NFPA 72 provides the latest safety provisions to meet society's changing fire detection, signaling, and emergency communications demands.
NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, is the NFPA document that addresses smoke alarms. In addition to the core focus on fire alarm systems, the Code includes requirements for mass notification systems used for weather emergencies; terrorist events; biological, chemical, and nuclear emergencies; and other threats.
NFPA 72 covers the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire alarm systems, supervising station alarm systems, public emergency alarm reporting systems, fire warning equipment and emergency communications systems (ECS), and their components. Provisions are expressed in prescriptive requirements with performance-based design methods and risk analysis requirements provided and essential for the proper design and integration of mass notification systems.
Learn more about NFPA 72, including how to get involved with the code development process, information about the NFPA 72 Technical Committee, and related content.
"Guidance Document: Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings"
Fire Protection Research Foundation report, March 2014
The Technical Committees responsible for NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code® have undertaken a major project to incorporate requirements for the planning, design, installation and use of Emergency Communications Systems. One of the goals of the Technical Correlating Committee on Signaling Systems for the Protection of Life and Property (responsible for NFPA 72) is to provide a structured approach for the development and implementation of emergency communication strategies. The work of the NFPA 72 Technical Committees has focused on providing "menus" that permit the development of communications strategies based on differing levels of risk for a variety of different hazards and threats. Download the Guidance Document: Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings.