FST Fire Alarm Systems 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A projected beam smoke detector is best suited for which type of environment?
- Small residential bedrooms
- Large open spaces such as atriums and warehouses (Correct answer)
- Kitchen cooking areas
- Mechanical equipment rooms
Correct answer: Large open spaces such as atriums and warehouses
Projected beam smoke detectors use an infrared beam across large open areas, making them ideal for spaces where ceiling-mounted point detectors would be impractical.
Question 2: When a fire alarm control panel is placed in 'alarm silence' mode, which of the following continues to operate?
- Audible notification appliances
- Strobe notification appliances (Correct answer)
- All notification appliances
- HVAC shutdown relay
Correct answer: Strobe notification appliances
Alarm silence stops audible devices but strobe lights and other visible notification appliances typically continue to operate until the system is fully reset.
Question 3: Which factor is MOST critical when determining the placement of manual pull stations?
- Proximity to water sprinkler heads
- Location at exits and paths of egress (Correct answer)
- Distance from electrical panels
- Height above the nearest smoke detector
Correct answer: Location at exits and paths of egress
Manual pull stations must be placed at exits and along paths of egress so occupants can activate them while evacuating the building.
Question 4: What does NFPA 72 specify as the mounting height range for manual pull stations?
- 42 to 48 inches above finished floor (Correct answer)
- 48 to 54 inches above finished floor
- 36 to 42 inches above finished floor
- 54 to 60 inches above finished floor
Correct answer: 42 to 48 inches above finished floor
NFPA 72 requires manual pull stations to be mounted with the operable part between 42 and 48 inches above the finished floor for accessibility.
Question 5: A fire alarm system using a digital alarm communicator transmitter (DACT) must be connected to how many separate telephone lines?
- One dedicated line
- Two separate phone lines (Correct answer)
- Three lines with automatic failover
- One broadband line only
Correct answer: Two separate phone lines
NFPA 72 requires a DACT to be connected to two separate telephone lines so that if one line is busy or fails, the second provides a backup communication path.
Question 6: Which detector type uses two sensing elements — one exposed to the environment and one sealed — to compensate for slow ambient temperature changes?
- Ionization smoke detector
- Thermocouple heat detector
- Compensating heat detector (Correct answer)
- Projected beam detector
Correct answer: Compensating heat detector
A compensating (or combination fixed-temperature/rate-of-rise) heat detector uses a vented outer chamber and a sealed reference chamber to distinguish rapid heat rise from gradual ambient changes.
Question 7: Under NFPA 72, when must a fire alarm system record be retained and made available for inspection?
- For the previous 3 inspection cycles (Correct answer)
- Until the next inspection only
- For at least 1 year
- Permanently, with no expiration
Correct answer: For the previous 3 inspection cycles
NFPA 72 requires records of inspections, tests, and maintenance to be retained for the period of the current contract and the previous two inspection cycles (three total).
FST Fire Alarm Systems 5
A projected beam smoke detector is best suited for which type of environment?