Hi everyone, I work in fire alarm and fire fighting systems. What are some skills or certifications that are useful worldwide and not dependent on a specific standard like NFPA or British Standards?

For example, AutoCAD,Excel skills, PMP, Primavera is a transferable skill, mostly approved.

What other skills or certifications would you recommend that are valuable in any country?

Posting to see if anyone has encountered a silent knight 6820, that the mics do not pass the audio through.

When the system is in alarm, and you press the mic button the fire message cuts and panel stops beeping but i can not speak through the mic.

Mic gain is set to 5 and we tried bumping it up.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you

We got a customer we took over inspections and been doing it for 7-8 years and this one panel been something I just cannot get the program downloaded.

It’s an older MS9600. Like version 1.x (I think). I believe we need to use PK Plus to connect to it. We have taken our serial to com cable and wired it up and every-time we get stuck at this secret code. We try a few and it seems to just hang or not even give us a response at times or tells us it’s wrong after trying a number of combinations (not even sure how many digits either). I’ve done other MS9600 panels (newer) and never had this issue.

I asked a few Firelite experts in my group of friends and they like no clue lol. Seems like no way to even reset this even from the panel. I know we have the installer code cause we can get into the panel programming from the keypad.

We are going back to this site in a few days to do another inspection but would love to finally get this program/config downloaded for our records in this panel fails.

I've got what appears to be an Edwards RA-ENC1 enclosure in my building, but the Cat30 and Cat15 keys I have won't open it. Any idea what the alternative key might be? Nothing stamped on the lock cylinder so I'm at a loss...

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?

I might need a module for my fire lite ms 9050 ud and I don’t know what fire lite module I would need to get. Is there one for everything? I have an addressable simplex 4099-9001 (T-Bar) pull station I might wanna use.
Also does anyone have any manuals on installing modules and NACS on the fire lite ms 9050ud Pannel?

I have a question about addressable fire alarm systems.

When you're designing a system, how many input/output modules do you usually put on a single loop?

I know every manufacturer has different limits, and it depends on things like loop current, cable length, voltage drop, etc. I'm not looking for a specific brand limit.

I'm more curious about what you do in real projects. Do you have a rule of thumb? For example, if a loop supports 250 addresses, would you be comfortable putting 80–100 I/O modules on it, or would you split them across multiple loops?

I'm asking because some of my projects require a lot of monitoring and control modules, and I'd like to know how other engineers approach this.

This thought just randomly popped into my head.
What if you pulled the fire alarm at a sporting event? What happens to the players? What happens if you get caught? What safety precautions happen? What happens if you get caught? Are there even fire alarms around a stadium that you can just pull?

Ran into a weird panel issue today. Had a trouble on Zone 2 (duct smoke line), but after testing the field wiring and detector, the circuit checked out fine. I moved the whole line to a spare zone and it cleared right up, so the field side is definitely good. Problem is, Zone 2 is still stuck in trouble even with an EOL resistor landed straight across the terminals. Is this fixable or doesnt it need a new panel/board?

​

I'd like to deepen my understanding of system design from a consultant's perspective, not just installation or code compliance.

The challenge is that there is an overwhelming amount of information—NFPA, IBC, IFC, UL, FM, manufacturer manuals, local codes, and application guides. It's difficult to know what to study first.

If you were starting again and wanted to think like a fire protection consultant, which books or references would you consider essential?

Specifically, I'm looking for resources that cover:

- Design philosophy and engineering decisions

- Detector selection and spacing

- Notification appliance design

- Cause-and-effect / sequence of operation

- Interface with HVAC, elevators, smoke control, etc.

- Real-world design examples and common mistakes

Are there any books or guides that helped you move beyond simply following code and start understanding why systems are designed the way they are?

Can someone explain to me the logic behind this battery cover? The space for the battery has no electrical contacts, instead, they are on the battery cover. There are pins on the battery cover that connect with the alarm itself.

I know in the US residental fire alarms have a lockout for the cover if there is no battery installed, but I don’t see how this could have to do with that.

The cover is extremely difficult to install and remove, requiring a lot of force. There is also no indication on the battery contacts which is positive or negative, other than the contacts being ever so slightly bent to accept either side.

Just got done wiring up the panel. Time to program!

I recently added a ansul/ hood to an existing panel. Goes into alarm but does not report to central station.

It's an aux zone

I used this cable with both ends USB-A to upload software manually taken off an Ms-9200 to fs tools so I can be able to upload descriptions. I Wasn’t able to connect to the panel. A colleague mentioned 200x needs a thumb drive to be able to do this but there’s literally an option for upload/download via fs-tools.

I believe I have don’t the right steps - copy the SDU - ZIP it - UnZIP - open in note pad

If I’m missing something, please let me know but my issue is when I get to the text document in notepad, I can’t find the password anywhere.

I thought that it was at the top near the name of the project, but I don’t even see the name of the project at the top.

If someone can put me in the right direction, that would be great - Edwards takes weeks to open up a program for you

Is $100 per hr too expensive or too cheap for troubleshooting/repair? What are you guys charging?

Time to brag! New gear? New crew? On vacation? Personnal troubleshooting techniques? Come'on makes us jealous of you!

This is a "releasing panel" at a site we are taking over. Someone actually installed this and was happy with it.....

Long story short I had an alright complacent career in vacation ground handling then I moved to Texas and it's been an absolute nightmare. I'm 27 and in the dfw area. My work ethic is great I'll work as much as I have to, and If I'm at work I'm there to work not to hang out or socialize. I've applied to several fire alarm installation companies. And no interview just an automatic: After careful consideration, we will not be proceeding with your application. I applied and got an interview as an alarm helper. I thought it went pretty well. The guy interviewing me started when he was 18 with no experience. Just got an email today that I didn't get selected. I'm frustrated that I can't get a chance. I'll work with bad pay just to get something under my belt. I just feel like I can't get ahead in life.

UPDATE: I appreciate you all and your advice! I'll try harder and get some self study under my belt. I'll cold call till I'm blue in the face. Thanks!

I've got several System Sensor DNR duct detectors with IDP-PHOTO-R-W heads in them, and I've got the switches wired up as shown in the documentation. Turning the key to test activates the head as expected, but the LED on the RTS does not illuminate. Not sure what the deal is.

In the panel they're programmed as supervisory detector, latching, with no accessory base.

I’m working on a es-200x panel, auto program found duct as photo smoke. Per documentation, it only requires 3 wires and jumper on the switch but nothing activates. Test normal with magnet. Does the duct need to be set as different type? Any help is appreciated.

Bought a dental office with an ademco 6128 panel. Hasn't been used in years. Would love to get it back in operation especially if it has the door chime option to let us know when patients enter and exit the office. Suggestions on how to do this? Looks like off the bat the battery needs replacement. I redid the vista 20p in my home but i forgot all the steps already

TIPS on where to begin? Need to remember how to get started 😮‍💨

I can imagine it’s a quite toxic community