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Fire Safety \u00b7 United States

Fire Safety Symbols — US (NFPA 72 / NFPA 170)

US fire protection systems follow NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code) and NFPA 170 (Standard for Fire Safety and Emergency Symbols). These symbols appear on fire alarm shop drawings, inspection reports, and as-built documentation submitted to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).

NFPA 72 / NFPA 170 / NFPA 2514 symbols

Detection & Alarm

Manual Pull Station

Fire alarm manual pull station (break glass equivalent)

BS 5839-1

Optical Smoke Detector

Optical (photoelectric) smoke detector for fire alarm system

BS 5839-1

Ionisation Smoke Detector

Ionisation chamber smoke detector

BS 5839-1

Heat Detector

Fixed temperature or rate-of-rise heat detector

BS 5839-1

Multi-Sensor Detector

Combined optical smoke and heat detector

BS 5839-1

Notification Appliance (Horn)

Audible notification appliance / horn per NFPA 72

BS 5839-1

Notification Appliance (Strobe)

Visual notification appliance per NFPA 72

BS 5839-1

Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP)

Main fire alarm control unit per NFPA 72

BS 5839-1

Emergency Lighting

Maintained Emergency Light

Emergency luminaire that operates at all times (maintained mode)

BS 5266-1

Non-Maintained Emergency Light

Emergency luminaire that only operates on mains failure

BS 5266-1

Illuminated Exit Sign

Emergency exit sign (maintained or non-maintained)

BS 5266-1 / BS ISO 7010

Suppression

Fire Extinguisher

Portable fire extinguisher location

BS 5306 / BS ISO 7010

Sprinkler Head

Automatic fire sprinkler head

BS EN 12845

Passive Fire Protection

Fire Door

Fire-rated door assembly (FD30 / FD60)

BS 476 / BS EN 1634

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Frequently asked questions about fire safety symbols

What is NFPA 72?
NFPA 72 is the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. It covers the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire alarm systems and their components in the US.
What is the role of the AHJ?
The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is the organisation or individual responsible for enforcing fire code requirements. This is typically the local fire marshal or fire department. They review plans and conduct inspections.
What does NFPA 170 cover?
NFPA 170 standardises the symbols used for fire safety plans, including floor plan symbols for fire alarm devices, sprinklers, exits, fire extinguishers, and other safety equipment.

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