UNE-EN 54-1: Fire detection and alarm systems.

The first part of the standard introduces and defines fire detection and alarm systems installed in buildings, which have several components capable of communicating for the purpose of:

• Detect a fire as soon as possible.
• Provide an audible and/or visible signal to protect occupants.
• Provide alarm information remotely to authorized organizations for the protection of buildings and their environment.
• Provide signals to initiate, in case of fire, the operations of other equipment and protection systems.

This new edition includes new terms and revises and corrects some of those that already existed in the previous edition. The main objective is to update and unify their meaning throughout the normative series and among the new definitions are the descriptions of distributed control and indication equipment (ECI) and voice alarm control and indication equipment (VACIE).

The standard thus includes in its definition and in a more explicit way, on the one hand, voice alarm systems and on the other hand enters to define a distributed control equipment and contrasts it with a hierarchical or networked system.

Where does UNE-EN 54-1 apply?

The Standard applies to fire detection and alarm systems in buildings and civil engineering works, composed of several elements that communicate to detect fires at the earliest possible time. The document specifies:

• Product characteristics, test methods and performance criteria to evaluate and declare the effectiveness and reliability of fire detection and alarm system components.
• Compatibility and connectivity requirements of components when combined in a system.
• Guidelines for the use of fire detection and alarm systems in buildings and civil engineering works.