CH-85-14-1 -- High-Rise Office Building Fire Safety System-It Isn’t Just the Integration of the FMCS with the Fire Alarm System--Or Is It? PDF

Today’s high-rise office building fire safety systems are much more than just the integra­tion of the energy management control system (EMCS) with the fire alarm system. Actually, fire alarm systems are not just “alarm systems,” since they activate the building fire safety systems in addition to providing early warning alarms to the building occupants. If the “alarm” function was all that was required of the fire alarm system, it would not be necessary to discuss the integration of the fire alarm. Since it is currently used to activate various fire safety systems, such as smoke control, and various pressurization and smoke exhaust systems, which involve fan systems that are part of the normal cooling and heating system controlled by the EMCS, the proper integration is a necessity. In addition, today’s fire alarm systems activate elevator recall, the door release system, release of halon gas, flashing exit signs, and many other integral parts of the fire safety system not associated with the HVAC or fan systems. This paper will discuss the entire integrated fire safety system requirements including the EMCS.