Re: Church told to hang own fire panel

["Roland Moore" <roland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am sure every jurisdiction is different, but around here you have to have
the plans stamped and submitted to the AHJ (being the City Fire Marshall).
To stamp plans you must be a licensed engineer or a licensed fire planner. I
don't know who a DIY would go to for that service. I know we wouldn't offer
engineering services to a DIY, but others might. I just don't know who they
are around here. As for the AHJ I don't know that the department would
approve a DIY operation. It might be that they should legally, but given the
attitudes it would probably take a lawyer to get it rammed through, and your
DIY saving would be out the window, unless you were a DIY lawyer too. Time
is another element. How much time is involved getting this all approved? The
final connections to the devices are easy enough, but programming the panel
can be another issue. Programming an analog addressable fire alarm panel
generally requires experience and (factory) training. This DIY fire alarm
thing might be okay in some areas with some smaller systems, but the
limitations are real and obvious at some point as the system parameters get
larger.


"JoeRaisin" <joeraisin@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:qHX3i.173$Xj3.35@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Robert L Bass wrote:
>
>> BTW, speaking of fire alarm system testing and
>> maintenance, NFPA 72 actually places the
>> responsibility on the building owner or his
>> designee. (cf. NFPA72 7-1.2)
>>
>> A building owner should do his own testing but
>> if he desires code allows him to designate
>> a qualified alarm company to handle the work
>> for him as long as they sign a written contract
>> to do the work in accordance with code.
>> (cf. NFPA72 7-1.2.1)
>>
>> Code requires that a paid third party (alarm
>> company tech) be trained and certified before
>> doing inspections.  A building owner is not
>> required to undergo any formal training
>> though.
>>
>> NFPA72 provides a handy guide for inspection
>> and testing of fire alarm systems.  Table 7-2.2
>> "Test Methods" lists every component along
>> with the appropriate method of testing.  At the
>> end of the section is a sample inspection form
>> which the building owner should print out and
>> fiull in during the course of testing.
>>
>
> First, the "guide" in the reference ain't that "handy" especially from a
> layman's view, and I'm sure that a business owner has nothing better to do
> than acquire, read and digest the NFPA72 so he/she can accurately describe
> his wiring in terms of what class and style wiring he/she has installed.
> Not to mention battery calcs and what not.
>
> Then there is the quick trip to radio shack to try and find out how to do
> a discharge test on a battery.
>
> The Fire Marshall around here just loves finding inspection forms with
> "self" entered under "Service Organization"... oh wait, he never has...