Fire Alarm & Detection Systems
PLC Fire Safety Engineering offers a range of fire alarm system design services.
We are experts in fire alarm system design services, from developing fire alarm system design criteria, producing detailed fire alarm designs, to supervising the construction and commissioning of fire alarm systems.
Our fire alarm design packages include schematic designs, detailed designs, construction drawings, submission packages for building permit applications.
How PLC Can Help
Well informed with up-to-date knowledge on evolving codes and standards, our fire alarm design team provides cost-effective and code-compliant fire alarm systems that meet or exceed safety standards by incorporating advanced features, including improved detection, intelligible notification, central monitoring stations, wireless alarm systems, releasing systems, addressable systems, and fire alarm system designs that are easy to maintain.
Whether as part of a larger consultant design team or as an individual design service, PLC Fire provides building owners with an expertise in fire alarm system design and related activities.
Like all of our fire protection and life safety services, our fire alarm system designs take into consideration the unique and specialized needs of different facilities, occupancies and clients.
“A fire detection and alarm system is a key element among the fire protection features of any building. Because most fire deaths result from building fires, the use of fire detection and alarm systems in buildings can help significantly reduce the loss of life from fire. Also, if properly specified, designed, manufactured, installed, maintained, tested and used, a fire alarm system can help limit property fire losses in buildings regardless of occupancy.” — NFPA Handbook, 20th ed.
Our Expertise
Members of PLC’s fire alarm system design team participate on committees for the development of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) standards for fire alarm systems. As an industry leader in fire and life safety systems, our engineers are well versed with new and emerging technologies.
Our staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop prescriptive or performance-based designs for fire alarm and detection systems in a diverse range of sectors, including complex industrial, healthcare, commercial, institutional, and nuclear facilities.
“A fire detection and alarm system is a key element among the fire protection features of any building. Because most fire deaths result from building fires, the use of fire detection and alarm systems in buildings can help significantly reduce the loss of life from fire. Also, if properly specified, designed, manufactured, installed, maintained, tested and used, a fire alarm system can help limit property fire losses in buildings regardless of occupancy.”
— NFPA Handbook, 20th ed.
Because PLC is an industry leader—participating on committees for the development of the National Building Code and ULC standards for fire alarm systems, and with active involvement in the Canadian Fire Alarm Association—our engineers stay current with new and emerging technologies.
Informed with up-to-date knowledge, our team designs cost-effective and code-compliant fire alarm systems that meet or exceed safety goals by incorporating advanced features, including improved detection, intelligible notification, central monitoring stations, wireless alarm systems, releasing systems, addressable systems, and system designs that are easily maintained.
PLC staff provide expertise in the following detection types:
- Heat: spot, rate compensated, hazardous environment, linear
- Smoke: spot, beam, air aspirating, very early warning
- Flame: UV, IR, UV/IR, IR with frequency discrimination, video
How Can We Help?
We’d love to understand your fire and life safety needs to see how we can help. Please reach out to us to schedule a conversation.
We’d love to understand your fire and life safety needs to see how we can help. Please reach out to us to schedule a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fire alarm system?
- A fire alarm system warns occupants and first responders that smoke, fire or other fire-related emergencies are present in a facility. A fire alarm system can also activate various fire protection systems and devices depending on the hazards or risks in the facility.
What types of detection devices/systems does PLC Fire provide expertise in?
- PLC Fire has expertise in utilizing all types of fire detection devices in the fire alarm system design as the design criteria demands, such as:
- heat – spot, rate compensated, hazardous environment, linear
- smoke – spot, beam, air aspirating, very early warning
- flame – UV, IR, UV/IR, IR with frequency discrimination, video
What do PLC Fire’s fire alarm system design services include?
- PLC Fire’s fire alarm systems team will work with building owners, operators, consultants and contractors to provide schematic designs, detailed designs, sequence of operation, cause & effect matrix, construction drawings, and building permit submission packages for your facility.
How often does my fire alarm system need to be tested?
- Your fire alarm system needs to be tested annually as a minimum. Regulations within your industry may require more frequent testing.
What is an Integrated Fire Protection and Life Safety System?
- CAN/ULC S1001 defines this as “a combination of two or more fire protection and life safety systems, which may or may not be physically connected with one another, but that are designed to operate together to achieve an overall fire protection and life safety objective”.
- The following are examples of individual systems that might be part of an integrated system: fire detection and alarm systems, automatic sprinklers, elevators, fire doors, dampers, smoke controls, HVAC controls, emergency communication systems, etc.
Which industry sectors does PLC Fire specialize in for fire alarm system design?
- PLC’s fire alarm system design team provides design services for all industrial sectors including nuclear, forestry and pulp and paper, transportation and transit, steel industry, petroleum and petrochemical. We also service non-industrial sectors including institutional, healthcare, heritage buildings, assembly, educational, commercial, and residential facilities.
Why should I hire PLC Fire to design my fire alarm system?
- PLC has decades of technical expertise and industry experience designing fire alarm systems in facilities throughout Canada and Internationally.
- In addition, members of our team participate on codes and standards committees for the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC).
- PLC Fire’s innovative approach allows for early schedule planning, reduced financial commitments and optimal resource utilization.
Download our Complete Services Guide
Our Services Guide provides complete descriptions of all our fire and life safety services, a mapping of services to sectors, plus information about our:
- Quality Management Program
- Health and Safety Program
- Corporate Security Program