Fire/life safety: Integrating fire and life safety system testing
October 26, 2023
NFPA 3: Recommend Practice for Commissioning and Integrated Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems and NFPA 4: Standard for Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System Testing explore integrated fire protection and life safety system testing and are vital to a building’s overall fire/life safety implementation.
An integrated fire protection and life safety system combines the various individual systems that make up a building’s overall life safety approach. In other words, the integrated systems include many of the systems located in buildings today, such as fire alarm and detection systems, fire suppression systems, smoke control systems, emergency and standby power systems, security systems, and elevator controls.
Integrated system testing tests the overall life safety/fire protection system for the facility as if it were operating as a single system. This integration ensures individual systems, which are designed and installed by separate entities and are commissioned and tested individually, have integrated testing to make sure the building’s life safety features are operating as intended.
Learning objectives
- Understand the codes and standards, including NFPA 3 and NFPA 4.
- Explore the need and steps for integrated system testing. Explain what is required when integrated testing is provided.
- Learn how to define who should be part of the testing team.
- Review examples of integrated fire and life safety systems.