# Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm



## retire09 (Feb 22, 2010)

Where is the requirement to connect the suppression system of a commercial kitchen hood to the fire Alarm System and how long has that requirement existed? Is this a requirement that existing installations should have to comply?


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## Coug Dad (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

Welcome to the board.

IBC (2006) Section 904.3.5.  I think it has been in the code for quite a long time


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## cda (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

retire09

what code and edition are you under???

it has been in nfpa 101 for a long time and think IFC looks like in the 2000

907.11 ifc 2003 ???


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## retire09 (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

We have adopted the 2006 IBC and IFC.

Is this an upgrade we should be requiring of installations originally done back in the 1980s or 90s?


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## Gene Boecker (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

Actually, the 904.3.5 only requires monitoring; it doesn't say if it should be by supervisory signal or alarm signal.  I think the question is whether or not the building alarm system is required to activate if the hood discharges.  That is a bit more nebulous.  Section 904.3.4 requires local alarms and a connection to audible alarms per 907.9.2.  However, the only thing that 907.9.2 does is tell you what the decibel level should be - not if the building alarm system is required to activate.

Even in the new 2009 edition, Section 907 doesn't identify cooking hood suppression systems directly.  It boils down to what NFPA 72 calls an alarm condition.  Since discharge has occurred, it is considered an alarm and would normally be treated as such.

In rare situations we have asked for (and received) permission to treat the hod discharge as a supervisory signal rather than an alarm signal.  This was for large facilities with open communication between areas.  Instead of having a hood discharge in one corner of the building initiate evacuation by alarm, the discharge notification calls the fire department by does not initiate an alarm unless a second device activates.  Thus, if the fire is not contained by the hood system, the sprinkler system will initiate the occupant notification.  This was only done in large facilities where the risk for injury by crush or people movement was high enough to offset the need to immediately notify.  My point is that the code isn't crystal clear which allows for this type of negotiation.  Generally, activate the alarm.


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## Coug Dad (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

Retire09

Does you name reflect an ambition delayed?   :cry:


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## retire09 (Feb 22, 2010)

Re: Connection of Hood to Fire Alarm

I did retire from a miserable organization in Arizona and now work in the greatest place in the world. ALASKA

I collect a pension and a salary.

Life is good.


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