CONTRIBUTORS | FIRE ALARMS
Why Your Building Needs a FASARP
RODNEY HATANAKA
Preparing your ‘fire alarm system activation response plan.’
L
ights are flashing and there is a piercing alarm seemingly coming from everywhere. The building’s fire alarm system has activated. There is confusion, concern, even panic. Or worse, irritation as people try to ignore the alarm thinking, “There it goes again!” Fortunately, you as a building manager and your staff have a fire alarm system activation response plan (FASARP). And more importantly, you are all trained and know exactly what to do in this situation. Unfortunately, there is no one-sizefits-all plan. Regardless of the building,
occupancy classifications or type of fire alarm system, fire alarm systems are designed for one purpose: notify the occupants of the building of a possible fire so that they may evacuate. Period. Because of this, many elements in fire alarm systems are similar. Knowing what elements are in your fire alarm system will help you understand how it operates to formulate the FASARP. Ensuring that the fire alarm system is properly tested, inspected and maintained is key to the plan. A properly maintained fire alarm system will reduce/eliminate nuisance alarms so
building occupants will not simply ignore it and will choose to evacuate the building. The occupancy classification and the size of the building affects the complexity of the FASARP. Buildings with higher occupancy loads (hundreds) will require more staff and coordination than smaller buildings with only a dozen or so occupants. Do any of the occupants require assistance such as in a hospital or care home? Who will assist them? How will they be assisted? It is important to have clearly defined roles for all of your staff, and that everyone understands that role.
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38 BUILDING MANAGEMENT HAWAII | MAY 2020
