System Fundamentals & Devices
30-40%of exam
Circuits & Power
25-30%of exam
Installation & Mounting
15-20%of exam
Codes, Testing & Inspection
10-15%of exam
NFPA 72 ChaptersAHJTest FrequencySensitivityRecord of Completion
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NICET FAS-I
- Questions
- 85 MCQ
- Time
- 110 min
- Pass
- 500/700
- Format
- Open book
- Codes
- NFPA 72/70
- Fee
- $230
- Level
- Entry technician
Signal Priority
Alarm beats Supervisory beats Trouble
Alarm: fireSupervisory: impairmentTrouble: faultHighest: alarm
Ionization vs Photoelectric
Ionization
- Flaming fires
- Small particles
- Radioactive source
Photoelectric
- Smoldering fires
- Large particles
- Light scatter
Flaming vs smoldering
Which Detector Type?
- Smoldering fire risk→Photoelectric(Visible particles)
- Flaming fire risk→Ionization(Small particles)
- Large open hall→Beam detector(Long range)
- Dusty/dirty area→Heat detector(Avoid false alarm)
- High-value early warning→Aspirating(Air sampling)
- Rapid temperature jump→ROR heat(Rate change)
- Steady high heat→Fixed-temp heat(Setpoint)
- HVAC smoke spread→Duct detector(Shut fan)
Smoke Detectors
- Ionization
- Fast flaming fires
- Photoelectric
- Slow smoldering fires
- Beam
- Large open areas
- Aspirating
- Air-sample very-early warning
- Duct detector
- Sample HVAC airflow
- Spacing
- 30 ft on-center
- Off wall
- 4 in minimum
Smoke Memory
Ion flames fast, Photo smolders slow
Ion: flamingPhoto: smoldering
Fixed-temp vs ROR Heat
Fixed-temp
- Reaches setpoint
- 135-174 F
- Will not reset
ROR
- Rate of change
- 12-15 F/min
- Self-restoring
Setpoint vs rate
Heat Detectors
- Fixed-temp
- Activates at setpoint
- ROR
- Rate-of-rise change
- ROR rate
- 12-15 F/min rise
- Ordinary rating
- 135-174 F
- Line-type
- Cable senses length
- Combination
- Fixed plus ROR
Alarm vs Super vs Trouble
Alarm
- Fire detected
- Smoke or waterflow
- Highest priority
Super / Trouble
- Super: tamper, impairment
- Trouble: open, ground
- Lower priority
Fire vs fault
Manual & Sprinkler
- Pull station
- Manual alarm initiation
- Single-action
- One pull motion
- Double-action
- Push-then-pull
- Near exits
- Within 5 ft
- Waterflow
- Sprinkler flow alarm
- Tamper switch
- Valve supervisory signal
- Retard chamber
- Ignores surge transients
Notification Appliances
- Horn
- Audible only
- Strobe
- Visible candela flash
- Horn/strobe
- Audible plus visible
- Speaker
- Voice EVACS output
- Temporal-3
- Standard evacuation pattern
- 520 Hz
- Sleeping-area low frequency
- Sync
- Strobes flash together
Control Unit & Signals
- FACP
- Fire alarm control panel
- Conventional
- Zone-based addressing
- Addressable
- Per-device point ID
- Alarm
- Fire condition signal
- Supervisory
- System impairment signal
- Trouble
- Fault or open signal
- Annunciator
- Remote status display
Battery Calc
24 h standby plus 5 min alarm
Standby AhAlarm AhAdd bothTimes 1.2
Class A vs Class B
Class A
- Return loop
- Survives one open
- No EOL resistor
Class B
- No return
- Open stops devices
- EOL resistor
Redundant vs simple
Class A vs Class B?
- Survive single open→Class A(Return loop)
- Simple, lower cost→Class B(EOL resistor)
- Need fault isolation→Class X(Short tolerant)
- Network backbone→Class N(Ethernet)
- End-of-line on B→EOL resistor(Supervision)
- Both wire paths used→Class A(Out and back)
Circuit Classes
- Class B
- No return path
- Class A
- Redundant return loop
- Class X
- Loop with fault isolation
- Class N
- Ethernet network path
- EOL resistor
- Class B supervision end
- Single fault
- Class A keeps operating
Circuit Classes
A loops, B ends, X isolates, N networks
A: redundantB: EOLX: fault isolateN: ethernet
IDC vs SLC vs NAC
IDC / SLC
- IDC: conventional inputs
- SLC: addressable poll
- Both initiate
NAC
- Drives appliances
- Horns and strobes
- Polarized output
Input vs output
Battery Sizing Steps
- Sum standby current→Standby amps(Quiescent)
- Multiply by 24 h→Standby Ah(Ah)
- Sum alarm current→Alarm amps(All NACs)
- Multiply by 5 min→Alarm Ah(5/60 hour)
- Add both totals→Required Ah(Subtotal)
- Apply derating→Times 1.2(Safety factor)
Pathways & Wiring
- IDC
- Initiating device circuit
- SLC
- Signaling line circuit
- NAC
- Notification appliance circuit
- Polarity
- NAC devices polarized
- Survivability
- Pathway protected from fire
- Ground fault
- Unwanted earth path
- Supervision
- Detects opens/shorts
NEC 760 Cable
FPL, then Riser, then Plenum
FPL: generalFPLR: riserFPLP: plenum
Primary vs Secondary Power
Primary
- Utility branch
- Dedicated circuit
- Normal supply
Secondary
- Standby battery
- 24 h plus 5 min
- AC-loss backup
Mains vs backup
NEC Article 760
- PLFA
- Power-limited fire alarm
- NPLFA
- Non-power-limited fire alarm
- FPL
- General cable type
- FPLR
- Riser-rated cable
- FPLP
- Plenum-rated cable
- Separation
- Apart from power
- Red jacket
- Common FA marking
Power & Battery
- Primary
- Utility branch circuit
- Secondary
- Standby battery backup
- Standby
- 24 h supervisory load
- Alarm load
- 5 min after standby
- Safety factor
- Multiply 1.2 result
- Charger
- Supervised, recharges battery
- AC loss
- Trouble signal generated
Mounting Heights
- Pull handle
- 42-60 in AFF
- Reach max
- 48 in ADA
- Wall strobe
- 80-96 in lens
- Ceiling strobe
- Per listed spacing
- Smoke spacing
- 30 ft on-center
- Beam ceiling
- Reduce spacing per depth
- Off wall
- Detector 4 in min
Audibility & Candela
- Public mode
- Plus 15 dB ambient
- Private mode
- Plus 10 dB ambient
- Max ceiling
- Approx 110 dBA limit
- Sleeping mode
- 75 dBA at pillow
- Candela
- Strobe light intensity
- Spacing table
- Room size vs candela
- Sync rule
- Avoid seizure flash rate
Codes & Testing
- Ch 10
- Fundamentals and power
- Ch 14
- Inspection, testing, maintenance
- Ch 17
- Initiating devices
- Ch 18
- Notification appliances
- Ch 23
- Protected premises pathways
- AHJ
- Authority having jurisdiction
- Smoke sensitivity
- Tested every 2 years
- Record of Completion
- Documents installed system
Common Traps
Ionization vs photoelectric
Ion senses flaming ≠ Photo senses smoldering
Fixed-temp vs ROR
Fixed hits setpoint ≠ ROR senses rate
Class A vs Class B
Class A loops back ≠ Class B uses EOL
Supervisory vs trouble
Supervisory is impairment ≠ Trouble is wiring fault
Public vs private mode
Public adds 15 dB ≠ Private adds 10 dB
Initiating vs notification
Chapter 17 inputs ≠ Chapter 18 outputs
Standby vs alarm time
Standby is 24 h ≠ Alarm is 5 min
Last Minute
- 1.Open book: NFPA 72 + 70 on-screen
- 2.85 questions in 110 minutes
- 3.Pass = 500 on 0-700 scale
- 4.Priority: alarm > supervisory > trouble
- 5.Ion = flaming; photo = smoldering
- 6.Fixed = setpoint; ROR = rate change
- 7.Class A = loop; B = EOL
- 8.Battery: 24 h standby + alarm
- 9.Apply 1.2 battery safety factor
- 10.Public mode = ambient + 15 dB
- 11.Pull station handle 42-60 in
- 12.Wall strobe lens 80-96 in
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