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    Fire Alarm System Testing and AHJ Notices	      Bulletin 2080 06/20/01  
    Copyright (C) 2001, Coastal Security Systems, Inc.	All rights reserved.  
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    When testing a required fire alarm system a U.L. inspector, fire marshall
or other authority may wish to test the response time of the central station.
DO NOT ADVISE THE CENTRAL STATION that a test will be conducted in these cases.
Advise the dispatch center of the test, then trip the alarm.  Allow the central
station to respond without any advance knowledge of the test.  Once the central
station's response is complete, the account must be put in test mode for the
remainder of the signals which require testing.  This may be accomplished using
Fax Back, by speaking to a central station operator, or by entering an alert
message using remote internet access.  It is not appropriate for the central
station operator to retransmit additional test signals one at a time to the
fire dispatch center and it is not appropriate for the central station operator
to remain on the phone with the inspector during the duration of the test.
Specific test signals should be sent in a known order.	At the end of the test,
the Fax Back system or the central station operator can review the signals
received with the technician or inspector conducting the test.

    When a required fire alarm system is to be placed on test or out of service
for more than eight hours the central station must notify the AHJ (authority
having jurisdiction) that the system is out of service.  An alert message is
the proper method for placing the system out of service.  This can be done by
a central station operator or by the dealer using remote internet access.
When the alert message is saved the AHJ notification screen will automatically
appear.

    The screen will display the voice and fax telephone numbers for the AHJ.
If a fax number appears the fax will be sent automatically.  It is imperative
that the AHJ be notified by calling the voice number at the time the notice is
taken.	The name or id number of the person notified must be entered on the
screen before leaving the screen (there is no way to get back to it).

    When all of the notification screen fields are correct press escape.  A
prompt will appear asking whether to send the fax.  Press "Y" for yes to send
the fax.

    Technicians in the field may request that central station operators send
notifications to AHJ's without placing the system on test.  The technician
must know the central station account number.  No notification will be made
if the account does not exist or if an AHJ or fire department has not already
been designated for the account.  The operator will ask if the system is
partially or completely out of service or restored to service.	The operator
will ask for the date and time the system is expected to be back in service
but this information is not mandatory unless the system is also placed on test.
The technician can give additional information for the forty character comments
field that appears in the notice, such as "second floor zone bypassed", or
"panel destroyed by lightning".

    It is important for technicians in the field to specifically ask for an
AHJ or fire department notification.  If a technician merely informs an
operator that a system will be down the operator will not necessarily make
the required notification.