#139 – Top Differences between Conventional and Addressable Fire Alarm Systems

By Mary Raines, Anthony Medawar and Shawn Lee

We know you want to make the best decision when it comes to choosing a Fire Alarm System for your building.

Sifting through the detailed information can be confusing because there are many factors to take into consideration before committing to a specific Fire Alarm System.

Let us help you begin research for the Fire Alarm System that best suits your needs.

The following chart gives a breakdown of the main aspects between a Conventional Fire Alarm System and an Addressable Fire Alarm System to help in your decision making.

The above table can aide a building owner as to what type of Fire Alarm System to install. However, you should expect to run into problems with these systems over time, such as false (nuisance) alarms. Know that either system is susceptible to false alarms without a good inspection, testing, and maintenance program in place as outlined within the standards of Ch 14 of NFPA 72. Securing such a program with a factory trained and certified technician can save a building owner a lot of headaches and costs, which can include fines from false alarms!

Fire Tech Productions offers the training you need to become a certified technician and save lives! See the following resources for more information:

Fire Alarm Addressable Systems L3

Fire Alarm Circuits, Pathways & Emergency Control Function L2

Fire Alarm Systems – Advanced Reference Text