Consider a fire alarm system which uses a performance-based technology single path for signal transmission to the supervising station. A failure to complete a signal transmission shall be annunciated at the protected premises within _________ seconds?

Consider a fire alarm system which uses a performance-based technology single path for signal transmission to the supervising station. A failure to complete a signal transmission shall be annunciated at the protected premises within _________ seconds?

• A. 10
• B. 60
• C. 90
• D. 200

Answer: (D)

In a fire alarm setup that uses performance-based technology with a single signal path to the supervising station, the system must alert on-site personnel when the signal can’t reach the supervising station. That local annunciation has a defined time window, and 200 seconds is the limit the design specifies. This window gives enough time for the system to attempt the transmission and still ensures building occupants and maintenance can see the trouble promptly, without waiting so long that a real failure goes unnoticed. Shorter times would be too quick to distinguish between transient glitches and a real communications failure, potentially causing unnecessary alarms or missed detection of a true fault. The 200-second interval balances reliable detection of a failed path with timely awareness at the protected premises.

In a fire alarm setup that uses performance-based technology with a single signal path to the supervising station, the system must alert on-site personnel when the signal can’t reach the supervising station. That local annunciation has a defined time window, and 200 seconds is the limit the design specifies. This window gives enough time for the system to attempt the transmission and still ensures building occupants and maintenance can see the trouble promptly, without waiting so long that a real failure goes unnoticed.

Shorter times would be too quick to distinguish between transient glitches and a real communications failure, potentially causing unnecessary alarms or missed detection of a true fault. The 200-second interval balances reliable detection of a failed path with timely awareness at the protected premises.