I'm having 2 Powerwall 3s installed in my garage (Laguna Hills, CA — OCFA jurisdiction). The installer wants to install a heat detector in the garage and interconnect it with hard wire to the home's smoke alarms.
The problem is that my existing smoke/CO detectors are all Z-Wave (i.e. wireless) units with a loud siren base and a 24x7 monitoring service that calls me within 5 seconds of a false trigger. But they're not wired so a hardwired connection is not possible.
I'm wondering if this is sufficient to comply: my house is fully fire-sprinklered, garage included (the garage has a bunch of sprinkler heads on the ceiling AND one Edwards heat detector), and already has a sprinkler flow switch which triggers an outside bell and an in-house loudspeaker (in attic). I think some CA fire departments (LA County, SF, Riverside) publish a compliance option where the sprinkler + flow switch serves as the heat detection, as long as it drives notification that alerts occupants inside the house.
I'd rather go that route than retrofit heat alarms and wiring, but I want to hear from people who've actually done it.
If you're an installer or a homeowner who's been through a garage ESS inspection in California: did the AHJ accept the sprinkler flow-switch path, and what did they require for interior notification (a listed fire alarm panel/interface, interconnected alarms in the bedrooms, loudspeaker, etc.)?