$7.3 billion and 2600 lives.
These are the average annual losses owed to fires in the USA. Undeniably, this implies the need for a proper Fire Alarm System (FAS). In fact, there have been amazing advances in the FAS field.
This has introduced the Fire Alarm Annunciator. If you’ve meddled in this area, you have probably heard about it before.
The fact that you’re reading this article, tells us that you recently came across this big, fancy term and are looking to know what it’s all about. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
After this article, you’ll know
1. What a fire alarm annunciator is.
2. How they help you.
3. If you need a fire alarm annunciator.
4. And, how to use it.
Making note of your precious time, let’s get right to it.
What is a Fire Alarm Annunciator?
The Fire Alarm Annunciator is, quite literally, the face of your Fire Alarm System. It identifies problems and depicts where a fire was started, what caused it and how efficiently the FAS is functioning.
The fire alarm annunciator displays accurate and relevant information to you and the concerned fire department to help take actionable steps to curb the fire and prevent problems.
Just as your face expresses your emotions, the annunciator depicts complete information about the fire and the FAS. Annunciators use a variety of lights, icons, and maps to relay audible and visual alerts for any fire-related issue.
Under the FAS, every element including the smoke, heat, and fire detectors; the manual stations, and the Waterflow stations; are consistently sending out information to the annunciator panel. The annunciator in turn depicts the status of the FAS and points out as soon as it witnesses a malfunction.
Even with its sleek, simple design, the fire alarm annunciator includes a plethora of functions. They generally consist of a wide variety of sensors and controls, along with sirens and a screen to depict alerts.
Benefits of having a Fire Alarm Annunciator
Fire alarm annunciators make an integral part of your property’s Fire Security System. With the elaborate building structures and countless fire detectors and alarms, it has become difficult to locate the source of the fire. Annunciators make your job simpler.
Pointing out problems
Fire alarm annunciators are constantly taking in signals and codes from various parts of your Fire Alarm System. Any break in signal or any unusual occurrence that might point towards a system failure is immediately displayed by the Annunciator.
Locating the Fire
Blueprints of your property are fitted into most fire alarm annunciators. It includes the details of where each detector Is located.
In case of any malfunction or problem in the entire Fire Alarm System, live feedback is given to the user through the annunciators’ screen and siren. The alert tells you exactly what the problem is, where it is located, and what caused it.
Guiding you out
Fire Alarm Annunciators are generally well-equipped to safely guide you out of a fire via their elaborate maps and visuals. With an annunciator, responding to fires and malfunctions in the elements of FAS has become considerably quick and streamlined.
Making safety simple
The easy-to-use interface makes the issues simple to interpret, saving both lives and property effortlessly. The fire alarm annunciator’s live updates and assistive features to prevent, control and halt the fire drops damages caused to a minimum.
To sum it up for you: Fire alarm Annunciators make your life Safe and Sound.
Do you need a Fire Alarm Annunciator?
Coming to the big question: Do you actually need the fire alarm annunciator in your FAS? After extensive research and a good look at the USA fire statistics, we suggest that you do need a good Fire Alarm Annunciator for your FAS.
In general, sources say that a majority of the US population blindly trusts fire or smoke detectors to alert them to fire threats. But this blind faith can cost you dearly.
Although it might be tempting to think that your smoke and heat detectors are self-sufficient. Or, that your FAS does not need a Fire Alarm Annunciator. But the fact is, your FAS and detectors are only so efficient. You cannot afford to disregard the possibility of a system failure. The opportunity cost is too high.
You do not want to regret your decision in the event of an unfortunate failure of your FAS.
We are witnessing an increasing threat from fires, and a greater value of properties on the line. With this, risking your life and property over ignoring annunciators is not a wise decision.
How to use it?
The ease of use of a Fire Alarm annunciator depends on its make and version. Some annunciators depict codes as alerts, which takes some getting used to. While others are simpler to interpret with LED light alerts and sirens displaying system malfunctions and fires.
Old fire annunciators mostly depict the alerts and failures in a zone of the property. Updated versions started indicating the problems more specifically by pointing out where exactly the fire or the faulty element is located.
Where do you install Fire Alarm Annunciators?
Fire Alarm Annunciators are situated separately from the property’s control panel, mounted no higher than 72 inches above the floor.
Dealing with False Alarms
The annunciators are consistently feeding on signals and codes from the numerous elements from the FAS. At times, these panels showcase false alarms when it takes in a faulty signal. Cigarette smoke is a common reason behind these false alerts. Newer versions of fire alarm annunciators come with a feature that accurately differentiates between false readings and genuine alarms.
Our take
All this being said, we highly recommend Fire Alarm Annunciators for the safety of your property. They are more of a need than an option. These annunciators are the optimal way to ensure a thoroughly safe environment, and a life free of fire threats.
