KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE You can read all of our articles on our website. Having trouble getting our emails? Change your spam controls and white list ken@kirschenbaumesq.com ****************************** Comments on fire alarm components starting fire May 30, 2022 *********************** Comments on fire alarm components starting fire *********************** Ken. In response to the question about whether or not an alarm system can cause a fire: Off the top of my head, I've personally seen seven instances of burned components inside of intrusion and fire alarm control cabinets. Three were at sites where other electronics had also been damaged, so building power was known to be the blame. One was the phone capacitors, so a phone line surge was determined to be the blame. The other three seemed to be random board failures which resulted in what looked to have been a small flame on the main board, two of those were in the battery charging circuitry. I would say that a control unit has more than a zero percent chance of starting a fire all by itself. It took a couple of these instances to get techs I was working with at the time to stop putting manuals inside or on top of the cabinets. Thank goodness none of the above systems had dried paper leaning up against the mainboard. Separate document cabinets have been required by code for fire alarm systems for a while now, but that wasn't always the case. Surge suppression on power, and any conductors that originate outside the building are code in some instances, and recommended in all others. Thank you. Scott Messina, Owner Messina Electronics Support Services ********************* Ken I had an internal transformer catch fire and thank god only the panel caught fire Building employees put out the fire with an extinguisher and customer was reasonable about paying for replacement. anon ****************** Ken My take on whether a fire alarm system can actually cause a fire. While nothing is impossible, it should be very unlikely. Every circuit leaving the panel is power limited. Any relay modules controlling other systems would also be power limited on the alarm side of the relay. The only gray area may be if an output relay were to malfunction and then activate some connected system. Then that connected system would need to malfunction and cause the fire. As far as a residential alarm, that too is power limited up to and including the transformer plugged into the outlet. The only thing not limited is the main battery wiring inside the cabinet. My thought is if the actual alarm system is accused of starting a fire someone is simply looking for a scapegoat. Name withheld ********************** Ken A few years ago, Ademco (as it was then known) came out with a #98 rechargeable power supply/battery for use with their lineup of control panels. No more dry-cell batteries! This was big news in the early 1970's. The #98 used a separate plug-in transformer which had a polystyrene type of plastic case. We experienced those transformers getting extremely hot in normal usage, deforming/melting the case and scorching the wallboard. Could have been a lot worse, thought I, prospectively seeing my equity going up in smoke. We removed all the #98's from service. Pretty scary. Anon in Calif ************************* Response ************************* So I started this discussion thinking that fire alarms, like all low voltage alarms, couldn’t cause a fire, though I know the commercial fire panel is hard wired to 110v. The issue is justifying the exculpatory provisions in the alarm contract which relies on several positions, one of which is the alarm components are never the cause of the fire [or burglary or whatever is being monitored]. There are other arguments to support the position so we will continue to rely on these protective provisions in the Standard Form Agreements. You should be mindful that the provisions exculpating liability won’t be enforced if gross negligence is found, so be careful. ************************ To order up to date Standard Form Alarm / Security / Fire and related Agreements click here: www.alarmcontracts.com *************************** CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY - You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304. *********************** ALARM ARTICLES: You can always read our Articles on our website at ww.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/alarm-articles updated daily ******************** THE ALARM EXCHANGE - the alarm industries leading classified and business exchange - updated daily ************************* Wondering how much your alarm company is worth? Click here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/what-is-my-alarm-company-worth ****************************** Getting on our Email List / Email Articles archived: Many of you are forwarding these emails to friends or asking that others be added to the list. Sign up for our daily newsletter here: Sign Up. You can read articles and order alarm contracts on our web site www.alarmcontracts.com ************************** Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC Attorneys at Law 200 Garden City Plaza Garden City, NY 11530 516 747 6700 x 301 ken@kirschenbaumesq.com www.KirschenbaumEsq.com