The Road to Integrated Fire Protection Systems Testing AFAA Annual Conference 2018

Standards Council Decision NFPA Standards Council made clear that “end to end” testing was outside NFPA 72’s scope NFPA 3, had Chapter 6 for integrated testing, and the discussion for NFPA 4 revolved about the same time.  This all started in 2011-2012 as NFPA 4 began to establish itself and the SC told other standards (72 in particular) to limit its scope. This means one standard does not or cannot tell another standard how to test. A standard was need to hover over all standards to provide test scope.  ASK – What is considered "end to end" testing...before moving to next slide.

NFPA 72 Annex language clarified scope A.14.4.3.2 “NFPA 72 does not require testing of an emergency control function, such as elevator recall, but does require testing of the emergency control function interface device, such as the relay powered by the fire alarm or signaling system.” What do you consider is end to end testing?  3.3.12.1.2 End-to-End Integrated System Test. A test of the response of an input from the response of one or more individual systems to the intended output of one or more individual Systems. Wrap up with "this is what the standards council struggled with".

Creation of NFPA 3 NIBS requested NFPA create a commissioning document for fire protection systems. First edition of NFPA 3: 2012 Recommended Practice for Commissioning and Integrated Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. Current edition: 2018 Standard for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. First edition of NFPA 3: 2012 Recommended Practice for Commissioning and Integrated Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. NIBS requested NFPA create a commissioning document for fire protection systems. 2015 is Recommended Practice Current edition: 2018 Standard for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. 2021 NFPA 3 P.I’.s due June 27, 2018. NFPA 3 was developed to bridge a gap between standards, commissioning agencies, and fire protection systems. Commissioning is a planning process that continues through design, construction and occupancy.

NFPA 4 Comes out of NFPA 3 NFPA 3 TC discussion Commissioning standard could be debated Installed systems should undergo “end to end” testing Broad consensus that that commissioning and integrated testing are different things Chapter 7 became NFPA 4

Scope/Purpose of NFPA 4 Purpose of NFPA 4 Provides a “testing protocol” Verification that integrated systems will work as intended System of systems….

Scope/Purpose of NFPA 4 Scope of NFPA 4 New & existing systems Active & passive systems Does not address testing of individual systems. Do acceptance testing to NFPA 13 Do acceptance testing to NFPA 72 Then integrated testing per NFPA 4 Active and passive systems Fire department access Sequence of operations.

NFPA 4 Table of Contents Administration Referenced Publications Definitions General Requirements Test Methods Test Frequencies Documentation Annex A: Explanatory Material Annex B: Integrated Test Plans Annex C: Informational References Ch 4: Principles, Test team, Test plan Ch 5: Test methods Ch 6: Frequencies, intitial testing, existing

With NO Interconnection Individual Systems Defined in NFPA 4 as a system: Within an Integrated System to the point of interconnection or to the interface With NO Interconnection OR After relay, it becomes integrated…fire alarm system individual system from panel to relay.

Interconnected Systems A system that has component systems or devices physically connected to achieve fire protection and life safety objectives. An individual system to an interface to operate another individual system. An individual system to a person to operate another individual system. NFPA 101 doesn't use the term "interconnected" but IFC does.  MAIN POINT – terms may be a little different, but the results are the same.

Integrated Systems “System of Systems” Required to operate together as a whole To achieve fire protection/life safety objectives

Integrated Testing Agent A person or entity identified by the owner, who plans, schedules, documents, coordinates, and implements the integrated testing of the fire protection and life safety systems and their associated subsystems. The owner designates the agent (ITa), the agent(s) and ITM makes up the team. #realtimegoogle = cat herder

Codes vs. Standards Building and Fire Codes establish when and where Standards are referenced by codes and establish the how

Codes vs. Standards General Fire and Building Codes are adopted by administrative laws Fire and Building Codes reference the ITM standards Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance standards (like NFPA 25 & 72) list ITM tasks and frequencies Detailed

IFC References Industry collaboration for the 2018 IFC. High-rise Smoke control systems  Overrides NFPA 4 and  has 10-yr intervals. 

NFPA References During the NFPA development cycle for the 2018 NFPA 1, 101, 5000 codes, proposals were accepted for NFPA 4 by most occupancy Technical Committee’s NITMAM’s were filed to eliminate references “all or nothing” was only option at that point in the process

Successful TIA’s Agreement was reached to pursue Tentative Interim Amendments (TIA’s) Clarify definitions Reduce scope to match ICC Task group was established involving NFSA, AFAA, and other stakeholders with help from NFPA staff Point out who in the room that was involved

TIA Outreach Email campaign to over 300 TC members Conference calls: UL, GSA, BHMA ICC Conference Two NFSA Codes Newsletters One YouTube video One FAQ email to all TC Lots of personal responses

Successful TIA’s 1st series of TIA’s were rejected by NFPA staff Eventually a collection of 20 TIA’s were filed and successfully shepherded through the TC’s

NFPA References NFPA 101: Life Safety Code

Wrap Up Where does this go… Additional occupancies? Better fire protection? More/Less interconnection?

Contact Us Jeff Hugo hugo@nfsa.org Jason Webb jasonw@pottersignal.com