A fire alarm system has one job: detect a fire early, warn everyone in the building and call for help, every time. We design fire alarm systems for new buildings, renovations, tenant fit-outs and replacements of ageing panels, working from the codes and standards that apply to your building and coordinating with the trades who install and verify the system.
Most fire alarm problems we see trace back to design decisions: detectors in the wrong place for the ceiling, horns that cannot be heard in a mechanical room, a panel with no spare capacity for the next renovation, or interfaces to fans and doors that nobody specified clearly. Getting the design right is cheaper than fixing it after verification.
What we design and build
- Fire alarm control units and remote annunciators, sized for the building today and for reasonable growth.
- Initiating devices: smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations, duct detectors, and the supervisory and alarm connections to sprinkler flow and valve switches.
- Notification appliances: horns, speakers, strobes and other visual signals, laid out so that signals are audible and visible where they need to be.
- Single-stage, two-stage and voice evacuation systems, including the messages and zones for voice systems.
- Interfaces with HVAC shutdown and smoke control, door hold-open release, access control, elevator recall and other building systems.
- Off-site monitoring connections, and the power supply and standby batteries that keep the system running through a power failure.
- Very early warning detection where it fits, such as aspirating and open-area beam smoke detection.
The diagram below shows the parts every design has to account for. Signals come in from initiating devices on the left, the control unit decides what they mean, and outputs go to people, to the monitoring station and to the other systems in the building.
How it works
- We start with why. A new building, a change of occupancy, a panel that is no longer supported, an insurer's recommendation or a deficiency list from the last inspection each lead to a different scope. We confirm what has to change and what can stay.
- Code review. The National Building Code of Canada and the provincial building code adopted where you are set when a fire alarm system is required and what kind. CAN/ULC-S524 governs installation and CAN/ULC-S527 covers control units. We confirm the editions that apply locally and note any requirements from the authority having jurisdiction.
- Site survey. For existing buildings we walk every floor, note ceiling heights and types, beams, air movement, existing devices and wiring routes, and look at the panel, its loading and its records.
- Design and drawings. We lay out devices and circuits, calculate battery capacity and circuit loading, write the sequence of operation and the interface matrix, and prepare drawings and specifications. Drawings for permit are sealed by a licensed professional engineer where required.
- Installation support. The system is installed by licensed electrical contractors and fire alarm technicians with recognised certification, under permit. We review submittals, answer questions and visit site to check the work against the design.
- Verification and handover. The completed system is verified to CAN/ULC-S537 by a qualified technician. We help track deficiencies to closure and assemble the record drawings, sequence of operation and documentation the owner needs.
What to have ready
- Architectural drawings, or the best floor plans you have, with ceiling heights noted.
- The current fire alarm verification report and the last annual inspection report, with any deficiency lists.
- Existing fire alarm record drawings, sequence of operation and panel programming printout if available.
- Details of the sprinkler system, smoke control, door hardware and elevators that the alarm has to talk to.
- Plans for future renovations or tenant changes, so the panel and circuits have room to grow.
What you get
A design package that a contractor can price and build from: device layout drawings, riser diagrams, a sequence of operation and an input and output matrix showing what each device does, battery and voltage drop calculations, and specifications for equipment and installation. Drawings for permit are sealed by a licensed professional engineer where required.
During construction you get submittal reviews and site observation notes. At the end you get help closing out the verification deficiencies and a documentation set your inspection contractor can use for the annual inspections under CAN/ULC-S536.
Design is not verification. A new or modified fire alarm system has to be verified to CAN/ULC-S537 and then inspected and tested on the schedule set by CAN/ULC-S536 and the fire code. Those tests are done by qualified technicians, and the authority having jurisdiction decides what it accepts. Our role is to give them a system that was designed to pass.
Who it's for
- Owners and developers of new commercial, residential, institutional and industrial buildings.
- Property managers replacing an obsolete or unsupported fire alarm panel.
- Tenants and landlords doing fit-outs that move walls, ceilings or occupancy.
- Facility managers with recurring trouble signals, false alarms or inspection deficiencies they want fixed properly.
For background, read how a fire alarm system works, addressable vs conventional systems and fire alarm interfaces with HVAC, doors and elevators.
Common questions
Can we add devices to our existing panel?
Often, if the panel is still supported, has spare capacity and is compatible with current devices. Many older conventional panels are not, and adding to them can cost more over time than replacing them. The site survey answers this for your building.
Do tenant renovations need fire alarm work?
Usually. Moving walls changes where detectors and signals need to be, and a new room may need its own signal to be heard. Any change also needs verification of the affected parts of the system.
Will the system be down during a panel replacement?
Some outage is normally unavoidable during cutover. The design includes a phasing plan, and the fire department and your monitoring company usually need to know about any period without full protection, along with any fire watch they require.
Who does the verification?
A qualified fire alarm technician, typically from the installer or an independent verification company, tests every device and function to CAN/ULC-S537 and issues the report. We coordinate with them and help resolve what they find.