CENTRAL STATION MONITORING, 24 hours a day.

Existing fire protection systems can be connected to a central station monitoring service.

When your system detects a fire on the protected premises-whether because water begins flowing in a sprinkler system, or because smoke or heat activate an alarm system's detectors-your system can automatically report the danger to the central station service, resulting in a call to your local fire department and/or anyone you list with the monitoring service.

Fire protection equipment that can be monitored includes:
· • Fire sprinkler systems
· • Fire alarm systems
· • Kitchen exhaust hood fire suppression systems
· • Special hazard fire suppression systems

Central station monitoring of fire protection equipment is becoming a larger concern to insurance companies and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ's). Cofessco Fire Protection can provide 24-hour monitoring of your fire protection equipment 365 days per year.

MONITORING SYSTEM DESIGN, INSTALLATION, SERVICE
Cofessco will design, furnish, and install the necessary high-end equipment to monitor (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) trouble conditions as reported by your existing fire protection equipment. The monitoring equipment we install is U.L. listed and certified by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) for fire system monitoring applications and features:

· • solid-state circuitry
· • emergency battery back-up
· • phone line redundancy

To ensure their reliability, monitoring systems must be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 72 and your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Cofessco Fire Protection will work out a program for periodic testing, inspection, and maintenance that is right for you and that conforms to all NFPA code requirements as well as the requirements of your local AHJ and the system manufacturer's suggested inspection and maintenance requirements.

Inspection
A visual examination of a central station monitoring system or portion thereof to verify that it appears to be in operating condition and is free of physical damage.

Testing
A procedure to determine the functional status of a system. These central station monitoring system tests follow up on the original acceptance test at intervals specified in the appropriate chapter of the NFPA Standard 72.

Maintenance
Work performed to keep equipment operable or make repairs.

CENTRAL STATION MONITORING Definitions

A Monitored System is a system which reports detected conditions to a monitoring facility.

A Central Station Monitoring Facility is an organization or agency, located off-site from the protected premises, that watches over alarm-receiving equipment and follows up with appropriate actions when alarm and other signals are received. A monitoring facility should be listed by, and operating according to, standards established by UL (Underwriters Laboratories) and/or FMRC (Factory Mutual Research Corporation).

An Alarm is an electronic signal transmitted to the monitoring facility. It indicates that an emergency requiring follow-up has been detected. When a system is not monitored, the alarm condition activates one or more sounding or visual indicating devices but does not alert anyone who is not at the site.

An "Event" is one or more related alarm or trouble signals.

A Dispatchable Event is an unexpected alarm that triggers an event. An alarm does not become a dispatchable event until the monitoring facility has followed its established procedures such as verification or other confirmation that the alarm requires further action. Subsequent signals from the same type of alarm system are part of the original dispatchable event until the event is resolved and the system has been reset. When an alarm is determined to be a dispatchable event, a request for response (RFR) is made to the appropriate response agency or agencies.

A Public Dispatch Agency sends and directs municipal fire personnel. The dispatch agency is notified by the monitoring facility when a received alarm signal has been determined to warrant investigation. Public dispatch agencies are known by a variety of names, including 9-1-1, PSAP, ECC, and police, fire, and EMS dispatch.

"Public Safety Answering Point" (PSAP) is a generic name for a municipal or county emergency communication center (ECC) dispatch agency that directs 9-1-1 or other emergency calls to appropriate police, fire, and EMS agencies and personnel.

"Trouble" means a non-emergency condition indicating that the alarm system is inoperative or functioning at less than optimum capability. Trouble conditions may include sensors that have become less sensitive or more susceptible to causing false alarms, or batteries that have deteriorated or are inoperative.