Kitchen Hood Required to Activate Fire Alarm?

10/26/2021

NFPA 101 has commentary that states that kitchen hood suppression systems are not required to activate public mode alarm for fire alarm systems.

Our Authority Having Jurisdiction stated that since the kitchen hood systems are provided in lieu of required sprinkler systems, then they are required to activate public mode alarm.

What is the generally accepted practice for kitchen hood suppression monitoring?

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8 Comments

Glenn Berger

10/26/2021 08:08:11 am

It depends on the application. Large kitchens with large seating areas with the kitchen NOT OPENED to the diners, I typically do not activate the notification appliances. Kitchen Hoods in other applications, I have activated the notification appliances. Always activate the transmission circuit to notify the responding fire department.

Mark

10/26/2021 08:13:59 am

Section 5.2.1.9 of NFPA 17A - Standard for Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems, 2017 Edition requires that if a fire alarm is provided in the building, activation of the kitchen hood suppression system shall activate the fire alarm system.

5.2.1.9 The extinguishing system shall be connected to the
fire alarm system, if provided, in accordance with the requirements
of NFPA 72 so that the actuation of the extinguishing
system will sound the fire alarm.

Fred WALKER

10/26/2021 08:55:01 am

101 allows either connection or no connection for life safety purposes.
72 allows either connection for alarm systems.
17A requires connection if alarm system is present.
None of these address substitution of hood system for sprinkler system which if approved by AHJ would simply make it condition of the substitution approval.
In our case we are both the owner and the AHJ and we do normally require connection of a hood system to the alarm system.

Robert Bambino

10/26/2021 10:18:55 am

The IFC requires that alternative extinguishing systems installed where there is a fire alarm system are required to activate the fire alarm system. And why wouldn't you want that? Regardless is the kitchen is open to seating or not, if there is a fire (thus activating the suppression system) get people out of the building, which is the most important thing.

Alex

10/26/2021 12:17:16 pm

Agreed. Our industry strives for life safety, therefore the most important thing is to evacuate the building. I can see if the system is prone to false alarms but a complete hood activation in my opinion calls for a building evaluation.

PETE D

10/26/2021 06:38:56 pm

Plus, if the hood drops on the cook's line in the middle of dinner service, it's not like they're going to get their beef Wellington 20 minutes later. Typically the equipment will have the gas shut off and get wheeled outside for cleaning / decontamination then reinstalled. Add to that recharge the wet chem cylinder and replace the activation elements. Close the restaurant and apologize to the guests.

Chad

10/26/2021 11:54:37 am

If there is no FA we require a local horn/strobe on the exterior of the building. They usually just use a120V version so it’s simple to power off the hood branch circuit.

The thought is two fold:

1-if it goes off when no one is there, hopefully someone will hear it and call (this has happened, fire from food left on stove with burners on, system tripped randomly, this also lets us notify Health dept, they need to be aware of any discharge)

2- same thing if occupied, if it goes off and they don’t bother to call us, (Happens) someone will hear/see it and call 911(happens, makes us aware of fires they don’t want us to know about)

Jason Lupa, PE

12/3/2021 09:37:01 am

The IBC provides requirements WHEN to install life safety equipment. IBC [2015 & 2018] requires automatic fire suppression system to be connected to the building’s fire alarm system.

IBC 904.3.5 Monitoring
Where a building fire alarm system is installed, automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be monitored by the building fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72.

This section only requires monitoring; it doesn't say if it should be by supervisory signal or alarm signal.

NFPA 72 provides guidance for HOW to install the IBC’s referenced life safety equipment. NFPA 72 [2013 & 2016] requires operation of any fire extinguishing or suppression system to initiate an alarm.

NFPA 72 17.13 Detection of Operation of Other Automatic Extinguishing Systems.

The operation of fire extinguishing systems or suppression systems shall initiate an alarm signal by alarm-initiating devices installed in accordance with their individual listings.

Typically, if a kitchen hood fire suppression system is installed in a building that is also served by a fire alarm system, the two systems are connected so that any activation of your fire suppression system will also trigger a fire alarm. In rare situations the owner/engineer has asked for (and received) permission to treat the hood discharge as a supervisory signal rather than an alarm signal.

Kitchen Hood Required to Activate Fire Alarm?

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