•	 30 feet maximum height above floor 
•	 See next slide

Slide 61:
Visible Notification Appliances
NFPA 72 Table 7.5.4.1.1(b) Room Spacing for Ceiling-Mounted Visible Appliances.

Slide 62:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Room configuration – 7.5.4.1.7
•	 The maximum room size for ceiling-mounted strobes assumes the appliance is mounted at the center of the room
•	 If the room is not square or is very large, subdivide the room into squares that will work

Slide 63:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Performance-based alternative for indirect viewing  – 7.5.4.3
•	 Use instead of room spacing tables
•	 Requires calculations
•	 Use polar distribution for strobe
•	 Use the Inverse Square Law
•	 Result in a minimum of 0.0375 lumens/ ft2 illumination throughout the covered area 

Slide 64:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Direct viewing – spacing in corridors – 7.5.4.2
•	 Corridors 20 ft wide or less
•	 Strobe rating 15 cd minimum
•	 Strobe spacing 100 ft maximum
•	 Strobe within 15 ft from the end of the corridor
•	 Interruption in viewing path treated as new corridor
•	 See next slide

Slide 65:
Visible Notification Appliances
NFPA 72 Figure A.7.5.4.2 Corrior Spacing for Visible Appliances

Slide 66:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Synchronization
•	 More than two strobes in the same room or space within the field of view require synchronization
•	 Two or less do not require synchronization

Slide 67:
Visible Notification Appliances
•	Sleeping areas – 7.5.4.4
•	 Special rules apply
•	 Wall-mounted appliances must still comply with 7.5.4 for mounting height
•	 Appliances must be located within 16 ft of the pillow
•	 High intensity strobes must be used
•	 177 cd if within 24 inches of ceiling
•	 110 cd if greater than 24 inches of ceiling

Slide 68:
Updated Requirements
•	Strobe synchronization 
•	 2007 and later editions of NFPA 72 
•	 Groups of synchronized strobes
•	 Where appliances in each group are synchronized, two groups can be used without the need to synchronize the two groups
•	 Must include groups from any system 

Slide 69:
Updated Requirements
•	Low frequency audible signals - commercial
•	 2010 and later editions of NFPA 72 – 18.4.5.3
•	 Audible appliances for sleeping areas
•	 Audible appliances of commercial systems
•	 Effective January 1, 2014
•	 520 Hz ± 10% fundamental frequency 
•	 Square wave or equivalent awakening ability 

Slide 70:
Updated Requirements
•	Low frequency audible signals - household
•	 2010 and later editions of NFPA 72 – 29.3.8
•	 For those with mild to severe hearing loss
•	 Where required by governing laws, codes or standards or where installed voluntarily
•	 Effective with code adoption
•	 520 Hz ± 10% fundamental frequency 
•	 Square wave or equivalent awakening ability 
•	 Those with moderately severe to profound hearing loss
 Use strobes and tactile appliances

Slide 71:
Updated Requirements
•	New requirements for voice intelligibility 
•	 2010 and later editions of NFPA 72 – 18.4.10
•	 Acoustically Distinguishable Space (ADS)
•	 New defined term – see Chapter 3
•	 Not all spaces must have voice intelligibility
•	 ADS assignments must be determined and documented by system designer
•	 New Annex D Speech Intelligibility 
 Provides design and testing guidance

Slide 72:
Updated Requirements
•	New design requirements  
•	 2013 edition of NFPA 72
•	 Audible appliances – 18.4.1.4
•	 Designer must identify areas that need appliances
•	 For covered areas the designer must document
•	 expected ambient sound levels
 design sound levels of audible appliances
 Visible appliances – 18.5.2
 Designer must document areas that need appliances
 Designer must provide cd ratings for AHJ review, if requested 

Slide 73:
Updated Requirements
Textual and Graphical Visible Appliances 
 2010 and later editions of NFPA 72
 Types of displays
 Location of displays 
 Display height 
 Character & symbol requirements 
 Size versus viewing distance
 Style & spacing 

Slide 74:
Questions?
You may type and submit questions in the Chat Area Text Box or press Control-M and enter text in the
Chat Area

Slide 75:
U.S. Access Board
(800) 872-2253 (voice)
(800) 993-2822 (TTY)
E-mail: ta@access-board.gov
www.access-board.gov

Slide 76:
hank you for participating in today’s webinar
Next session:  
Section 508 – Accessible Web Content (WCAG 2.0)
July 11, 2013 
2:30 - 4:00 (ET)
www.accessibilityonline.org
(877) 232-1990 (v/TTY)