Fire Alarm Annunciator Panel Requirements

RALPH M. TERRAZAS FIRE CHIEF

October 21, 2020

TO:

Fire Development Services

FROM:

Dwayne Laurent, Fire Captain II Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Development Services Section

SUBJECT:

Fire Alarm Annunciator Panel Requirements

This memorandum will serve to standardize the requirements for fire alarm annunciators for all buildings regulated by the LAFD. The purpose of fire alarm annunciators is to facilitate an efficient response by the LAFD to an emergency situation.

This memorandum applies to: ● New buildings and buildings that are replacing fire alarm systems, fire control panels or annunciators. ● Buildings that are replacing fire alarm control panel equipment which requires 100% of device testing or upgrading fire alarm control panel site specific software.

Fire alarm matrix annunciators are required for buildings three or more levels in height, including all levels both above and below grade.

Fire alarm graphic annunciators are required when more than one building has been approved by the LAFD to be connected to a single fire alarm system. The graphic annunciator shall: ● annunciate each building separately ● be properly orientated to match the site plan for the buildings and show the adjacent streets ● be approved by the LAFD field inspector prior to fabrication Annunciator panel requirements: 1. Annunciators shall be located in readily accessible locations approved by the LAFD. High rise building matrix/graphic annunciators shall be located adjacent to the fire alarm control panel. Remote annunciators without control functions may be located at other locations such as security or engineering workstations.

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2. Each floor level must be shown separately. Floor numbering must be approved by the LAFD field inspector and shall match between fire alarm, elevators, signage and smoke control (if provided) 3. In buildings of mixed use, indicate the occupancy use of the floor next to the floor level identification (examples: parking, office, residential, hotel, amenity) 4. Annunciator panels shall be provided with: ● green “power on” LED (light emitting diode) ● amber fire alarm system general “trouble” LED ● a push to test button for all LEDs on the annunciator panel. Test button shall not be programmed as an alarm or monitoring point on the fire alarm control panel.

5. Fire alarm control panel shall monitor annunciator communication as a trouble point.

6. The following alarm initiating devices shall be provided with red LEDs: ● area smoke/heat detectors ● manual pull stations (if a single manual pull station is provided can use single red LED on panel) ● duct detectors (not installed within residential units for HVAC shutdown or damper operation purposes) ● sprinkler waterflow ● elevator lobby smoke detectors ● special extinguishing systems (non water based systems including but not limited to UL300, clean agent automatic extinguishing systems, foam extinguishing systems) if a potential for those systems exist in the building. ● sprinkler preaction (if a potential for that system exists in the building) ● elevator machine or control room smoke/heat detectors ● elevator hoistway smoke/heat detectors ● beam detectors (if provided for base building) ● aspirating smoke detection (if provided for base building) 7. The following supervisory initiating devices shall be provided with amber LEDs: ● sprinkler control valves (tampers) ● system duct detectors installed in residential units for HVAC or damper operation purposes if provided for the building. ● system carbon monoxide detectors (not installed within residential units)

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8. The following supervisory initiating devices shall be provided with blue LEDs: ● system smoke alarms installed in residential units ● system carbon monoxide detectors installed in residential units System smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms installed within residential units can share the same properly labeled LED on the annunciator per floor.

9. The following systems shall be programmed as supervisory signals with LEDs at the bottom of the annunciator panel: ● fire pumps: each fire pump shall be provided with a green “running” and amber general “trouble” LED. If a building is provided with multiple standpipe zones the zones and floors served by each zone shall be shown on the annunciator. ● water storage tank level shall be provided with amber “low” and “high” tank level LEDs ● emergency generators: each generator used for emergency or life/safety standby purposes shall be provided with green “running” and amber general “trouble” LEDs ● fuel tanks used by diesel driven fire pumps or generators used for emergency or life/safety standby purposes shall be provided with amber “low level” and “fuel leak” LEDs. ● inverters used for base building emergency/standby power for life safety purposes shall be annunciated with a green “operating” and amber general “trouble” LED ● emergency responder radio coverage systems (if provided for building) shall be provided with a green “normal” and amber general “trouble” LED ● two-way communication systems (if provided for building) shall be provided with a green “normal” and amber general “trouble” LED ● firefighter camera systems (if provided for building) shall be provided with a green “normal” and amber general “trouble” LED.

________________________________ Dwayne Laurent, Fire Captain II Los Angeles Fire Department