With current regulations and an awareness of their importance, fire alarm systems are now located in just about every building in America. These systems are often mandated by law, but it’s important for everyone who lives or works in a building to understand how these systems are meant to warn everyone about a fire.
All fire alarm systems will use some sort of sensor to detect smoke. These can range from highly sophisticated sensors to simple units that rely on humans to pull a lever to alert everyone of a fire. Once the sensor is tripped, all fire alarm systems will emit a loud sound of some type; usually a bell or siren. It is recommended that property owners occasionally test their fire alarm system and run a practice fire drill so that everyone in a building will know what the alert noise sounds like.
More sophisticated systems will send a message to the local fire department. These systems are usually found in public buildings. Residential systems usually rely on a homeowner to call the fire department once they have safely exited the home.
