S95 Supervisory and Trouble Signals — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A supervisory signal is received at the fire alarm control panel indicating a valve has moved from its normal position. What is the FIRST action required?

Silence the supervisory signal and log it
Investigate and restore the valve to its normal position (Correct answer)
Transmit an alarm signal to the fire department
Disable the supervisory zone until the next inspection

Correct answer: Investigate and restore the valve to its normal position

Supervisory signals indicate off-normal conditions that must be investigated and corrected by restoring the device to its normal supervised position.

Question 2: Which of the following conditions would generate a TROUBLE signal rather than a supervisory signal?

A dry-pipe valve that has operated
A fire pump that has started automatically
A ground fault on a signaling line circuit (Correct answer)
A pressure switch indicating low system pressure

Correct answer: A ground fault on a signaling line circuit

A ground fault on a signaling line circuit indicates a wiring or circuit integrity problem, which is classified as a trouble condition.

Question 3: According to NFPA 72, how often must supervisory signals be tested in a system with central station monitoring?

Monthly
Quarterly
Semiannually
Annually (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Annually

NFPA 72 requires supervisory signal devices to be tested annually unless the authority having jurisdiction specifies a different frequency.

Question 4: A building fire alarm system displays a trouble signal with an 'open circuit' fault on initiating device circuit 3. What does this indicate?

A device on circuit 3 has activated
A wire break or disconnection exists on circuit 3 (Correct answer)
Too many devices are connected to circuit 3
Circuit 3 has a short circuit condition

Correct answer: A wire break or disconnection exists on circuit 3

An open circuit trouble indicates a wire break, loose connection, or disconnected device that has interrupted the circuit continuity.

Question 5: Which signal type is generated when a sprinkler control valve is closed more than 20% from the fully open position?

Alarm signal
Trouble signal
Supervisory signal (Correct answer)
Supervisory or alarm depending on local AHJ

Correct answer: Supervisory signal

A tamper switch on a sprinkler control valve generates a supervisory signal when the valve moves significantly from its fully open (normal) position.

Question 6: A sprinkler system water flow switch activates but no sprinkler heads have operated. The MOST likely cause is:

Pressure surge or water hammer in the system (Correct answer)
A supervisory signal being converted to alarm
A trouble condition on the flow switch wiring
Normal system test in progress without notification

Correct answer: Pressure surge or water hammer in the system

Pressure surges or water hammer can momentarily activate a flow switch without actual water flow, often called a false alarm.

Question 7: When a trouble signal is received at a protected premises FACP, NFPA 72 requires the trouble signal to be:

Silenced immediately to avoid nuisance
Acknowledged and investigated within 24 hours (Correct answer)
Transmitted only if it persists for more than one hour
Escalated directly to an evacuation alarm

Correct answer: Acknowledged and investigated within 24 hours

NFPA 72 requires trouble signals to be acknowledged and the cause investigated and corrected within 24 hours of receipt.

Question 8: What color is typically used to indicate a TROUBLE signal on a fire alarm control panel?

Red
Green
Yellow or amber (Correct answer)
Blue

Correct answer: Yellow or amber

Yellow or amber indicators are the industry-standard color for trouble signals on fire alarm control panels, distinguishing them from red alarm signals.

Question 9: A fire pump running signal at the FACP indicates:

The fire pump has started and may indicate a demand for water (Correct answer)
A wiring fault in the fire pump circuit
The fire pump jockey pump has failed
The main fire pump is shut down for maintenance

Correct answer: The fire pump has started and may indicate a demand for water

A fire pump running signal is a supervisory signal indicating the fire pump has started, which may indicate actual firefighting water demand or an automatic test cycle.

Question 10: Which device monitors the water level in a fire protection storage tank and generates a supervisory signal when the level drops below normal?

Flow switch
Tamper switch
Low water level switch (Correct answer)
Pressure supervisory switch

Correct answer: Low water level switch

A low water level switch monitors storage tank water levels and sends a supervisory signal when water drops below the minimum required level.

Question 11: According to NFPA 72, a trouble signal audible notification device at the FACP must produce a sound that is:

Identical to the alarm sound but at lower volume
A distinctive sound clearly different from alarm signals (Correct answer)
Continuous tone at 85 dB minimum
Silent if the panel is in the attended mode

Correct answer: A distinctive sound clearly different from alarm signals

Trouble signal notification must be distinctly different from alarm signals so personnel can immediately differentiate between emergency and maintenance conditions.

Question 12: A cross-zoned detection system requires two separate detection zones to activate before sounding a full alarm. If only one zone activates, the FACP would typically display a:

Full building evacuation alarm
Supervisory signal
Pre-alarm or investigation signal (Correct answer)
Trouble signal

Correct answer: Pre-alarm or investigation signal

In a cross-zoned system, single-zone activation typically generates a pre-alarm or investigation condition rather than a full alarm until the second zone confirms.

Question 13: Which of the following is classified as a supervisory signal according to NFPA 72?

An open in the notification appliance circuit wiring
A smoke detector with reduced sensitivity due to contamination
A post-indicator valve moved to a partially closed position (Correct answer)
A power supply failure at the FACP

Correct answer: A post-indicator valve moved to a partially closed position

A post-indicator valve moved from its fully open position generates a supervisory signal because it represents an off-normal condition in the suppression system.

Question 14: The purpose of a 'waterflow retard' on a wet-pipe sprinkler system alarm check valve is to:

Increase system water pressure during demand
Delay the alarm signal to reduce false activations from surges (Correct answer)
Generate a supervisory signal during normal testing
Monitor the flow switch sensitivity continuously

Correct answer: Delay the alarm signal to reduce false activations from surges

A retard chamber delays the waterflow alarm signal by a few seconds to allow brief pressure surges to pass without triggering a false alarm.

Question 15: In a fire alarm system, a 'loss of AC power' condition at the FACP is categorized as which type of signal?

Alarm
Supervisory
Trouble (Correct answer)
System reset

Correct answer: Trouble

Loss of AC primary power is classified as a trouble signal because it indicates the system is operating on backup power and the primary power source is compromised.

Question 16: A tamper switch on a fire suppression system valve is designed to generate a signal when the valve is moved from its normal position by as little as:

5% of its travel
One or two turns of the hand wheel (Correct answer)
50% of its travel
The valve must be fully closed to generate a signal

Correct answer: One or two turns of the hand wheel

Tamper switches are designed to activate after just one or two turns of the handwheel so that even slight valve movement is detected and reported.

Question 17: Which of the following BEST describes the difference between a 'Class A' and 'Class B' signaling line circuit in terms of trouble signal capability?

Class A uses two-wire circuits while Class B uses four-wire circuits
Class A provides a trouble signal AND maintains communication past a single open fault; Class B loses communication past the fault (Correct answer)
Class A requires monthly testing while Class B requires annual testing
Class B provides redundant supervisory monitoring while Class A does not

Correct answer: Class A provides a trouble signal AND maintains communication past a single open fault; Class B loses communication past the fault

Class A circuits loop back to the panel so a single open wire fault still allows the panel to communicate with devices on the intact portion, whereas Class B loses all devices beyond the break.

Question 18: A fire alarm system at a hospital shows a supervisory signal from the kitchen hood suppression system. The MOST likely cause is:

The kitchen suppression agent nozzle has discharged
A control valve on the kitchen suppression system is not in its normal position (Correct answer)
The kitchen hood exhaust fan has failed
A smoke detector in the kitchen has been removed

Correct answer: A control valve on the kitchen suppression system is not in its normal position

Supervisory signals from a suppression system most commonly indicate that a control valve or other supervised device has moved from its normal operating position.

Question 19: When a monitoring company receives a supervisory signal from a protected premises, the FIRST action required by NFPA 72 is to:

Dispatch the fire department immediately
Attempt to contact a designated representative at the protected premises (Correct answer)
Notify the local AHJ and wait for instructions
Log the signal and take no action until the building calls in

Correct answer: Attempt to contact a designated representative at the protected premises

NFPA 72 requires monitoring companies receiving supervisory signals to promptly attempt to contact a designated representative at the protected premises to investigate the condition.

Question 20: A carbon dioxide fire suppression system uses pressure switches to monitor the CO2 cylinder bank. A low-pressure reading from this switch would generate what type of signal?

Alarm
Supervisory (Correct answer)
Trouble
Advisory

Correct answer: Supervisory

Low pressure in a CO2 storage cylinder bank indicates the system may have insufficient agent to suppress a fire and is classified as a supervisory condition requiring investigation.

Question 21: During a fire drill, the fire alarm system is silenced and reset before all occupants have completed their evacuation. According to NFPA 72 best practices, this is:

Acceptable if the fire marshal has authorized the drill
Not recommended because resetting could re-silence legitimate alarm conditions (Correct answer)
Required to prevent occupant confusion during a drill
Only acceptable if monitoring station is notified first

Correct answer: Not recommended because resetting could re-silence legitimate alarm conditions

Resetting the system during a drill is not recommended because it can mask genuine alarm conditions that may arise during the exercise and cause personnel to ignore them.

S95 Supervisory and Trouble Signals

A supervisory signal is received at the fire alarm control panel indicating a valve has moved from its normal position.
What is the FIRST action required?

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