FACP and Signal Types Flashcards

A Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) is displaying a yellow light and sounding a local piezo alert. The panel indicates 'Sprinkler Valve Closed' for a specific zone. Which type of signal is the FACP indicating?

Answer: Supervisory Signal

A supervisory signal indicates an 'off-normal' condition of a fire protection system that is monitored by the fire alarm system. A closed sprinkler valve is a classic example of a supervisory condition because it impairs the sprinkler system's readiness but is not an active fire or a fault within the fire alarm system itself.

Which of the following events would typically initiate a 'Trouble' signal at the FACP?

Answer: A loss of primary AC power to the FACP.

A trouble signal indicates a fault within the fire alarm system itself, its wiring, or its components. A loss of primary AC power is a system fault that would trigger a trouble signal, indicating the system is now running on battery backup. The other options are all initiating events for an alarm signal.

According to NFPA 72, which signal has the highest priority at the Fire Alarm Control Panel?

Answer: Alarm Signal

An alarm signal indicates an immediate threat to life or property, such as a fire, and requires immediate action like evacuation. Therefore, NFPA 72 gives alarm signals the highest priority over all other signal types, including supervisory, trouble, and pre-alarm signals.

An S-95 certificate holder is supervising a fire alarm system when a signal activates at the FACP. The building's horns and strobes do NOT activate, but a signal is sent to the central station monitoring company. Which two signal types could this be?

Answer: Supervisory or Trouble

Both supervisory and trouble signals typically annunciate at the FACP and notify the central station, but they do not activate the building's general evacuation notification appliances (horns and strobes). An alarm signal would activate the notification appliances.

A technician is testing a fire alarm system and disconnects a wire on an initiating device circuit. What is the expected signal to appear on the FACP?

Answer: A trouble signal, because there is a fault in the circuit wiring.

A disconnected wire creates an open circuit, which is a fault in the fire alarm system's wiring. The FACP is designed to monitor the integrity of its circuits and will generate a trouble signal to indicate such a fault.

In what order of descending priority should signals generally be addressed at an FACP?

Answer: Alarm, Supervisory, Trouble

The correct priority is Alarm, then Supervisory, then Trouble. An Alarm signal indicates a potential fire and must be addressed first. A Supervisory signal indicates a potential impairment of a fire protection system (like a closed sprinkler valve) and is the next priority. A Trouble signal indicates a fault with the fire alarm system itself and is addressed after any life-threatening or system-impairing conditions are resolved.