An addressable fire alarm system is a sophisticated fire detection and notification system whereby each device - be it a smoke detector, heat detector or manual call point - is assigned a unique location within a system. This allows the fire alarm control panel to pinpoint the exact location of the activated device in an emergency, enabling faster response times.
Why Are Addressable Alarm Systems Necessary?
For just one building, such as a house, one fire alarm system is usually sufficient as a safety measure. However, if your premises are made up of multiple buildings or locations, you will probably want to look into installing an addressable fire alarm system.
Benefits of Addressable Alarm Systems:
- Without an addressable alarm system, if an alarm goes off, all employees within all buildings will be evacuated when that may not be necessary.
- The accuracy of the system means that if the fire brigade needs calling, they know where to go, saving valuable time.
- By pinpointing the exact location of a fire, addressable systems can help minimize false alarms and reduce disruption.
- The system can identify and report faults in individual devices, simplifying maintenance and troubleshooting.
How Does an Addressable Fire Alarm Work?
Addressable fire alarm systems are more complex than a conventional fire alarm. The whole system uses a specific protocol – a type of language the central panel uses to “talk” to each device.
Each device on the system is allocated its own unique code or number, known as the device address. When a device is added to the system, it gets a unique code of its own, and its real-world location is logged with the central panel.
The central fire alarm panel is in constant communication with its satellite devices, so that when an alarm condition is triggered, you can pinpoint which alarm is going off. This also means that any alarm that’s registering a fault can easily be located for maintenance.
Addressable fire alarm systems are well-suited to large-scale properties with complicated layouts, such as a hospital campus. They can also be used in multi-storey office or apartment buildings to ensure the affected floors and their nearest neighbours can be evacuated first.
If you have any questions about how addressable fire alarm systems work, or if you need one installed on your premises, get in contact and our team at IDS Security will be happy to help.
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