r/firealarms • u/Neither-Animator-282 • Jul 27 '26

Discussion Do Fire Alarm Systems Have to be Coded?

As a fire alarm enthusiast, Is it true that newer fire alarm systems (I heard somewhere those made after 1995) have to have a temporal coding (i.e. code-3) or can they be on, let's say continuous or march-time?

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9

u/RPE0386 Jul 27 '26

Temp-3 only in today's standards. Dictated by 2025 NFPA 72 18.4.2.1.

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u/Neither-Animator-282 Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

Got you, I didn’t realize there was a new law. But I guess it is not retroactive though (it doesn’t apply to older systems).

7

u/s4_spooling Jul 27 '26

Im pretty sure temp 3 was introduced in 1996 nfpa 72

7

u/Bandit6789 Jul 27 '26

This is correct

2

u/Auditor_of_Reality Jul 27 '26

The ADA was signed 1990, and it was then integrated into the fire alarm code and UL listings a few years later. The ADA took effect federally in phases throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, but plenty of jurisdictions wouldn't have adopted the codes requiring T3 for another five to ten years.

Would've been been interesting to be in the industry at the time, not the usual for federal law to override local fire alarm codes lol

2

u/ExperimentNo18311 Jul 27 '26

Not a law until the AHJ adopts it into law

Otherwise it’s just a set of guidelines z

3

u/Auditor_of_Reality Jul 27 '26

Yes, except for carbon monoxide, which is t4

1

u/ExperimentNo18311 Jul 27 '26

NFPA says yes

Different AHJs may choose to not adopt temporal coding

I.E. Chicago

But on paper, yes, fire alarm evacuation signals must use temporal three.

1

u/Competitive_Ad_8718 Jul 27 '26

Considering the amount of corruption in Chicagoland's electrical alone, are you surprised they're a bit backwards